Pixar Animation Studios will return to the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival to premiere Elemental on May 27. Debuting out of competition as the closing film of the 76th edition of the festival, Elemental is the fourth film from the storied studio to be selected for the event and joins previous favorites Up, Inside Out, and Soul.
Pixar’s chief creative officer, Pete Docter, said this year’s return to Cannes is particularly special for the studio. “As we all emerge from our pandemic cocoons and come together in story rooms, animation dailies and impromptu brainstorming sessions, it’s a joy and honor to have Pixar back on La Croisette,” said Docter. “Directed by the extraordinary storyteller Peter Sohn, ‘Elemental’ is so funny, full of heart and, frankly, stunning to see. It was created for audiences to experience on the big screen and I love that it’ll make its world premiere at Cannes.”
In celebration of Pixar’s return to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, director Pete Sohn shared a piece of original artwork (shown above) he designed featuring Wade and Ember wearing their festival outfits and lounging on the beach of Cannes, France.
Attending the festival will be Pete Docter, Pete Sohn, and producer Denise Ream. While there is news that some of the vocal cast will be in attendance as well, we are uncertain if it will be the original vocal cast of Leah Lewis (Ember) and Mamoudou Athie (Wade) or the French actors Adèle Exarchopoulos and Vincent Lacoste to lend their voices to Flam (Ember) and Flack (Wade) for the French version of the film.
“For many years, the Cannes Film Festival has welcomed animated films from around the world,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate, Cannes Film Festival. “Pixar Animation Studios, with ‘Up’—directed by Pete Docter—made Cannes history by opening the 62nd edition of the Festival in 2009. It was a wonderful event! This is another great opportunity to present the amazing ‘Elemental’ on the closing of this 76th Cannes Film Festival and to think about our lives in such a powerful way.”
Elemental opens with Pixar’s all-new short, Carl’s Date, in U.S. theaters on June 16, 2023, and June 21, 2023, in France.
