Pixar Teases ‘Elemental’, Feature Film That Celebrates A Melting Pot Of Cultures
Image via Disney UK
Disney and Pixar have been correcting their less inclusive past with a string of films that acknowledge underrepresented communities, such as Moana, Bao, Coco, Raya and the Last Dragon, Out, Encanto, and Turning Red. With the entertainment giant promising to repeal Florida’s contentious ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, audiences can expect to see even more backgrounds being depicted in the future.
This time around, Pixar will pivot its celebration of cultures from a focus on single communities to one of diversity. Come June 16, 2023, it will premiere Elemental, an animated feature film that explores how the four earthly elements can get along with each other. The movie will be directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) and produced by Denise Ream (Cars 2).
Set in a world of anthropomorphic fire, water, land, and air elements, Elemental will star Ember—a “fiery young woman”—and Wade—a “go-with-the-flow guy”—who present as polar opposites on paper but grow to learn that they have a lot in common.
Sohn, who’s Korean-American, describes the abstract film as being inspired by his childhood growing up in New York City, a melting pot of cultures.
“My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx,” says the director. “We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams—all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages, and beautiful little neighborhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental.”
Sohn adds: “Our story is based on the classic elements—fire, water, land and air. Some elements mix with each other, and some don’t. What if these elements were alive?”
Along with its announcement, Pixar has shared the first conceptual artwork for Elemental. For the first time, have a glimpse at Ember and Wade:
Image via Disney UK
