Disney and Pixar have anthropomorphized animals and emotions and the very souls within us — all to great success — but the studio's next adventure is going back to the basics. Or the elements, as it were.
Back in May, Pixar announced the upcoming feature film Elemental, which is set in a world where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together and centers on the unlikely duo of Ember and Wade as they "discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common."
At the time, the studio previewed concept art of the duo, below.
Elemental hails from The Good Dinosaur director Peter Sohn and is inspired by his childhood as the son of Korean immigrants living in the Bronx in the '70s. "We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams," Sohn says. "All of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighborhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental."
"Our story is based on the classic elements — fire, water, land and air," Sohn continues. "Some elements mix with each other, and some don't. What if these elements were alive?"
During D23 Expo 2022, Sohn unveiled a new look at Elemental (above) as well as the actors voicing the lead characters: Leah Lewis will lend her voice to the tough and fiery Ember, while Mamoudou Athie voices the fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow Wade.
Elemental will open in theaters on June 16, 2023.
RELATED CONTENT:
'The Little Mermaid' Trailer Provides First Look at Halle Bailey as Ariel
'Lightyear' Filmmakers on Raising the Bar for Pixar Animation and What Comes Next (Exclusive)
