From Toy Story to Turning Red, Pixar has persisted in making many beloved animated feature films over the course of nearly three decades. The venerable studio has shown no signs of slowing down with making original films and sequels alike. Now, Disney and Pixar have announced their twenty-seventh feature film, Elemental, and unveiled the film's logo and concept art for the very first time.
Elemental will be the fifth original Pixar film since the release of Toy Story 4, following Onward, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red. In the summer of 2019, Toy Story 4 producer Mark Nielsen confirmed that Pixar would focus on original features after the film's release, a statement of intent that went on to be fulfilled by their following release slate. Lightyear, a Toy Story spinoff releasing this June, is the only Pixar film since Toy Story 4 to be based on pre-existing material created by the studio.
Elemental tells a story about a city full of people made of elements such as water, fire, land, and air, where a water guy and fire girl meet each other for the first time and, quote from Disney, "discover [...] how much they have in common." The film is directed by Peter Sohn, who previously directed The Good Dinosaur for Pixar. The film is also produced by Denise Ream, who was a producer on The Good Dinosaur as well as Up, Cars 2, and Toy Story 4. Disney will release the film on June 2023. More information such as casting details and whether the film will release in theaters will be announced by Disney soon.
Pixar is hard at work on a variety of titles, including an original Disney Plus series titled Win or Lose. Other properties by Pixar, such as Finding Nemo, may have a Disney Plus series in the works. Lightyear will release in theaters this June, with Chris Evans voicing the iconic character Buzz Lightyear. The film appears to be more than just a spinoff of Toy Story and its characters, as its director, Angus MacLane, has cited many movies and directors as inspirations, including Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, and Akira Kurosawa.
Elemental looks to continue the trend of Pixar unearthing excellent film ideas from complex concepts, such as Inside Out and Soul. The film has a long way until it arrives for fans of Disney and Pixar, but given the latter's latest track record, audiences surely won't be disappointed.
Elemental is scheduled to release on June 16th, 2023.
Source: Disney/Twitter