Five Awesome Things to Know About Pixar’s Upcoming Release ‘Elemental’
Get ready to start planning your visit to Element City. Disney/Pixar’s latest release is just around the corner and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Mark those calendars, Elemental hits the theaters on June 16th only in theaters.
For those unfamiliar, Elemental takes moviegoers to a thriving, colorful metropolis that is home to interconnected communities of residents made of one of lore’s classic four elements: water, fire, air, and earth. The story centers around fire couple Bernie and Cinder (voiced by Ronnie Del Carmen and Shila Ommi, respectively), and their daughter Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis). Bernie runs a local bodega and his daughter is getting in on the family business (when her temper doesn’t get in her way.)
There are so many intricacies to this story and details woven into this wondrous new land. To get you up to speed, here are five things to know in advance of seeing Elemental.
1. The Story and Characters Were Inspired by Director Peter Sohn’s Childhood in the Bronx, New York.
“My parents came from another county,” shares Elemental Director Peter Sohn, a Bronx native. “The shop they started, and a couple other shops that my father had started, were all in immigrant neighborhoods, so that’s all that I had known [while growing up].” The director continues, “I was trying to capture that idea of people from other places who have gathered to create a life for themselves. That was the emotional hook for me, that my parents had come here from another place to make a better life for us.”
Elemental producer Denise Ream added during a recent press conference, “That personal experience resonated with a lot of people—our co-workers and colleagues.” He continues, “So many people at Pixar are first- and second-generation immigrants. We ended up having a lot of those people work on the movie, and that added texture and authenticity.”
2. The Pairing of Fire and Water is a Cornerstone of the Elemental Story.
Sohn recalls, “I was trying to figure out, ‘What would be really hard for fire?’ And then I drew a bunch of fire characters over water in a boat. Then from there, it was like, ‘Oh, what if there was a water person?’ Sohn adds that when he drew a fire person next to a water person it provided the immediate tension that the storyline needed. “Fire and water were just a very visual punch of opposites, but then also a conflict.”
Bringing the elements to life required a lot of forethought. It was important to the creative teams that Ember didn’t simply look like a character on fire but rather the embodiment of fire. For Wade, the Water Elemental, the animators worked hard to make his every move fluid-like.
3. Sohn Drew From Personal Experiences to Shape the Characters of ‘Elemental.’
Wade, the water elemental is prone to tears at unexpected moments. You could kind of say he’s an emotional guy! “When you drew a water person, having them leak water and sweat or cry was just a funny visual,” Sohn says. But in the end, Wade is also a character that Sohn relates to, “In trying to find Wade as the story was evolving early on, there was something about it that I tied to [the fact that] I am a totally emotional guy. I’m a crier. I was just pulling from my own life.”
But it’s not just about Sohn’s lived experiences. There’s an early scene in the film where Bernie, Cinder and Ember are looking for an apartment in Elemental City only to find doors closed to them. This came from a real experience of French story artist Bolhem Bouchiba.
4. Element City Was Inspired by Live-Action Films.
The metropolis is visually stunning with details woven in that you may not notice until you’ve watched it several times. For inspiration on how to create a bustling metropolis for elementals, the creative team at Pixar looked to great filmmakers for inspiration.
“I really believe in this creative concept called ‘immaculate reality,’” Sohn explains. “It was a phrase that I heard from [Disney Legend] George Lucas on the making of Star Wars. They were designing things knowing that they had a [fictional] history. The audience would never get to know that history, but because of that, it would make the world feel more real.”
Unexpected influences for the film included the classic Roman Holiday, the whimsical French film Amelie and the films Gordon Willis who captured New York City in the 70s and 80s. According to Sohn, Willis’ work “showcased the city as this person, and it was that sort of mentality that we were trying to find.”
5. The Simple Theme is Enhanced by a Rich Backstory and Sweeping Visuals
The key to Elemental’s appeal lies in the combination of storytelling that is personal, truthful, and authentic and offers something that appeals to audiences that will include kids, adults, and families. Ream adds that they are always “telling stories that come from a personal place at the studio.” And in this case, the location of that personal place is the fantastical Element City,
Don’t miss Pixar’s Elemental which officially hits theaters on June 16th. You can check out the official trailer below:
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for further Walt Disney World news and updates. We’ll be coming to you LIVE! from the theme parks each and every week.
Have you heard the news? MickeyTravels just earned the incredible distinction of being a Diamond Earmarked Agency!
Whether its a visit to the theme parks, a Disney cruise, a stay at Aulani in Hawaii or the trip of a lifetime with Adventures by Disney, I can’t wait help you plan your vacation utilizing all of our incredible concierge-level services. This includes discount monitoring, itinerary planning, flexible booking and so much more. Best of all my services are 100% FREE!
Find out more or get your FREE no-obligation quote at mroden@mickeytravels.com at 1.800.801.4025 or via Facebook