Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Movie Announced with Peter Sohn Directing

It’s positively elemental that any film from Pixar is going to take audiences on an emotional journey. Next year’s summer movie from the Emeryville Animators promises that right in its title – “Elemental.”

Pixar Animation Studios has a track record that’s the envy of every movie studio, so the announcement of a new title from them is a very big deal. 

Here’s the first look at the plot summary for Pixar’s “Elemental”:

“In a city where fire, water, land, & air residents live together, a fiery young woman, Ember, & a go-with-the-flow guy, Wade, will discover something elemental: How much they have in common.”

That sounds very Pixar already. Put two vastly different characters together and see how they learn to get along and solve a problem. I’m thinking about “Inside Out” (Joy & Sadness), “Monsters University” (Sully & Mike), and “The Good Dinosaur” (Aldo & Spot) to name a few.

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The animated feature film will be directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream. Sohn was the director for “The Good Dinosaur” and has been involved in nearly every Pixar film since “Finding Nemo” (Marlin & Dory, see, it’s a thing).

Pixar also shared that this is a new original story conceived by Sohn. It is inspired by his own childhood growing up in New York.

“My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx,” said 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.’

“Our story is based on the classic elements—fire, water, land and air,” Sohn said. “Some elements mix with each other, and some don’t. What if these elements were alive?”

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Pixar also shared the first concept art from the film. It shows the Water and Fire characters strolling down a colorful city street.

Color us intrigued. Let us know your thoughts on the name and concept for Pixar’s “Elemental” in the comments below or on our social media accounts.

Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” releases, hopefully to theaters, on June 16, 2023.