Disney and Pixar have decided to take Turning Red out of theaters and have set the film for an exclusive Disney+ release later this year. The coming-of-age film will still premiere on March 11, 2022, which was its original theatrical release date. The film stars Rosalie Chiang and Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh.
“Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award-winning ‘Soul’ and the critically-acclaimed “Luca” when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film ‘Turning Red’,” said Disney’s Kareem Daniel. “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world.”
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Turning Red will be led by young actress Rosalie Chiang as she lends her voice to Mei Lee, a 13-year-old who suddenly “poofs” into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) voices Mei Lee’s protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, who is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.
“The film introduces Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence,” reads the synopsis. “Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda!”
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Joining Chiang and Oh are Orion Lee as Mei’s dad Jin, and Wai Ching Ho as Grandma along with Mei’s tightknit group of friends, Ava Morse as Miriam, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, and Hyein Park as Abby. It will also feature the voices of Tristan Allerick Chen, Addie Chandler, James Hong, Lori Tan Chinn, Lillian Lim, Mia Tagano, Sherry Cola, Sasha Roiz, and Lily Sanfelippo.
Turning Red is directed by Domee Shi, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning Pixar short Bao, who is the first woman to direct a short film for the acclaimed animation studio. Lindsey Collins (Wall-E, Finding Dory) is producing.
