What You Need to Know About Pixar's 'Elemental'

This year, The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios will debut a new adventure. After the misfire of Lightyear (2022) last year, fans will pay keen interest to the story of Ember and Wade in Pixar’s Elemental (2023).

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming animated movie releasing this summer.

Disney Pixar in 2023

What new movies are coming out from Pixar?

2023 will see just one movie from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios release. While last year saw both Turning Red (2022) and Lightyear drop, the former was an exclusive Disney+ release. Despite its non-theatrical venture, Turning Red was positively received (even if it did draw criticism for depictions of adolescence), and went on to score a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards.

Lightyear was a different story. Even with the power of the billion-dollar Toy Story franchise behind it, the Chris Evans-led outing underperformed at the box office and split audiences after its inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters. Something similar happened for Disney at the end of 2022 when Strange World (2022) ended its run with a concering $73 million.

Disney Pixar’s Elemental

What is Pixar’s Elemental about?

Pixar Animation describes Elemental as the following:

In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: How much they actually have in common.

The story takes place in the vibrant Element City and is the 27th feature film from the animation giant.

Who is in Elemental?

Elemental stars Leah Lewis as Ember Lumen, Mamoudou Athie as Wade Ripple, Ronnie del Carmen as Bernie Lumen, Ember’s father, Shila Ommi as Cinder Lumen, Ember’s mother, Mason Wertheimer as Clod, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gale, Catherine O’Hara as Brook Ripple, Joe Pera as Fern Grouchwood, and Matt Yang King as Alan Ripple, Wade’s father.

Who is directing Elemental?

Elemental is helmed by The Good Dinosaur (2015) director Peter Sohn. Elemental is produced by Denise Ream and has story by and screenplay written by Kat Likkel, John Hoberg, and Brenda Hsueh, in addition to Sohn.

When will Elemental be released?

Elemental is releasing in movie theaters on June 16, 2023. This will be a big summer release for Pixar Animation. However, the box office confidence in the studio is sure to be shaky, considering last year’s dismal reception.

Related: Pixar CEO Explains Why Buzz Lightyear Film Tanked at Box Office

What makes this an even more precarious slot for Disney Pixar is that David Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery has bumped up the release of The Flash (2023). Ezra Miller’s DC Extended Universe movie has been receiving acclaim in early test screenings, and even with Miller’s illegal activity and misdeeds, The Flash could prove a titan at the box office and leave Elemental in the dust.

Is there a trailer for Pixar’s Elemental?

Yes, the full trailer for Elemental was released recently, and you can watch it below.

Elemental, Fans, and Pixar’s Future

What are fans saying about Pixar’s Elemental?

The initial reception to Elemental‘s full trailer has not been all that great. Sure, positive response has come in too for the Pixar film, about the colorful explosion of Element City and such, but harsh criticism has seemingly outweighed the support. Upon the trailer release, Twitter exploded with backlash over the upcoming animated movie, saying it looked “boring” and “generic,” with some even going so far as to say that the visual effects look like early Nintendo Wii designs.

The overwhelming excitement Pixar was going for since they revealed more at D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, Southern California, has not quite reached the blockbuster level things like the Toy Story franchise, Finding Dory (2016), and The Incredibles 2 (2018) did. But, what is different here is that Pixar is putting out a new original story and not following up on an already beloved movie.

That said, Elemental‘s already mixed response and critique of being a bland story about the much-utilized opposites-attract trope may make this an even riskier bet for Pixar. Yes, Lightyear‘s inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters saw it pulled from multiple territories and blasted by conservatives, but it had the strength of Toy Story and the Buzz Lightyear name behind it. Elemental is trying to prove why fans should care about Pixar after last year’s failures.

What is coming soon from Disney Pixar?

So far, Pixar Animation Studios has two other confirmed movies coming down the pipeline after Elemental.

Elio (2024) will debut next year. The film, directed by Adrian Molina, will release on March 1, 2024, and stars Yonas Kibreab as Elio Solis and America Ferrera as Olga Solis.

Related: Fans Likely Horrified, May Boycott Pixar After Recent Announcement

Shortly after that, in June, Pixar will debut the sequel to the phenomenon Inside Out (2015). Amy Poehler will return at Joy in Inside Out 2 (2024), which comes from the mind of Kelsey Mann.

Elemental‘s success at the box office will play a key part in the future storytelling of the studio. Are you ready to go to Element City?

What do you think about Elemental so far? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!