Pixar to Release ‘Up’ Sequel Before Next Movie

It takes a powerful movie to make audiences cry – and an even more powerful movie to make them cry in the first five minutes.

To this day, the opening of Up (2009) is one of the most heart-wrenching montages in animated film history. Years before Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) embarks upon his adventure with Russell (Jordan Nagai), audiences watch as he meets, falls in love, lives a happy life with, and eventually loses his beloved wife Ellie.

While everything about Up is endearing, it’s the emotional core of Carl trying to fulfill his and Ellie’s lifelong dream of visiting Paradise Falls in South America that makes it such an enduring entry in Pixar canon.

The movie ends with a shot of Carl and Ellie’s house settled atop the Falls. It’s the perfect ending – and one that Pixar hasn’t felt the need to top with sequels like Toy Story (1995), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), or Finding Nemo (2003).

That recently changed with the release of Dug Days on Disney+ in 2021. The series of shorts acts as a sequel to Up, documenting the adventures of Carl and Dug the dog in suburbia and offering audiences charming insights into their lives after the events of the film.

Now we’re preparing to return to the world of Carl and co once again for an Up sequel short. The Wrap reports that Carl’s Date – a short originally slated to release on Disney+ in February before mysteriously disappearing from the schedule – will air before Elemental in theaters in June.

Written and directed by Bob Peterson, who co-wrote and co-directed Up and led Dug Days, the short film will see Carl get ready for his first date since losing Ellie. Basically, prepare to cry.

Making this short even more emotional for fans is that this is Asner’s last appearance as Carl. The actor passed away shortly after recording his dialogue for Dug Days in 2021, making Carl’s Date his final performance.

Judging by the trailer, Elemental is set to be a turbulent, romantic affair, so Carl’s Date may be the best way to cry and get it all out before the movie even begins. Get the tissues ready – Carl’s Date (and Elemental) hit theaters on June 16, 2023.