Disney and Pixar announced their newest original feature, borrowing some all-star talent from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the voice cast.
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Pixar’s new film Onward will unite Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer in a story directed by Dan Scanlon, set to hit theaters in early 2020.
“Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney•Pixar’s Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there,” reads the film’s synopsis.
“At Pixar we try to create stories that come from some kind of personal truth,” said Scanlon in the announcement for Onward. “This film was inspired by my own relationship with my brother.”
Scanlon and producer Kori Rae, who previously teamed up for the Pixar prequel Monsters University, spoke about their talented voice cast for the upcoming film.
“Chris brings equal parts huge heart and fantastic humor to his character,” said Rae.
“Tom has an infectious charm and sincerity that makes you root for him in every character he plays,” said Scanlon. “There is no one funnier than Julia, but she also brings a warmth and loving side to her character.”
“Octavia can do it all,” said Rae. “We’re especially excited about the depth as well as humor that she brings to her character.”
Pixar’s recent release calendar has been focused on sequels to their established franchises, including the long-awaited The Incredibles 2 which hit earlier this year, as well as 2019’s Toy Story 4.
Onward is their first original story since 2018’s Coco, which was also a critical and commercial success for the animation studio.
Pixar has also undergone some major changes at the executive level, with producer Pete Docter become the chief creative officer of the company alongside Jennifer Lee at Disney Animation.
“Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter are two of the most gifted filmmakers and storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” Disney Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement. “Pete, the genius creative force behind Up, Inside Out, and Monsters, Inc., has been an integral part of Pixar almost since the beginning and is a huge part of its industry-leading success. Jenn, in bringing her bold vision to the boundary-breaking Frozen, has helped infuse Disney Animation with a new and exciting perspective. Each of them embodies the unique spirit, culture and values of these renowned animation studios, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them lead us into the future.”
Onward releases in theaters on March 6, 2020.
