Disney and Pixar have revealed the teaser trailer and poster for Elemental, an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together.
The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted, and fiery young woman whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.
Directed by Peter Sohn, produced by Denise Ream, and featuring the voices of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie as Ember and Wade, respectively, Elemental releases on June 16, 2023.
At the D23 Expo in September, Sohn shared the personal inspiration behind the film – a story of immigrants pursuing dreams in beautiful neighborhoods where language and cultures come together.
“This teaser has been all about trying to set up the world,” Sohn told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s a world of elements. What elements? Earth, water, air. Those are the ones you meet, and then finally fire being one of the last communities that come to this city.
“Growing up, I always saw my parents a certain way, but then when I hit my 20s and got a real job versus working at my family shop, I saw them as people. That shift from parents to people affected me a great deal.
The filmmaker continued: “All the stories they told me of their journey here I took for granted until I was like, ‘Oh my God, they did this without speaking the language. They did this with no money. My dad was a hotdog cart guy, and he made all this. I could never do that.’ My empathy grew for them.”
Sohn told the magazine that the film will dive deeper into themes of identity, belonging, and “what assimilation or a melting pot might be,” but he wanted it to have a “really hopeful, fun vibe.”
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.