Turning Red 2022

Movie · 100 min · English · March 1, 2022

Animated Coming-of-age Coming-of-age comedy

Directed by Domee ShiWritten by Julia Cho, Domee Shi

Starring Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hyein Park

Turning Red is a 2022 American animated coming-of-age film that marks the first Pixar feature film directed entirely by a woman. The film was helmed by Domee Shi, who also wrote the screenplay alongside Julia Cho. It was produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The voice cast includes Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Orion Lee. Set in Toronto, Ontario during the year 2002, it centers on Meilin "Mei" Lee (Chiang), a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who turns into a giant red panda whenever she feels strong emotions due to a family curse.

Shi, previously known for directing the short film Bao in 2018, created the story based on her personal experiences growing up in Toronto. She presented three concepts to Pixar, with Turning Red being one of them, in October 2017. The development officially began in May 2018 after Shi was named writer and director for a full-length project. A group of Pixar animators traveled around Northern California to collect visual references and inspiration. The animation style drew heavily from anime influences, incorporating hand-drawn 2D elements over Pixar’s standard 3D animation. The film's development lasted four years, with an approximate $175 million budget, making it the quickest Pixar production to date.

Ludwig Göransson composed the musical score for his first animated movie, while Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell contributed original songs for the film. The film premiered in London at Everyman Borough Yards on February 21, 2022, followed by a showing in Toronto at TIFF Bell Lightbox on March 8, and then at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on March 1. Initially scheduled for a global theatrical release, the plan changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was eventually released on March 11, 2022 exclusively on Disney+, though it also had a limited theatrical run in many regions, earning over $21 million. For its U.S. and UK theatrical release, it was paired with the short film Kitbull on February 9, 2024.

The movie garnered widespread critical praise and earned a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, along with several other honors.