Walt Disney/Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ gets fiery new trailer, ‘Carl’s Date’ short announced

Walt Disney and Pixar Animation have released the first full trailer of their newest upcoming animated feature, Elemental, an all-new original feature film that takes audiences to Element City, where air, earth, water and fire all live and work in harmony, and sometimes not so.

Part immigrant story and part romantic comedy based on director Peter Sohn’s life, Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis) is a clever 20-something fire woman with a great sense of humor who loves her family but can be hot-headed at times. Wade (voiced by Mamoudou Athie) is an observant, empathetic, 20-something water guy who is not afraid to show his emotions—in fact, his emotions are hard to miss.

The voice cast also features Ronnie del Carmen as Ember’s soon-to-be retired dad, Bernie; Shila Ommi as Ember’s love-seeking mom, Cinder; Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade’s stormy and Air-Ball-loving boss, Gale; Mason Wertheimer as Ember’s admiring earth neighbor, Clod; Joe Pera as an overgrown city bureaucrat, Fern; and Emmy Award winner Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s welcoming mom, Brook.

The film is directed by Sohn, produced by Denise Ream, p.g.a., and executive produced by Pete Docter, from a screenplay by John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh with story by Sohn, Hoberg & Likkel and Hsueh. The film’s original score was composed and conducted by Thomas Newman.

Pixar Animation Studios will also return the moviegoing tradition of pairing their feature film with an animated short, like 2018’s Oscar-winning Bao that accompanied Incredibles 2, in theaters. Releasing in front of Elemental is a new short that catches up with Carl Fredricksen (voice of Ed Asner, in his final role) and his lovable talking dog, Dug (voice of Bob Peterson), who were introduced in Pixar’s Oscar-winning feature Up. Written and directed by Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Bob Peterson and produced by Kim Collins, this all-new short, Carl’s Date, finds Carl reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with a lady friend—but admittedly with no idea how dating works these days. Ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl’s pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends—if you’re a dog.