Onward (Pixar) (2020)

[Jake Lipson]

Title: Onward

Tagline: Their quest begineth.

Genre: Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Director: Dan Scanlon

Cast: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Grey DeLisle, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, John Ratzenberger

Release: 2020-03-06

Runtime: 102

Plot: In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Disney announced this morning on social media the title and cast for Pixar's next film after Toy Story 4.

Just Announced: The next original feature from Pixar Animation Studios, “Onward,” starring Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer, will arrive in theatres March 6, 2020!

Disney already had the March 6 release date reserved for a Pixar movie, so that's not news, but they ALSO have a separate Pixar film in their more traditional summer slot on June 19. It really surprises me that Disney would release two Pixar-branded films within such a short time frame rather than alternating with one of their other brands. Usually, a Pixar film has felt like an event, and that might not be the case if they're so close together. It's just surprising to me that they wouldn't give one of the two dates to something from one of their other brands instead. The only other time we had two Pixar in one year was 2015, when they were in June (Inside Out) and late November (The Good Dinosaur, which did not work out anywhere near as well as they hoped.)

 

[JQuintana]

Ol' Chris Pratt has been scoring big on the movie front. Lego, Guardians, Jurassic, now Pixar.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Also, this is Julia Louis-Dreyfus' return to Pixar after providing the voice of Princess Atta in A Bug's Life, which came out 20 years ago (!)

 

[Jake Lipson]

Entertainment Weekly clarifies that this is the previously-discussed film that takes place in a suburban fantasy world which is being directed by Dan Scanlon, who directed Monsters University. There's a little bit more at the link.

https://ew.com/movies/2018/12/12/pixar-onward-chris-pratt-tom-holland-julia-louis-dreyfus/

 

[Bryan^H]

A Bug's Life, which came out 20 years ago (!)

That is depressing. Time is a cruel, and vicious concept.

 

[Sam Favate]

Obviously it's not related, but that logo looks a lot like the one for Frozen.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Obviously it's not related, but that logo looks a lot like the one for Frozen.

That is an excellent point. And if they keep the March 2020 date, it will be arriving shortly after Frozen 2 in November 2019, and around the time that film should arrive on disc.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Always happy when Pixar announces something new that is not a sequel.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That is depressing. Time is a cruel, and vicious concept.

You might say it marches relentlessly "Onward".

 

[Jake Lipson]

People Magazine of all outlets has an interview with director Dan Scanlon and new images from the movie.

https://people.com/movies/chris-pratt-julia-louis-dreyfus-tom-holland-onward/

I wonder if we will get a teaser trailer for this in front of Toy Story 4. Typically, the Pixar movie for next June trailers on the Disney Animation film in November, but since this movie is coming out in March -- a slot Pixar has not used before -- perhaps the marketing will start earlier.

 

[Jake Lipson]

From Disney's social media accounts, the teaser poster is here. Also, there will be a first look tonight during the NBA finals, so that means at the very least a TV spot, or possibly the debut of the entire teaser trailer.

This looks...different.

 

[Edwin-S]

Looks like Disney's version of DOUG, but without Doug.

 

[Jake Lipson]

DOUG

You mean this Doug? That Disney owns?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187819/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

Not sure why they would need to make this an alternate version of something that they own. If they were interested in that they would just make a Doug reboot.

I'm not sure how you got that from the poster.

I'm most intrigued by the contrast between the elves in what looks like a fantasy world with the truck, which is a very modern real thing.

 

[Edwin-S]

You mean this Doug? That Disney owns?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187819/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

Not sure why they would need to make this an alternate version of something that they own. If they were interested in that they would just make a Doug reboot.

I'm not sure how you got that from the poster.

I'm most intrigued by the contrast between the elves in what looks like a fantasy world with the truck, which is a very modern real thing.

It was the fact they look and dress like typical humans, ignoring the ears, but are blue. However, looking at it again that appears to be the only similarity. It was more in jest than being serious.

Looks weird to have a shaggin wagon in a film where one them appears to have Mulan's dragon sidekick as a pet. lol

 

[Jake Lipson]

Here's the trailer.



This looks fun. Sign me up.

(I mean, I was never not going to see it, but still.)

 

[Sam Favate]

Looks great.

I had a thought: Could this project (about which not much is known) have evolved from Disney's The King of the Elves project from several years ago? That one was based on a Philip K. Dick story, and was supposed to come out in 2012 or 2013. It was put on hold in 2009. The story was about some elves and a dwarf living in modern-day Mississippi.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I had a thought: Could this project (about which not much is known) have evolved from Disney's The King of the Elves project from several years ago?

Good thought, but I doubt it, because Disney Animation and Pixar are kept separate.

 

[Jake Lipson]

New trailer and poster:



Plus, a video with Tom Holland and Chris Pratt reacting to their first viewing of the trailer:

I think this looks awesome.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Another new trailer and poster. I think these are being used in the UK.