Onward is the next film Pixar has scheduled for release, and here's everything we know about it already. Set in a world where magical creatures like elves, dwarves, centaurs, and unicorns live in mundane harmony, two brothers set off on a quest to see if real magic still exists in the world.
Onward is a special film for a number of reasons. Having MCU actors Tom Holland and Chris Pratt reunite as the film's leads is a very fun move, but Onward marks the beginning of a new era for Pixar as they do away with sequels and focus only on making original films. Some fans may be disappointed at the thought of not returning to the beloved worlds of Pixar films like Up, Ratatouille, or The Incredibles, but this means Pixar is ready to introduce even more new worlds to its fans.
With this in mind, these are all of the details we know about Onward so far, including the film's plot, cast, director, and when it will release in theaters.
Pixar's Onward Story
Onward follows two elf brothers, Ian (Holland) and Barley (Pratt) Lightfoot, who go on a quest to see if magic still exists in the world. The film is set in the town of New Mushroomton, during a time when magical creatures have succumbed to mundane, everyday jobs and activities. Trolls don't live under bridges and ask for payment to cross; they now work in highway tollbooths. Mermaids don't splash around in the ocean; they sit in pools in their backyard and scroll through their phones. Unicorns are no longer mystical creatures roaming the forest; now they're dirty, mean, and love to eat garbage. There's no more spells, magic crystals, potions, or enchanted objects; now, it's all phones, cars, and MP3 players. It's no wonder why Ian and Barley want to see how the world went from magical to very normal.
Onward's Main Cast Includes 2 MCU Stars
Onward's leading stars are Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, two actors who have a solid working history together thanks to their time spent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland is best known for his MCU role as Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. As for Pratt, he plays Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2. After appearing in their solo MCU films, Holland and Pratt worked together on Avengers: Infinity War, appearing in the same plotline, and Avengers: Endgame.
Turns out Ian and Barley Lightfoot have very similar personalities to Peter Parker and Peter Quill, respectively, which no doubt made Holland and Pratt's jobs a little easier in bringing the Lightfoots to life. Onward director Dan Scanlon shared that Holland's character required "someone who could have this shy quality and someone who is good at being a little awkward...and yet, has a genuine sweetness to him that you really root for him" whereas Pratt's outgoing character required "someone who was the exact opposite of that, someone who could be wild and chaotic and out of control, but in a very charming and infectious way."
Onward's Supporting Cast Has Familiar Actors
Pixar has yet to release a full cast list, but we do know that in addition to Holland and Pratt, Onward's voice cast includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer. Louis-Dreyfus will play Ian and Barley's mom, who is seen briefly in the first Onward teaser trailer. The details of Spencer's role are being kept under wrap. It's also unclear if her character was featured in any capacity in the Onward teaser trailer or if she figures into the plot further on in the film.
Louis-Dreyfus is no stranger to Pixar, having previously played Princess Atta in 1998's A Bug's Life. She recently ended her run on HBO's award-winning series Veep, making Onward her first role since the show wrapped. Spencer is a newcomer to Pixar but feels like a great fit considering the warmth and depth she can bring to her roles. Spencer was most recently seen in the Blumhouse horror film Ma and will have a busy 2020 with Onward, The Witches, and The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle all slated for release throughout the year.
Onward's Director Is A Pixar Pro
Onward is directed by Dan Scanlon. Even if his name doesn't ring a bell, you've more than likely seen Scanlon's work in theaters. He previously directed Monsters University, which makes Onward his second outing as the director of a Pixar film. Scanlon may be relatively new to directing but he's a Pixar veteran, having worked on Cars, Brave, Monsters University, Inside Out, Coco, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4 as a member of each film's respective senior creative teams.
Scanlon began his career working as a storyboard artist on the direct-to-video Disney sequels Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure. Scanlon securing the directing gigs on Monsters University and Onward is definitely big considering Pixar loves promoting in-house and pulling from the same pool of directors and other creatives to work on their films, making Scanlon a stand-out newcomer in that respect.
Onward's Release Date Is So Close, Yet So Far
Onward arrives in theaters on March 6, 2020. The release date is, at the point, an outlier when it comes to the preferred scheduling of Pixar films. June has historically been Pixar's primary month, with a majority of their 22 films to date premiering in mid-late June. This has helped Pixar establish a strong foothold at the summer box office, in addition to the animation studio releasing one new film per year during this time. Pixar has also released films during November and May, two other notable, prime holiday and summer movie season months.
Onward's March release seems to be the first in a new scheduling strategy for Pixar. Every Pixar movie scheduled after Toy Story 4, including Onward, will be released during March or June with the studio averaging two films per year through 2022. It's no surprise June is still appearing on Pixar's schedule, but it will be interesting to see how they fare with Onward, especially when it comes to box office gross, during this early spring release date.
Pixar's Future After Onward
Pixar will still be plenty busy after Onward hits theaters. The recently-announced Soul will arrive in June 2020. Directed by Pixar's favorite Peter Docter, Soul will take viewers through New York City as well as "cosmic realms." Further details on the film are intriguing, too, with a vague explanation of what Soul is really about.
Ever wonder where your passion, your dreams and your interests come from? What is it that makes you... YOU? In 2020, Pixar Animation Studios takes you on a journey from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life’s most important questions.
After Soul, Pixar has three unannounced movies scheduled for release through 2022 - June 18, 2021; March 18, 2022, and June 17, 2022 - which all the release dates falling into the March/June release plan.
