Officially Disney +'s biggest premiere release ever, as reported by CBR, Pixar's Turning Red, is breaking records, sparking debates, and sweeping the globe. The new animated feature explores a classic coming-of-age story with a magical twist that has fans holding their loved ones and embracing their wild side.
Inspired by real events and relationships in director Domee Shi's life, Turning Red is a personal story packed with vibrant characters and a diverse cast. The film is full of hidden secrets and production antics that fans should know before they double down for a re-watch.
Based On Real Life Events
Turning Red revolves around the likable main character Meilin "Mei" Lee and her overprotective mother, Ming Lee. Throughout the film, Mei seeks independence, and when she thinks she has it, Ming arrives on the scene to presumptuously save Mei from herself.
Though turning into a giant red panda was obviously not a part of her reality, director Domee Shi says some of the most outlandish parts were inspired by her relationship with her mother. During a Vanity Fair interview, director Domee Shi admits, "Yes. My mom definitely did follow me on my first day of middle school."
Homage To Anime
Director Domee Shi and production designer Rona Liu wanted extra design elements to heighten the style of the film, so throughout the production of Turning Red, there are multiple references to anime.
During an interview for Disney +'s Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red, director Domee Shi mentions how anime works its way into the film through the character's starry eyes, facial expressions, and intense action lines.
Pixar References
Pixar movies always pack easter eggs, hidden references, and call-backs to prior films into their narratives, making them fun for fans to rewatch and search through to find them. Turning Red is, of course, no exception.
Director Domee Shi and Producer Lindsay Collins sat down with Screen Rant Plus to discuss Turning Red. Shi confirmed all the classic Pixar references made it into the film and shared the secret that Lightyear, Pixar's next film to be released, has a special cameo fans will have to find.
4*Town, But There Are 5 Of Them
A large portion of the plot of Turning Red revolves around the world-famous 4*Town, the latest and greatest boy band quintet. The fake boy band group is such an integral part of the film it was quite a shock that they weren't always imperative to the story.
In an interview with Screen Rant Plus, director Domee Shi confesses, "Yeah, they started off as a joke in the first version of the script." However, as the script developed, it became clear 4*Town was "The perfect goal for our 13-year old protagonist to have to go to a boy band concert... That felt more like life and death for our character."
Pandemic Madness
Making a movie is a labor of collaboration, and just as the Turning Red team was in full swing of production, the pandemic hit, and they had to resort to remote working.
While interviewing for Disney +'s Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red, Danielle Feinberg, the film's visual effects supervisor discussed how the team navigated their newfound isolation by meeting weekly for a coffee talk led by the director Domee Shi. She continued, saying it was a great way for the team to stay connected when everyone was alone.
Color Palette
As one of Pixar's more stylized films, Turning Red has a bright yet soft color palette to help define the world and the characters living in it. The crew behind the film took their time developing the colors to ensure they had exactly what they wanted.
In an interview with Stream Wars, production designer Rona Liu discusses the visual aesthetics and speaks on how the team wanted to achieve a "dreamy teenage vaporwave fever dream" and how they decided to work with "a lot of pastel blues and raspberry pinks."
The Perfect Group Of Friends
Mei Lee has a loyal group of best friends who have unique personalities and contribute to some of Turning Red's heartwarming friendship moments. In a Screen Rant Plus interview director Domee Shi says she "drew inspiration from a lot of [her] closest girlfriends growing up."
Shi's personal friends were such an inspiration for the story that one of them found their way into the film. The voice actor for Abby, Mei Lee's friend, is actually Domee's friend from college and fellow Pixar colleague, Hyein Park.
Billie Eilish's Involvement
In the world of Turning Red, 4*town is the single greatest boy band of all time. With this in mind, Pixar reached out to global super-star musicians Billie Eilish and Finneas to write the songs for the fictional band.
Pulling inspiration from early 2000s boy bands, Billie and Finneas looked to capture something ear-catching and vibrant for the sound of 4-Town. During an interview with Pixar, Billie turns to Finneas and admits, "It's literally been the most fun we've had writing." Pixar would then ask Finneas to play Jesse, a member of 4-town.
Love Letter to Toronto
Turning Red takes place in Toronto, Canada, and features a stylized yet familiar look at the city. Mei and her friends roam the city streets full of Canadian easter eggs like the CN Tower placed subtly in the background.
As a native to Toronto herself, Director Domee Shi set out to create a personal environment that would feel real and playful. In Disney+'s Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red, Domee Shi works closely with the design team to find her specific vision, honing in on period-related architecture.
The Red Panda
Turning Red's most prevalent feature and visual cue is the emotional mascot - the Red Panda. Director Domee Shi notes that the first seedlings of the idea came from thinking Red Pandas were simply cute.
In an interview for In Disney +'s Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red, Shi explains how the Red Panda became the perfect fit for the film. The Red Panda is native to China and red and white, much like the Canadian flag, "It felt like the perfect animal to tell this story about this Chinese-Canadian girl."