Elemental

Lightyear

Pixar Films Chronology

Inside Out 2

Elemental is an American 3D computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was released exclusively in theaters on June 16, 2023.^[2] The film is Pixar's twenty-seventh feature-length film. It was initially touted as a box office bomb, but became a moderate sleeper hit success, grossing $489.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $200 million.^[3]

Synopsis[]

"In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: How much they actually have in common."^[4]

Plot[]

Bernie and Cinder Lumen immigrate to Element City by arriving at the ship, who faces early struggles as they are met with xenophobic views about fire by other elements, but eventually carved out their place in the city. After the birth of Ember, they build their own convenience store. Years later, Ember grows up working in the shop with Bernie and dreams of taking over once her father retires, but must first contend with her fiery temper.

One day, Bernie finally allows Ember to control the shop. However, it becomes too much for her and she rushes away to the basement to avoid losing it in front of the customers. Her rage results in a broken water pipe flooding the basement, accidentally summoning Wade Ripple, a health inspector. He threatens to shut down the store for its faulty piping. Ember tries to ask Wade not to report her family to his employer Gale Cumulus, but Wade escapes. Soon a chase ensues, with Ember going outside the fire district and into Element City. She catches up to Wade to be lenient on some of the violations.

When Ember and Wade go to Cyclone Stadium, they find Gale, who tells Ember that if they can fix a hole in a dam in Fire Town, then she won't shut down the shop. Ember and Wade begin to fall in love while they walk around Element City. He invites her to meet his family, who live in a luxury apartment building that is flowing with water everywhere, which makes it more than difficult for Ember to enter. When they head back to Fire Town, they manage to find the crack in the dam and are able to patch it up. In return, Gale not only decides to keep the store open, but also allows Ember to go underwater to find her favorite flower as well. Although she is happy that she sees her favorite flower, Ember must return back to the Fireplace.

When Ember is about to take the reins of her father's shop, Wade shows up and tells her he loves her. However, not wanting to disappoint her father, she rejects him. Her father decides to not retire after finding out that she caused the faulty pipes to happen and has fallen in love with Wade. This causes her temper to burst, accidentally breaking the glass meant to cover the crack in the dam. Ember tries to find Wade and help save the Blue Flame, which has been in her family for generations. They are soon trapped in a room, causing Wade to evaporate from all the heat. Ember, thinking that Wade is dead, finally tells her father that she does not want to run the shop, with Bernie telling her that she was their dream. Remembering a game that she played with Wade's family, she manages to bring Wade back to life, finally confessing her love for him. Wade and Ember even shared a tender kiss.

Sometime later, Wade and Ember head off to a place where Ember can study glassmaking, saying goodbye to their families.

Voice Cast[]

Leah Lewis as Ember
- Reagan To as Big Kid Ember^[5]
- Clara Lin Ding as Little Kid Ember^[6]
Mamoudou Athie as Wade^[7]^[8]
Ronnie del Carmen as Bernie^[9]
Shila Ommi as Cinder^[9]
Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gale^[10]
Catherine O'Hara as Brook^[10]
Mason Wertheimer as Clod^[10]
Joe Pera as Fern^[9]
Matt Yang King as Alan/Lutz/Earth Pruner^[9]
Jeff Lapensee as Sparkler Customer^[11]
Ben Morris as Wood Immigration Official^[11]
Jonathan Adams as Flarry^[11]
Wilma Bonet as Flarrietta^[11]
Ronobir Lahiri as Harold^[11]
P.L. Brown as Doorman^[11]

Production[]

Development[]

Elemental was announced on May 16, 2022, with the classical elements of fire, water, air, and earth as its central theme, with Peter Sohn directing and Denise Ream producing. According to Sohn, the idea for the film was inspired on his experiences as the son of immigrants in New York City. He stated: "My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx." He also stated: "We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams — all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages, and beautiful little neighborhoods. That's what led me to Elemental." Sohn and Ream reunite after having previously worked together on The Good Dinosaur. On September 9, 2022, during the 2022 D23 Expo Presentation, Sohn, Ream and Pete Docter were on staged to present the first look. "Our story is based on the classic elements — fire, water, land, and air. Some elements mix with each other, and some don't", Sohn stated. "What if these elements were alive?" Shortly after the unfinished animation footage, it was screened a clip of Ember and Wade on a date, walking through a park where Wade tried to impress Ember by running across water, sliding, and creating a romantic rainbow.