An Anxious Red Panda Causes Havoc In The First Trailer For Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’

Pixar has dropped the first trailer for its next feature, Turning Red. Elevator pitch: The Incredible Hulk, but red, fluffy, and cute.

The film tells the story of Mei Lee, a 13-year-old girl who turns into a giant red panda when her emotions run high. The bulk of the trailer is given over to a single scene in a classroom, in which Mei Lee metamorphoses amid a cloud of pink smoke after spying her mom outside. Watch it below:

The trailer’s offbeat, borderline-grotesque humor will be familiar to viewers of Bao, Pixar’s Oscar-winning 2018 short. Its director Domee Shi makes her feature directorial debut with Turning Red — she’ll be the first woman to get a sole directing credit on a Pixar feature.

Turning Red is produced by Lindsey Collins (Finding Dory). The voice cast is led by Rosalie Chiang as Mei Lee and Sandra Oh as her somewhat overbearing mother.

Pixar’s last two features, Soul and Luca, were released straight to Disney+ during the pandemic. There have been reports that Disney is eyeing a full theatrical release for Turning Red, which comes out on March 11, 2022. The company has yet to announce its release strategy.