For the Summer 2012 season Disney/Pixar are releasing their newest Pixar animated feature, Brave. The story of a Scottish Princess, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), who is determined to carve out her own path in life by casting out old traditions and thus she sets off on a journey that will require all of skills and bravery to defy an evil curse. The voice cast of the film includes Billy Connolly as King Fergus, Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor, Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall, Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh, and Julie Walters as the eccentric Witch.
Pixar has become the leader in delivering top-quality animated films to a very eager filmgoing audience over the course of their more than 15-year animated feature film creativity. Only in the past few years have they gained strong competition from DreamWorks Animation, thanks to the remarkable How To Train Your Dragon (2010), and Sony Pictures Animation, most notably with Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (2009).
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Update: July 3, 2012
Every Disney/Pixar film includes hidden gems, so to speak. These are items that appear within the story without taking part. The most famous is the Pizza Planet Truck that appears in nearly every Disney/Pixar picture. Part of the fun of seeing a Pixar film multiple times is to find the hidden gems. Thanks to Disney/Pixar they have revealed the location of two from Brave. Here they are…
ANCIENT DELIVERY – The Witch, an eccentric crone disguised as a woodcarver specializing in whittling wooden bear figurines and conjuring
haphazard spells, showcases her mysterious and inexplicable knowledge of the future with a carved figurine of the infamous Pizza Planet truck, an iconic delivery
vehicle that’s appeared in nearly every full-length feature film from Pixar Animation Studios since 1995’s Toy Story.
NO MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET – A carving of Sulley, the lovable blue monster slated to return to the big screen in 2013’s Monsters University, appears on a piece of wood in the home of the Witch
For more information on the hidden gems in Disney/Pixar films check out Disney/Pixar Turns 25!.
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For the Summer 2012 season Disney/Pixar are releasing their newest Pixar animated feature, Brave. The story of a Scottish Princess, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), who is determined to carve out her own path in life by casting out old traditions and thus she sets off on a journey that will require all of skills and bravery to defy an evil curse. The voice cast of the film includes Billy Connolly as King Fergus, Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor, Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall, Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh, and Julie Walters as the eccentric Witch.
Brave sounds more like a Disney Princess movie than a Pixar feature, but the visuals are pure Pixar. The film itself has yet to be seen so whether it ventures away from Pixar’s progressive animation or miraculously molds together the Disney Princess legacy with Pixar’s knack for creating well-rounded, emotionally rich, and altogether exceptional animated features remains a mystery. Where moviegoers are concerned there is anticipation and hope that Brave will be yet another feather in Pixar’s cap.
Watch all of the trailers, clips, and featurettes for Disney/Pixar’s Brave and the gorgeous animation stills from the film below…
Brave on the Web:
Website & Mobile site: Disney.com/Brave
Facebook: facebook.com/PixarBrave
Twitter: twitter.com/disneypixar
Official Synopsis for Brave:
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. From Disney and Pixar, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition and challenges destiny to change her fate.
Brave follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.
Credits:
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy
Rating: PG
U.S. Release Date: June 22, 2012
Voice Talent: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson
Directors: Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Co-Director: Steve Purcell
Producer: Katherine Sarafian
Executive Producers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
Story by: Brenda Chapman
Screenplay by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman & Irene Mecchi
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Kathryn Schroeder, Promotional Materials, 2012, News, Coming Soon, Pixar, Disney, Animation