The initial sneak peek at Pixar’s next film, Onward, introduced a world of magical beings and creatures living mundane suburban lives, kind of like if The Lord of the Rings met The Donna Reed Show. However, aside from introducing two teenage elf brothers, voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, who will go on an adventure, that initial teaser didn’t give away much about the movie’s plot. Now the first full trailer has arrived and we know exactly why the young siblings will head out on their adventure. And it’s the most Pixar reason ever, one that we fully expect will pull our hearts out of our chests before squeezing every last emotion out of them. After receiving a posthumous and powerful gift from their late father, the pair will try and bring back him back—both halves of him—so they can meet him one final time.
Once again, the animation studio that has left us a blubbering ball of feelings (both good and bad) again and again with films like Up, Toy Story 3, Inside Out, Finding Nemo, and Coco, decided the best use of a Pleasantville fantasy world was to give us a story about bringing back a dead parent. In fairness, they’re really, really good at those movies, which are equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. And we keep going to see them, because while they are exhausting, they are consistently great.
The trailer also introduces a magical wizard staff and a Weekend at Bernie’s road trip vibe, but it doesn’t give up all its secrets. While the main conflict facing the goofy older brother Barley Lightfoot (Pratt) and his younger sibling Ian (Holland) revolves around their mission to bring back their dad, we don’t yet know who will prove to be their main villain and how that magical being will be connected to their father’s death and temporary resurrection.
Also joining the two Marvel stars in the cast are Julia Louis-Dreyfus as their mother Laurel Lightfoot, and Octavia Spencer. The Oscar-winner is voicing a character named Manticore who can be heard in this trailer. Onward is written and directed by Pixar alum Dan Scanlon, who also wrote and directed 2013’s Monsters University.
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It’s not as though Pixar has to do a lot to get us excited to see its movies. Short of it being titled Cars 4 (yes, yes, we know you Cars stans are out there and we’re very happy for you), we’re going to see the latest from a studio with such an overwhelming success rate. But the premise of a relatable modern world filled with magical beings certainly has a chance to have be a lot of fun (in all the ways Bright wasn’t). It will combine the mundane aspect of modern life with a story about growing up, dealing with loss, and discovering your place in the world, all while spoofing fantasy stories even as it sends us on a classic road trip and epic adventure.
And it will leave us feeling like all of the blood was drained from our bodies. So, you know, the full Pixar experience.
Featured Image: Pixar
