Set in 2003 during the peak of the boy band era “Turning Red” is a feature film from Disney and Pixar which is a coming of age story for Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a thirteen-year-old girl who is constantly torn between being obedient and following her families traditions and the chaos and confusion that can be brought about during adolescence. Her over bearing and highly demanding over protective mother, is never separated from her . Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter, an unfortunate reality for the Teen.
And as if the changes in her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, every time she gets too excited (which is pretty much ALWAYS), she turns into a giant red panda ! The term ” Turning Red” is a double meaning meant to reflect the changes female’s undergo during their maturation process as is her transformations ,
Anyone who was a teenager during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s during the crazed boy band era will appreciate the film’s attempt to capture the teenage angst of that era . The movies boy band ‘4 Town ‘ is an homage to real life groups like NSYNC , Backstreet Boys , O-Town and many others . The film is intended for PG-13 audiences but younger viewers can also follow along due to the cute and cuddly nature of the red panda alter egos and anime style cgi cartons.
The film stars the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hyein Park, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, and James Hong. Other voice actors include Sandra Oh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Orion Lee, Wang Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, and Addie Chandler.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell wrote the original song for the film, which will be performed by the fictional band 4*Town. O’Connell, Jordan Fisher, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo and Grayson Villenueva will be the band members.
Development of Turning Red began in 2018 when Shi first pitched the idea to Pixar in October 2017. Turning Red premiered in London, England on February 21, 2022, and is scheduled to release on Disney+ in the UK. where the service is available in March. on January 11, 2022, along with a simultaneous limited performance at the El Capitan Theater.
The film received critical acclaim with praise for its story, humor, animation, and use of culture. Turning Red is now available for streaming on the Disney+ app .
