Elemental: release date, plot, trailer and everything we know about the Pixar movie

Elemental is heading our way in the summer, with the latest Pixar Animation Studios following two characters from different backgrounds who discover they have a whole lot in common.

Pixar is no stranger to tugging at our heartstrings, with the first few minutes of Up perhaps being the most notable. Elemental's story also looks like it'll be an emotional one too, as we follow a woman from a fire background and a man from a water one.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the movie's director Peter Sohn revealed: "It’s been a personal story, so I am quite emotional about getting the characters and the story out for sure. 

"It’s a technically very difficult movie, just because everything effects and the characters are moving constantly, especially the fire, water and air characters. But this movie is about thanking your parents and understanding their sacrifices."

Here's what you need to know about Elemental...

Elemental release date

Elemental is released in cinemas worldwide on Friday, June 16, 2023.  

We don't have any word on streaming yet but it will likely be added to the Disney Plus library following its theatrical release. We'll keep you updated when we have confirmation about this.

Elemental plot

According to Pixar Animation Studios, the official plot for the movie is: "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."

Speaking at D23, The Official Disney Fan Club, Peter Sohn spoke a little more about how they came up with the concept of Element City. He said: "[It] started off with Ember. We thought, 'What's the best city we can build to support Ember's journey of identity and belonging?' It started by thinking about a city that would be hard for fire, and so we based it on water. 

"The idea is that Water got to this area first, and then Earth came, so it became a delta. Then, they built a water infrastructure with water canals and elevated water channels everywhere, making it even tougher for Ember. Then, Air came in after that, and Fire was one of the last groups to come into the city."

Elemental cast

So far, we only have two confirmed names attached to the project, playing the two lead roles. It's not yet known if they will be the only ones with dialogue, or if more names will be confirmed later.

Leah Lewis plays Ember Lumen, a fire element, who is described as a "tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman". Fans might recognize Leah from Nancy Drew and The Half of It.

Meanwhile, Mamoudou Athie plays Wade Ripple, a water element, who is described as a "fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy". He has starred in a number of projects including Archive 81 and Jurassic World: Dominion. 

9-1-1 actor Innocent Ekakitie is credited on Elemental's IMDb page but we don't know much about his role yet.

Is there a trailer?

A full trailer was released via Pixar's social media on March 28, 2023, which gives us a better look at what to expect from Elemental, and a more in-depth look at the world, as well as more footage of our two protagonists.

Take a look here:

A shorter, teaser trailer for Elemental was also released which gave us a quick glimpse at the movie's setting. In it, we see a train full of characters made of water, air, earth, and fire, and this is where our main duo meets.

Take a look below...