Turning Red Is Pixar's First Feature With An All-Female Leadership Team
Director Domee Shi hopes "Turning Red" is one of many projects in the future to feature a prominent group of women in leadership roles. Here, the director gives notes during a review of the film on May 18, 2021. Deborah Coleman / Pixar
February 7, 2022
"If we're going to be doing a coming-of-age girl story, this is such a pivotal milestone in every girl's life, to have an embarrassing period story…that was huge for us." Domee Shi, Turning Red Director
The gist:
Pixar has delivered its first animated film “with a creative team led by women.”
It’s helmed by Domee Shi, who wrote and directed the short film "Bao”
Julia Cho serves as co-writer
Lindsey Collins is the producer
Danielle Feinberg serves as the film's vVFX supervisor
Rona Liu is the film's production designer
Lisa Fotheringham is the movie's production manager
Patty Kihm is one of the project's animation supervisors
While it’s said that: “With Turning Red, Pixar is attempting to redress some of its history as a one-time boys' club and let women thrive in positions of leadership on a high-profile project. “ There was another turning point for the female team. During a Press Day for the film, the Producer Collins related that:
"It's useful that most of the leadership has experience being an awkward tween girl so that we could bring that experience and those personal stories to the table when it came to animating, designing, and coming up with gags and ideas for the characters in the movie,"
And noted that, “the experience also allowed the Pixar team to feel comfortable opening up about topics that generally may feel a little more taboo with male counterparts present.” The director Shi added:
"I think we've all had super embarrassing period stories and that definitely added to — 'OK. We have to have a scene like this in the movie."
Turning Red will be released on Disney+ on March 11, 2022.
The Stats:
The coming of age story is only the sixth (of 19) Pixar titles to have a female protagonist
Photo: The women of "Turning Red". From top left: Director Domee Shi and producer Lindsey Collins. Row 2: Danielle Feinberg, Sabine Koch, and Rona Liu. Bottom row: Lisa Fotheringham and Patty Kihm. Deborah Coleman / Pixar, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider
Deborah Coleman / Pixar, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider