How Turning Red Director Pitched The Movie To Pixar

Turning Red director Domee Shi explains the creative way she pitched the movie to Pixar. Telling the story of a young girl named Mei Lee who turns into a red panda bear every time she gets excited, Turning Red is the latest animated release from the studio. The film marks Shi’s first feature-length directing credit after having worked on Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4 as a storyboard artist, and has already earned rave reviews from critics.

Outside of her work as a storyboard artist, Shi also directed the 2018 short film, Bao. Bao tells the heartfelt and humorous story of a woman who gets a second shot at motherhood after one of her handmade dumplings comes to life. In addition to marking the first Pixar short film to be directed by a woman, Bao also won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2019, putting Shi on the map as a talented director. After working with only a small number of voice actors for Bao, Turning Red features voice performances from Sandra Oh, Rosalie Chiang, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Orion Lee.

In a new Screen Rant exclusive interview with Shi and producer Lindsey Collins, Shi recalled how she first got Pixar interested in the idea for Turning Red. Ultimately, Shi explains, Turning Red was simultaneously the most personal, the strangest, and the most universal idea of the three ideas she pitched, which got Pixar interested in pursuing it as a feature film. Collins adds that the Pixar executives were also drawn to the two main characters Shi had created. Check out Shi and Collins’ full comments below:

Domee Shi: “So it was in 2017, I think we were just starting promotion for or ending promotion for Bao, or Bao was done and was getting released, and then, Pixar approached me and asked me if I wanted to pitch three ideas for feature film. I said yes, obviously [laughs]. But all three of my ideas were coming-of-age stories around teen girls, and Turning Red was the most personal and, I think, the weirdest one. I think I pitched it as a girl going through magical puberty to the studio and hoping that they would bite, and they did! And I think it is because it was so personal, but also tackled such a universal theme. Everyone has been there. Everyone has been 13 and feeling like they’re turning into some wild, hairy, hormonal beast, and I think that’s why Pixar was drawn to it.”

Lindsey Collins: “As Domee said, it was probably the most specific. I was working with her in development and then was in the room as she was pitching all three ideas. Then as she left the room — we usher them out, it’s very awkward– and then we sit around and talk about the ideas and get people’s impressions. I think, frankly, what it was, was that it was so clear that Domee had such a sense of who these two main characters were, that Mae and Ming were really clear and special and unique, more than any of the other ideas. Those two characters were like, “Oh, she knows who those two characters are.” And they are so funny, even in the shortest, quickest pitch that you knew it was going to be a rollercoaster ride, watching how they were going to have to evolve their relationship. So, I think what attracted me is that having seen Bao, knowing how surprising she is as a filmmaker, how bold she is in her storytelling, and then knowing that she had this really personal experience with these two characters that were kind of versions of her own life. That’s like the magic equation, right there. I think everybody was instantly like, “Yes, let’s jump on that one.”

Almost all of the films that Pixar releases deal with powerful, universal themes that audiences of all ages can relate to. The idea of navigating the journey of teenagehood and the complex feelings and experiences that come with it seems to have struck a chord with the Pixar executives, as Shi’s exploration of experiences such as puberty in Turning Red are reimagined in a unique and entertaining way. In addition, Pixar movies are revered for their relatable, memorable, and nuanced main characters, and Collins’ comments suggest that, at least from Shi’s pitch, the Turning Red characters of Mei and Ming were the most fleshed out and the easiest to see coming to life on the screen.

When it comes to entertainment for the whole family, Pixar is one of the first names that springs to mind for many people. Having produced a handful of the best and most memorable animated films of all time (like the iconic Toy Story movies) the company evidently is careful about what ideas it pursues and what filmmakers it works with. Although Shi had worked as a storyboard artist for years, executing other directors’ visions, Bao clearly demonstrated that the director is more than capable of developing her own powerful stories with themes and characters that all audiences can relate to, and Turning Red is another prime example of this talent.