Disney and Pixar’s latest original film “Turning Red” just released on Disney+ on March 11. The film follows 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee, an overachieving, family-focused, boy band-obsessed girl who suddenly begins to turn into a giant red panda when she experiences strong emotions. What follows is an exploration of intergenerational trauma, what it truly means to grow up, and learning how to accept all of yourself – including the unique aspects and obsessions others may judge. The movie’s wholesome message has garnered a strong response on social media and a 95 percent Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and already has fans asking about a sequel.
What Has “Turning Red”‘s Director Domee Si Said About a Sequel?
As of yet, Disney has made no official announcements about a “Turning Red” sequel, but Oscar-winning director Domee Shi told ComicBook.com that she and producer Lindsey Collins “are open,” to the idea, but “haven’t talked about it” with Disney. Collins added, “I want to see what [the characters are] up to.”
What Has the “Turning Red” Cast Said About a Sequel?
Multiple outlets have asked stars Rosalie Chiang, who voices Mei, and Sandra Oh (Mei’s mother), about their willingness to return for a sequel. When asked in an interview with PopBuzz, Oh said she would return “in two seconds,” and Chiang responded, “Hell, yeah. Are you kidding?” Both stars have even provided ideas for a sequel or a prequel, including Oh telling Cinema Blend, “We’d love to do another film and visit Mei in her panda, like when she goes to college and then starts her own business, maybe becomes a mother herself, we could just keep on going and that’d be great to explore basically where Mei is having gone through it.”
With no official plans in place and the fact that “Turning Red” took five years to create, it’s likely fans won’t see a full-length sequel for quite some time. However, five months after Disney released its 2021 hit Pixar film “Luca,” they released a six-minute sequel, “Ciao Alberto.” With Disney+ providing a venue for possible shorts or spinoff TV shows, fans shouldn’t lose hope that Disney might revisit Mei, her friends, her family, or more adorable red pandas completely.
In the meantime, “Turning Red” is available to stream now on Disney+.
