Disney/Pixar has released a new image from their forthcoming animated feature Brave, and Empire has released two additional images.
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.
Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.
Brave will be released in Australia on 21 June 2012 and 22 June 2012 in the US from Disney.
Click to enlarge
Looks gorgeous, and it is Pixar, but after the Cars 2 debacle, I’m a little gunshy. Plus, DreamWorks is on a roll with How to Train Your Dragon and the two Kung Fu Panda movies.
Speaking of Dragon, is there a fear of similarity between that and Brave, at least at first glance? Pixar even has Craig Ferguson doing a voice for Brave after he voiced a character for Dragon.
And not that I believe in such malarkey, but many “experts” think an animated film with a female lead doesn’t draw in audiences…(i.e. Princess and the Frog, Tangled).
I can understand why you’d be a little hesitant after Cars 2. It was a vanity project that was a sequel to a vanity project. However, this is an original Pixar creation, the first non-sequel since 2009’s Up. Pixar have given us very little reason to doubt their quality outside of the Cars franchise so far. I hold high hopes for this one still.
I have to agree that How to Train Your Dragon and both Kung Fu Panda films have really taken me by surprise with their high quality, and there is a genuine bit of competition now.
The female lead thing is new to me, but Disney has a strong tradition of female leads from it’s earliest days. The Princess line is a massive market, so let’s not count it out on that level yet.