Jump to content
Main menu Navigation ●Main page ●Contents ●Current events ●Random article ●About Wikipedia ●Contact us ●Donate Contribute ●Help ●Learn to edit ●Community portal ●Recent changes ●Upload file
●Create account ●Log in ●Create account ● Log in Pages for logged out editors learn more ●Contributions ●Talk
View source for Turning Red

●Article ●Talk ●Read ●View source ●View history Tools Actions ●Read ●View source ●View history General ●What links here ●Related changes ●Upload file ●Special pages ●Page information ●Get shortened URL ●Download QR code ●Wikidata item Appearance ← Turning Red You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reason:
This page is currently semi-protected so that only established, registered users can edit it.
Why is the page protected?

While most articles can be edited by anyone, semi-protection is sometimes necessary to prevent vandalism to popular pages.
The reason for protection can be found in the protection log. If there are no relevant entries in the protection log, the page may have been moved after being protected.
What can I do?

If you have a user account, log in first. If you do not yet have an account, you may create one; after 4 days and 10 edits, you will be able to edit semi-protected pages.
Discuss this page with others.
For move-protected pages, see requested moves.
Request that the page's protection level be reduced.
Find out more about how to get started editing Wikipedia.
If you have noticed an error or have a suggestion for a simple, non-controversial change, you can submit an edit request by clicking the button below and following the instructions. An established user may then make the change on your behalf. Please check the talk page first in case the issue is already being discussed.
Submit an edit request
If you wrote any text, please save it temporarily to your device until you can edit this page.
You can view and copy the source of this page:
{{Short description|2022 Pixar film}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Turning Red
| image          = Turning Red poster.jpg
| alt            = The poster shows a corkboard with various decorations, stickers, sticky notes, a magazine, as well as images of Mei, her classmates, and other characters, with the larger image showing Mei as a giant red panda and her classmates, with the Toronto skyline in the background. The tagline on top reads "Growing up is a beast." The film's logo is shown on the bottom along with its MPA Rating.
| caption        = Official poster
| director       = [[Domee Shi]]
| producer       = Lindsey Collins
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Julia Cho]]
* Domee Shi
}}
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* Domee Shi
* Julia Cho
* Sarah Streicher
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Rosalie Chiang]]
* [[Sandra Oh]]
* Ava Morse
* Hyein Park
* [[Maitreyi Ramakrishnan]]
* Orion Lee
* [[Wai Ching Ho]]
* Tristan Allerick Chen
* [[James Hong]]
}}
| music          = [[Ludwig Göransson]]. (Score) <br>
[[Billie Eilish]] and [[Finneas O'Connell]] (songs)
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* Nicholas C. Smith
* Steve Bloom
}}
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
* Mahyar Abousaeedi
* Jonathan Pytko
}}
| production_companies = [[Pixar Animation Studios]]
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Walt Disney Studios<br />Motion Pictures]]{{efn|name=Disney|Distributed by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]] through the [[Walt Disney Pictures]] banner.}}<!-- Disney+ is the platform where Disney released the film, not the distributor itself--><!-- Text formatting is used in this link to ensure correct formatting at all screen resolutions. -->
| released       = {{Film date|2022|3|1|[[El Capitan Theatre]]|2022|3|11|United States; [[Disney+]]|2024|02|09|United States and United Kingdom; theatrical}}
| runtime        = 100 minutes<ref name="Runtime">{{Cite web |title=''Turning Red'' |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/turning-red-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mzixody |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416170332/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/turning-red-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mzixody |archive-date=April 16, 2022 |access-date=April 16, 2022 |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $175 million<ref name="nytimes glass ceiling">{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |date=March 7, 2022 |title=With ''Turning Red'', a Big Red Panda Helps Break a Glass Ceiling |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/movies/turning-red-movie-interview-domee-shi.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=March 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309105755/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/movies/turning-red-movie-interview-domee-shi.html |archive-date=March 9, 2022}}</ref>
| gross          = $21.5 million<ref name="BOM" />
}}
'''''Turning Red''''' is a 2022 American <!--Do NOT add Canadian. Even though the movie was set in Canada, it was developed and produced by an American studio.-->animated [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Jessica |date=2023-02-04 |title='Turning Red' & 9 Other Great Disney Coming-of-Age Movies |url=https://collider.com/great-disney-coming-of-age-movies/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> [[Fantasy comedy|fantasy]] [[comedy-drama]] film produced by [[Pixar Animation Studios]] and released by [[Walt Disney Pictures]]. It was directed by [[Domee Shi]] (in her feature directorial debut) and produced by Lindsey Collins, from a screenplay written by Shi and [[Julia Cho]], and a story by Shi, Cho, and Sarah Streicher. The film marks the first Pixar feature film solely directed by a woman. It stars the voices of [[Rosalie Chiang]], [[Sandra Oh]], Ava Morse, Hyein Park, [[Maitreyi Ramakrishnan]], Orion Lee, [[Wai Ching Ho]], Tristan Allerick Chen, and [[James Hong]]. Set in [[Toronto]], Ontario in 2002, the film follows Meilin "Mei" Lee (Chiang), a 13-year-old [[Chinese Canadians|Chinese-Canadian]] student who transforms into a giant [[red panda]] when she experiences any strong emotion, due to a hereditary curse.

Shi, who previously directed the short film ''[[Bao (film)|Bao]]'' (2018), developed the film based on her experiences growing up in Toronto. She pitched three concepts, including ''Turning Red'', to Pixar in October 2017. Development began in May 2018 when Shi was announced as writer and director of a full-length film; several Pixar animators visited locations around Northern California gathering inspiration and visual references. The design and animation were inspired by anime works. To capture these anime influences, hand-drawn 2D animated effects were added atop Pixar's 3D animation. Development on ''Turning Red'' lasted for four years, on an approximate $175 million budget, becoming the fastest production for a Pixar film. [[Ludwig Göransson]] composed the film's musical score for his first animated film, with [[Billie Eilish]] and [[Finneas O'Connell]] writing original songs for the film.

''Turning Red'' was first shown in London at [[Everyman Cinemas|Everyman Borough Yards]] on February 21, 2022, as a special screening, in Toronto at [[TIFF Bell Lightbox]] on March 8, and at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in Los Angeles on March 1. Originally planned for a worldwide theatrical release, plans were changed due to the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The film was released on March 11, 2022, on the [[Disney+]] streaming service and was released theatrically in most countries without the streaming service, grossing over $21 million. It was paired with the short film ''[[Kitbull]]'' for its theatrical release in the United States and the United Kingdom on February 9, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disney and Pixar's Turning Red, Soul and Luca heading to UK Cinemas —trailer and poster available now |url=https://press.disney.co.uk/news/disney-and-pixars-turning-red-soul-and-luca-heading-to-uk-cinemas-trailer-and-poster-available-now |website=Disney UK}}</ref> ''Turning Red'' received critical acclaim and was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]] at the [[95th Academy Awards]], among [[List of accolades received by Turning Red|numerous other accolades]].

==Plot==
In 2002 Toronto, 13-year-old Meilin "Mei" Lee lives with her parents, Ming and Jin, helps take care of the family's [[Ancestral shrine|temple]] dedicated to her maternal ancestor Sun Yee, and works to make her mother proud. She hides her personal interests from Ming, such as the fact that she and her friends Miriam, Priya, and Abby are fans of the [[boy band]] 4*Town. One night when Ming, who is strict and overprotective, discovers Mei's [[Puppy love|crush]] on Devon, the 17-year-old local convenience store clerk, she inadvertently humiliates Mei in public.

That night, Mei has a vivid nightmare involving red pandas. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds that she has transformed into a large red panda. She hides from her parents and discovers that she transforms only when she is in a state of high emotion. When Mei reverts to human form, her hair remains red, and so she goes to school in a [[Knit cap|touque]]. Ming initially believes Mei is experiencing her first [[Menstruation|period]], but learns the truth when she gets into an altercation with the school's security guard, causing Mei to transform from embarrassment and run home in panic and tears.

Ming and Jin explain that Sun Yee was granted this transformation to protect her daughters and her village during wartime, and that all her female descendants have also had this ability. This has become inconvenient and dangerous in modern times, so the red panda spirit must be sealed in a [[talisman]] by a ritual on the night of a [[lunar eclipse]], which will take place in a month's time. Mei's friends discover her transformation, but take a liking to it; Mei finds that concentrating on them enables her to control her transformations.

Ming allows Mei to resume her normal life, but refuses to let Mei attend 4*Town's upcoming concert. Instead, the girls secretly raise money for the tickets at school by exploiting the popularity of Mei's red panda form while lying to Ming about how Mei is spending her time. To raise the last 100 dollars, Mei agrees to attend school bully Tyler's birthday party as the red panda. Before Mei leaves, Mei's grandmother and aunts arrive to assist with Mei's ritual. At the party, Mei is upset to discover that the concert will be on the night she is to undergo the ritual. In her rage, she attacks Tyler when he insults her family, frightening the other kids. Ming discovers Mei's activities and accuses her friends for everything. Mei fails to come to her friends' defense to maintain Ming's approval.

While cleaning, Jin finds videos she recorded of herself as the red panda with her friends and tells her she should not be ashamed of this side of her, but to embrace it. During the ritual, as Mei's red panda form is about to be sealed, she decides to keep her powers and abandons the ritual to attend the concert at the [[SkyDome]]; in making her escape, she breaks Ming's talisman, releasing her red panda form as well. At the concert, she reconciles with her friends and Tyler. However, an enraged Ming, having become a ''[[kaiju]]''-sized red panda, disrupts the concert, intending to take Mei back by force.

Mei and Ming argue about the former's independence. As they fight, Mei accidentally knocks her mother unconscious. Mei's grandmother and aunts break their talismans to use their red panda forms to help drag Ming into a new ritual circle. Mei's friends and 4*Town join in singing to complete the ritual, sending Mei, Ming, and the other women to the [[astral plane]]. Mei reconciles with her mother and helps Ming mend her own bond with her own mother, whom Ming accidentally scarred in anger in the past. The other women contain their red pandas in new talismans; but Mei decides to keep hers and Ming accepts that she is finding her own path.

Later as the Lee family raises money to repair the damage to the SkyDome, Mei and Ming's relationship has improved. Mei balances her temple duties (where her red panda form is now an attraction) and spends time with her friends and Tyler.

==Voice cast==
{{Redirect-distinguish|Meilin Lee|Meiling Li}}
* [[Rosalie Chiang]] as Meilin "Mei" Lee, a 13-year-old [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese-Canadian]] girl who discovers she can transform into a giant [[anthropomorphic]] [[red panda]], whenever she expresses strong emotions 
* [[Sandra Oh]] as Ming Lee, Mei's strict and overprotective mother
* Ava Morse as Miriam Mendelsohn,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Turning Red |url=https://www.pixar.com/turning-red |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314173722/https://www.pixar.com/turning-red |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=[[Pixar Animation Studios]]}}</ref> a singing [[History of the Jews in Canada|Jewish Canadian]] [[tomboy]] with [[Dental braces|braces]] who is one of Mei's best friends.
* [[Maitreyi Ramakrishnan]] as Priya Mangal,<ref name=":0" /> a mellow and deadpan [[Indo-Canadians|Indo-Canadian]] girl who is one of Mei's best friends<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernandes |first=Marriska |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on 'Turning Red,' Her Inner Beast, and Toronto Love |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/maitreyi-ramakrishnan-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317001601/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/maitreyi-ramakrishnan-interview |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=Complex Canada}}</ref>
* Hyein Park as Abby Park,<ref name=":0" /> an energetic and aggressive [[Korean Canadians|Korean Canadian]] girl and the shortest of Mei's best friends
* Orion Lee as Jin Lee, Mei's quiet yet supportive father
* [[Wai Ching Ho]] as Wu, Mei's grandmother and Ming's mother
* Tristan Allerick Chen as Tyler Nguyen-Baker,<ref name=":0" /> Mei's classmate with front teeth braces who initially picks on Mei
* [[James Hong]] as Mr. Gao, a local elder, shaman, and friend of the Lee family
* Addie Chandler as Devon, a local [[convenience store]] [[clerk]] and Mei's secret crush
* [[Sasha Roiz]] as Mr. Kieslowski, Mei's high-school teacher at Lester B. Pearson Middle School.
* Lily Sanfelippo as Stacy Frick, a [[British Canadians|British Canadian]] girl and one of Mei's classmates who sees her red panda form in the restroom
* [[Anne-Marie]] as Lauren, one of Mei's classmates (U.K. version)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Susannah |date=February 1, 2022 |title=The Voice UK's Anne-Marie joins Pixar's new movie Turning Red |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38952861/the-voice-uk-anne-marie-pixar-movie-turning-red-cameo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222141054/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38952861/the-voice-uk-anne-marie-pixar-movie-turning-red-cameo/ |archive-date=February 22, 2022 |access-date=March 2, 2022 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Mei's aunts (Chen, Ping, Helen and Lily) are voiced by [[Lori Tan Chinn]], Lillian Lim, [[Sherry Cola]] and Mia Tagano. The members of the 4*Town boy band (Robaire, Jesse, Aaron Z., Aaron T. and Tae Young) are voiced by [[Jordan Fisher]], [[Finneas O'Connell]], [[Josh Levi (singer)|Josh Levi]], Topher Ngo and Grayson Villanueva.

==Production==
===Development===
In 2017, Shi had recently completed the Pixar short ''[[Bao (film)|Bao]]'' when Pixar invited her to pitch three ideas for a full-length film. Her proposed concepts were all coming-of-age stories centered on teenage girls. The one that became ''Turning Red'' was based on a girl going through a "magical puberty", which Shi wrote based on her own personal experiences. Shi said, "Everyone has been there. Everyone has been thirteen and feeling like they're turning into some wild, hairy, hormonal beast, and I think that's why Pixar was drawn to it".<ref name="screenrant concept">{{Cite web |last=Northrup |first=Ryan |date=March 9, 2022 |title=How Turning Red Director Pitched The Movie To Pixar |url=https://screenrant.com/turning-red-movie-pixar-director-pitch-story-details/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313041914/https://screenrant.com/turning-red-movie-pixar-director-pitch-story-details/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref> Shi pitched all three concepts, including ''Turning Red'', to Pixar on October 31, 2017.<ref>{{Cite instagram|user=domeeshi|date=July 14, 2021|title=The teaser poster and trailer are finally OUT for Turning Red! 🔥🔥🔥This film is a labour of love that started way back on October 31st, 2017 when I first pitched the idea to Pixar (while finishing up promo for Bao). I'm so thankful to be working with such an amazing cast and crew to bring my tween dreams/nightmares to life! Starring the talented voices of @officialrosaliechiang and @iamsandraohinsta Premieres next spring! #turningred #pixar|postid=CRSrXwZj1ZJ|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220225164909/https://www.instagram.com/p/CRSrXwZj1ZJ/|archive-date=February 25, 2022|access-date=February 26, 2022|via=[[Instagram]]|first=Domee|last=Shi|author-link=Domee Shi}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to Pixar producer Lindsey Collins, who sat in on Shi's pitch meeting, the Pixar staff were drawn to the ''Turning Red'' idea as "it was so clear that Domee had such a sense of who these two main characters were, that Mei and Ming were really clear and special and unique, more than any of the other ideas" and 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".<ref name="screenrant concept" /> The approach of using more personable stories followed from ''[[Luca (2021 film)|Luca]]'' under Pixar's new chief creative officer [[Pete Docter]]'s oversight, which shifted the direction the studio took with both storytelling and film production.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Desowitz |first=Bill |date=March 21, 2022 |title='Luca': How the Oscar-Nominated Animated Feature Helped Change Pixar's Culture |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/luca-pixar-animated-feature-1234709854/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322081916/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/luca-pixar-animated-feature-1234709854/ |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |website=[[Indie Wire]]}}</ref> Brenda Hsueh, writer of the subsequent Pixar film ''[[Elemental (2023 film)|Elemental]]'', worked on the film as a consultant to Shi for the ideas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Verve Signs Pixar's ''Elemental'' Screenwriter Brenda Hsueh |url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/pixar-elemental-brenda-hsueh-verve-1235157242/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028153155/https://deadline.com/2022/10/pixar-elemental-brenda-hsueh-verve-1235157242/ |archive-date=October 28, 2022 |access-date=October 29, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

The film was developed under the [[working title]] of ''Red''.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/embrace-the-panda-making-turning-red/ |title=Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red |date=March 11, 2022 |last=Milsom |first=Erica |type=Television production}}</ref> Shi was announced as writer and director of an upcoming Pixar full-length film on May 8, 2018, making her the first woman to solely direct a film in the studio.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Debruge |first=Peter |date=May 8, 2018 |title=10 Animators to Watch 2018 |url=https://variety.com/gallery/10-animators-to-watch-2018-variety/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511075519/https://variety.com/gallery/10-animators-to-watch-2018-variety/#!2/everett-downing |archive-date=May 11, 2018 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>{{efn|[[Brenda Chapman]] had originally been the sole director on Pixar's 2012 film ''[[Brave (2012 film)|Brave]]'' until she was replaced by [[Mark Andrews (filmmaker)|Mark Andrews]] in mid-production, though she was still credited alongside Andrews.}} The film's creative leads were also the first all-female team for Pixar, which Pixar's CEO [[Jim Morris (film producer)|Jim Morris]] said "happened very organically" rather than by intent.<ref name="thr premiere">{{Cite web |last=Odman |first=Sydney |date=March 2, 2022 |title=Pixar Celebrates All-Female Leadership Team of 'Turning Red': "The Most Efficient Film We've Ever Made" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/pixar-turning-red-all-female-leadership-1235103026/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318064321/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/pixar-turning-red-all-female-leadership-1235103026/ |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=March 20, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> Rona Liu served as production designer, after doing so for ''Bao''. Liu said that working on a feature film was "a dream come true".<ref name="RonaLiu">{{Cite web |title=Is It Cake or a TV Dinner? &#124; What's up, Disney+ &#124; Episode 15 | date=February 11, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=671&v=FCd9Ujt7KlY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714020931/https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=671&v=FCd9Ujt7KlY |archive-date=July 14, 2021 |access-date=July 14, 2021 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> By November 26, 2018, Shi confirmed that the film was in the early stages of development, with the story still being worked on, and that "[she is] really excited to play in this new 90-minute film format".<ref name="Announcement">{{Cite news |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=November 26, 2018 |title=The First Woman To Direct An Oscar-Contending Pixar Short, 'Bao's Domee Shi Is On Her Way To First Feature Project |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/bao-domee-shi-pixar-oscars-animation-interview-1202508540/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217154159/https://deadline.com/2018/11/bao-domee-shi-pixar-oscars-animation-interview-1202508540/ |archive-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref> The title ''Turning Red'' was finalized by December 10, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2020 |title=Turning Red Official Announcement and Logo |url=https://forum.pixarpost.com/post/turning-red-official-announcement-and-logo-11316159 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211010943/https://forum.pixarpost.com/post/turning-red-official-announcement-and-logo-11316159 |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |website=Pixar Post}}</ref><ref name="Synopsis">{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2020 |title=Chris Evans to Voice Buzz Lightyear in Pixar's 'Lightyear,' Disney Announces 'Encanto' With Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/chris-evans-buzz-lightyear-toy-story-pixar-1234851296/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217154135/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/chris-evans-buzz-lightyear-toy-story-pixar-1234851296/ |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> According to Morris, ''Turning Red'' had one of the fastest development times of a Pixar feature film, taking only four years to complete.<ref name="thr premiere" />

===Casting===
In 2017, Pixar hired Chiang to provide [[scratch vocal]]s to support the development of the film.<ref name="Johnson">{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=G. Allen |date=March 5, 2022 |title=Bay Area teen Rosalie Chiang is the 'overnight' star in Disney Pixar's 'Turning Red' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/bay-area-teen-rosalie-chiang-is-the-overnight-star-in-disney-pixars-turning-red |url-status=live |access-date=March 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306144232/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/bay-area-teen-rosalie-chiang-is-the-overnight-star-in-disney-pixars-turning-red |archive-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref> Chiang, then only 12 years old, was selected in part because she was a local child actor conveniently based in nearby [[Fremont, California|Fremont]], which is only about 35 miles (56&nbsp;km) from Pixar's [[Emeryville, California|Emeryville]] headquarters.<ref name="Johnson" /> After two years of development, Shi and Collins reached the point where the film was "solid" enough to start casting professional voice actors.<ref name="Johnson" /> Despite listening to various auditions, the two realized they had already fallen in love with Chiang's scratch vocals and could not envision anyone else playing Mei.<ref name="Johnson" /> They escalated the issue to Pixar chief creative officer [[Pete Docter]], who personally approved the casting of Chiang in the film's lead role.<ref name="Johnson" />

During an early 2020 recording session, Shi suddenly surprised Chiang with an additional script page where Shi, reading in character as Ming, offered Chiang the role.<ref name="Johnson" /> This session, right before the onset of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in the United States, turned out to be their last one conducted in person.<ref name="Gentile">{{Cite news |last=Gentile |first=Dan |date=March 11, 2022 |title=How a Bay Area teen became the lead in Pixar's 'Turning Red,' streaming on Disney Plus |work=[[SFGATE]] |url=https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/Bay-Area-teen-in-Pixar-Turning-Red-16995337.php |url-status=live |access-date=March 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314035149/https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/Bay-Area-teen-in-Pixar-Turning-Red-16995337.php |archive-date=March 14, 2022}}</ref> To keep production going, Pixar shipped an enormous amount of professional audio equipment to Chiang, who turned one of the rooms in her parents' house into a makeshift recording studio.<ref name="Gentile" />

Sandra Oh was Shi's top pick for Ming. Besides the fact that Oh was a fellow Canadian, Shi felt Oh could convey the range of complex emotions they wished to portray in Ming.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Vorrasi-Banis |first=Lacey |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Pixar's Turning Red director on Sandra Oh, Easter eggs, and the rise of the nerdy girl |url=https://ew.com/movies/pixars-turning-red-director-sandra-oh-easter-eggs/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313001724/https://ew.com/movies/pixars-turning-red-director-sandra-oh-easter-eggs/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref>

===Design===
====Setting====
The film takes place in [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada in 2002, as confirmed by a production designer in February 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Cormac |date=July 13, 2021 |title=Pixar's Next Animated Film Is Stuffed Full Of Early 2000s Canadian Nostalgia (VIDEO) |work=[[Narcity]] |url=https://www.narcity.com/turning-red-is-set-in-canada--the-trailer-has-tons-of-easter-eggs |url-status=live |access-date=July 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713151659/https://www.narcity.com/turning-red-is-set-in-canada--the-trailer-has-tons-of-easter-eggs |archive-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref> As it takes place through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl named Mei Lee, the entire environment has been stylized to convey a specific feeling; Shi described the film's overall look as an "Asian tween fever dream".<ref name="nytimes glass ceiling" /> According to executive producer [[Dan Scanlon]], "It feels more like a very soft, colorful, magical, idyllic, almost youthful version of the city".<ref name=":0" /> Shi also considered how video games like ''[[Pokémon (video game series)|Pokémon]]'', ''[[EarthBound]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]]'' were able to "stylize their world in such an appealing, chunky, cute kind of way".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liao |first=Shannon |date=April 15, 2022 |title='Turning Red' director Domee Shi is a gamer |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/04/15/turning-red-director-gamer/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415214535/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/04/15/turning-red-director-gamer/ |archive-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref> Part of this desired setting was capturing the popularity of [[boy band]]s at the turn of the [[3rd millennium|millennium]] and how teenage girls reacted to them.<ref name="animationmag">{{Cite web |last=Idelson |first=Karen |date=March 3, 2022 |title='Turning Red': The Making of Domee Shi's Transformative Tweenage Adventure |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/features/turning-red-the-making-of-domee-shis-transformative-tweenage-adventure/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304005325/https://www.animationmagazine.net/features/turning-red-the-making-of-domee-shis-transformative-tweenage-adventure/ |archive-date=March 4, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=[[Animation Magazine]]}}</ref> Pixar animators visited locations around Northern California for inspiration and visual references.<ref name="Gentile" /> They studied red pandas at the [[San Francisco Zoo]], and looked at architecture in [[Chinatown, San Francisco|Chinatown]] in San Francisco and the [[Bok Kai Temple]] in [[Marysville, California|Marysville]].<ref name="Gentile" />

====Inspirations====
Shi said that several [[anime]] influenced the film, including ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', ''[[Ranma ½]]'', ''[[Fruits Basket]]'', and ''[[Inuyasha]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Egan |first=Toussaint |date=March 8, 2022 |title=4 classic anime that inspired Turning Red |url=https://www.polygon.com/22947922/turning-red-pixar-anime-influences |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310113408/https://www.polygon.com/22947922/turning-red-pixar-anime-influences |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref> To capture these anime influences, hand-drawn 2D animated effects were added atop Pixar's 3D animation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mathai |first=Jeremy |date=February 7, 2022 |title=How Turning Red Blends Pixar's Iconic Animation Style With Anime |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/757968/how-turning-red-blends-pixars-iconic-animation-style-with-anime/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221021821/https://www.slashfilm.com/757968/how-turning-red-blends-pixars-iconic-animation-style-with-anime/ |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |access-date=March 17, 2022 |website=[[SlashFilm]]}}</ref> Shi was also inspired by ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', in creating an "iconic grabbable giant animal that you just want to rub your face in".<ref name="thrillist">{{Cite web |last=Zuckerman |first=Esther |date=March 14, 2022 |title='A Goofy Movie' and 'Sailor Moon': Domee Shi's Inspirations for 'Turning Red' |url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/domee-shi-interview-turning-red-inspirations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315210401/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/domee-shi-interview-turning-red-inspirations |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=[[Thrillist]]}}</ref> [[Nintendo]] [[Video games|games]], such as ''[[Mother (video game series)|Earthbound]]'', ''[[Pokémon]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'', have also been cited as a major influence for the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doolan |first=Liam |date=April 16, 2022 |title=Random: "Chunky Cute Aesthetic" In New Pixar Movie 'Turning Red' Influenced By Nintendo Games |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/04/random-chunky-cute-aesthetic-in-new-pixar-movie-turning-red-influenced-by-nintendo-games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510141154/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/04/random-chunky-cute-aesthetic-in-new-pixar-movie-turning-red-influenced-by-nintendo-games |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=Nintendo Life}}</ref> Shi also compared the plot of the film to Disney's ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'', a similar coming-of-age movie involving a parent and child trying to mend their relationship, with a pop band as part of the film's climax.<ref name="thrillist" /> The film also deals with [[puberty]], though the film does not directly talk of biological changes. For example, Mei's mother mistakes Mei's reaction to her transformation for her [[Menarche|first menstruation]]. Shi said they were "unapologetic" about the discussion of these topics in the film; the title ''Turning Red'' is an allegory for menstruation.<ref name="polygon metaphor" /> The color red also reflects other feelings experienced by teenagers, according to Shi, such as embarrassment or lust.<ref name="nytimes glass ceiling" /> Shi and her staff had feared that studio executives would want the scenes referencing puberty removed, but the scenes were accepted.<ref name="polygon metaphor">{{Cite web |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=February 7, 2022 |title=Pixar wanted Turning Red to be 'unapologetic' about puberty — including periods |url=https://www.polygon.com/22918173/turning-red-disney-period-puberty-metaphor-domee-shi-pixar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207195149/https://www.polygon.com/22918173/turning-red-disney-period-puberty-metaphor-domee-shi-pixar |archive-date=February 7, 2022 |access-date=February 8, 2022 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>

Liu oversaw the production of the food scenes, as she had done for ''Bao''. They partnered with the non-profit organization Gold House that specializes in promotion of East Asian and Pacific cultures to identify what foods to include. For rendering the foods, they were inspired by the approach that [[Studio Ghibli]] had done with foods in their works, as well as exaggerating their look in the same manner that [[Sanrio]] uses to bring cuteness into their products, and the way the film ''[[The God of Cookery]]'' showed food in a "dream glow".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saxena |first=Jaya |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Why the Food in Pixar's 'Turning Red' Looks So Good |url=https://www.eater.com/22991446/animating-delicious-looking-food-pixar-turning-red-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325093407/https://www.eater.com/22991446/animating-delicious-looking-food-pixar-turning-red-interview |archive-date=March 25, 2022 |access-date=March 26, 2022 |website=[[Eater (website)|Eater]]}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Turning Red (soundtrack){{!}}''Turning Red'' (soundtrack)}}
The film's music is scored by [[Ludwig Göransson]] in his first animated film project, and was recorded within a two-week period after [[COVID-19 lockdowns|COVID-19 lockdown]] relaxations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Jon |date=September 7, 2021 |title='Black Panther' Score Headed to Hollywood Bowl for Live-to-Picture Performance |url=https://variety.com/2021/artisans/news/black-panther-score-hollywood-bowl-1235057552/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221807/https://variety.com/2021/artisans/news/black-panther-score-hollywood-bowl-1235057552/ |archive-date=September 7, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Jon |date=March 11, 2022 |title=The Music of 'Turning Red' Is an All-Star Affair Featuring Billie Eilish, Finneas and Ludwig Goransson |url=https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/turning-red-music-songs-score-1235201920/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604232804/https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/turning-red-music-songs-score-1235201920/ |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |access-date=June 20, 2022 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The film also featured three original songs written by [[Billie Eilish]] and [[Finneas O'Connell]]: "[[Nobody Like U]]," "1 True Love," and "U Know What's Up." These songs were performed in the film by the fictional boy band 4*Town, which O'Connell was a part of. Producer Lindsey Collins said that her child was a fan of Eilish's music, which inspired her to approach Eilish and O'Connell at the start of production. Collins had pitched to their pair using a scrapbook featuring scenes from the film and cutouts of the duo.<ref name="insider music">{{Cite web |last=Acuna |first=Kirsten |date=February 8, 2022 |title=Pixar sent Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell a boy band-inspired scrapbook to convince them to write music for their next animated movie, 'Turning Red' |url=https://www.insider.com/pixar-sent-billie-eilish-finneas-scrapbook-turning-red-pixar-2022-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220317193441/https://www.insider.com/pixar-sent-billie-eilish-finneas-scrapbook-turning-red-pixar-2022-2 |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=[[Insider (website)|Insider]] }}</ref> [[Walt Disney Records]] released the soundtrack album digitally and on CD on March 11, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abdulbaki |first=Mae |date=March 11, 2022 |title=Turning Red Soundtrack: Every Song, 4*Town Singers & Where To Listen |url=https://screenrant.com/turning-red-movie-soundtrack-songs-guide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313120922/https://screenrant.com/turning-red-movie-soundtrack-songs-guide/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Subsequently, tracks from 4*Town appeared in multiple languages, some of which were performed by boy bands such as [[Da-ice]] (Japanese)<ref>{{cite instagram|postid=CaTCMG_vxto|title=『私ときどきレッサーパンダ』日本版エンドソングアーティスト 🎉【 Da-iCE 】に決定🎉 ≪本当の自分≫でいることを後押してくれる<span class="ltr">1</span>曲「どんな君も」を歌い上げる🎤 ビリー・アイリッシュと、その兄でプロデューサーのフィニアス・オコネルによる 劇中にも登場する楽曲「Nobody Like U」のカバー✨ 劇中に登場する人気ボーイズ・グループ「<span class="ltr">4</span>★TOWN」の日本版声優もDa-iCEが担当✨ Da-iCEからのコメントは公式サイトをチェック👀💫 3/11（金） ディズニープラス独占配信🐾|user=disneyplusjp|date=February 23, 2022|language=ja|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220308200203/https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTCMG_vxto/|url-status=live|archive-date=March 8, 2022}}</ref> and [[W0LF(<span class="ltr">S</span>)]] (Mandarin).<ref>{{cite instagram|postid=Ca1hkk1O9j0|title=由怪奇比莉創作的《青春養成記》電影主題曲You Know What's Up中文版〈王者的驕傲〉找來超人氣男團五堅情獻唱，MV 30秒搶先看<span class="ltr">!</span>完整版<span class="ltr">MV</span>將於本周五與電影一起上線，敬請期待<span class="ltr">!</span>皮克斯《青春養成記》<span class="ltr">3</span>月<span class="ltr">11</span>日Disney+獨家上線~|user=disneyplustw|date=March 8, 2022|language=zh|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220308195009/https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca1hkk1O9j0/|archive-date=March 8, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> The album debuted at number 187 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart on the week of March 21, 2022,<ref name=":1">{{Cite tweet |number=1505934617999810565 |user=billboardcharts |title=Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)... |date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321154952/https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1505934617999810565 |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> and peaked at #87 on the week of April 9, 2022.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Billboard 200: Week of April 9, 2022 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-04-09/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405203532/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-04-09/ |archive-date=April 5, 2022 |access-date=April 5, 2022}}</ref>

==Marketing==
===Promotion===
[[File:Mei Lee Turning Red statue.jpg|thumb|Statue of Mei as a red panda inside the [[CN Tower]] in Toronto]]
A first look of the film was shown at the Disney Investor Day on December 10, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE 2020 INVESTOR DAY PROGRAMMING FACT SHEET |url=https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/twdc_investor_day_programming_fact_sheet_ecbccd9a.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109030422/https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/twdc_investor_day_programming_fact_sheet_ecbccd9a.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2021 |access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref> The teaser trailer premiered on July 13, 2021, as the official trailer premiered on November 17, 2021.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqdHP2dWQ9M |title=Turning Red – Teaser Trailer |date=July 13, 2021 |publisher=[[Pixar]] via [[YouTube]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713122032/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqdHP2dWQ9M |archive-date=July 13, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdKzUbAiswE |title=Turning Red – Official Trailer |date=November 17, 2021 |publisher=[[Pixar]] via [[YouTube]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117142400/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdKzUbAiswE |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the lead up to the film's release, Disney partnered with [[Mozilla Corporation|Mozilla]] to promote the film via the [[Firefox]] web browser, as red pandas are also known as "firefoxes". Users on [[Firefox#Firefox for mobile|mobile]] and desktop are able to apply custom backgrounds and themes within the browser, respectively. According to Mozilla's chief marketing office Lindsey Shepard, the collaboration gives Mozilla the opportunity "to bring [the] Mozilla ethos to the new generation".<ref name="morningbrew">{{Cite web |last=Sutton |first=Kelsey |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Disney Pixar's 'Turning Red' finds a friend in Firefox |url=https://www.morningbrew.com/marketing/stories/2022/02/23/disney-pixar-s-turning-red-finds-a-friend-in-firefox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313001348/https://www.morningbrew.com/marketing/stories/2022/02/23/disney-pixar-s-turning-red-finds-a-friend-in-firefox |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=[[Morning Brew]]}}</ref> One of the red pandas at the [[San Francisco Zoo]] was renamed Meilin on the day of the film's release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaziri |first=Aidin |date=March 11, 2022 |title=S.F. Zoo renames red panda in honor of new Pixar movie, 'Turning Red' |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/s-f-zoo-renames-red-panda-in-honor-of-new-pixar-movie-turning-red |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313000213/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/s-f-zoo-renames-red-panda-in-honor-of-new-pixar-movie-turning-red |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> [[Air Canada]] decorated an [[Airbus A220]] with images of Mei and her "red panda form" to fly over Canada promoting the film, and also had a contest for the public to attend the premiere in Toronto and win special prizes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Air Canada Unveils Turning Red Themed Aircraft Celebrating Disney and Pixar's All New Film Set In Toronto |url=https://aircanada.mediaroom.com/2022-02-08-Air-Canada-Unveils-Turning-Red-Themed-Aircraft-Celebrating-Disney-and-Pixars-All-New-Film-Set-In-Toronto |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307151652/https://aircanada.mediaroom.com/2022-02-08-Air-Canada-Unveils-Turning-Red-Themed-Aircraft-Celebrating-Disney-and-Pixars-All-New-Film-Set-In-Toronto |archive-date=March 7, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=[[Air Canada]]}}</ref> A large statue of Mei as a red panda was placed in Toronto next to the [[CN Tower]], [[Ripley's Aquarium of Canada|Ripley's Aquarium]], [[Roundhouse Park]], [[Scotiabank Arena]] and the [[Rogers Centre]] (formerly known as Air Canada Centre and the Skydome, respectively) where passerby could have their photos taken with the statue.<ref>{{Cite Instagram|postid=Ca1O-7vOsnc|user=rosaliecchiang|title=Day 1 Toronto Press ✅ 1. CN tower interview 2. Tried #timhortons 3. Didn't die walking in high heels in the rain 👗: @mrenriquemelendez 💄: @sophie.hsin Btw that book in the last slide is mine 'A is for Arowana' Check it out on Amazon #turningred #pixar #disney #disneyplus #turningredpixar|date=March 8, 2022|first=Rosalie|last=Chiang|author-link=Rosalie Chiang|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220318152112/https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca1O-7vOsnc/|archive-date=March 18, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> iSpot.tv reported that Disney had spent $23 million on television spots for ''Turning Red'', which was more than what the studio spent on ''[[Black Widow (2021 film)|Black Widow]]'', ''[[Jungle Cruise (film)|Jungle Cruise]]'' ($19.5 million), and ''[[Cruella (film)|Cruella]]'' ($12.6 million), and what Netflix spent on its most-watched film, ''[[Red Notice (film)|Red Notice]]'' ($3.3 million). Since February 21, 2022, the trailer for the film had been the 16th-most-seen TV spot of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=March 13, 2022 |title=''The Batman'' Climbs To $238M+ US Today After Super Second Weekend Hold; Eyes Half Billion WW This Week – Sunday Update |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-weekend-box-office-1234976639/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313190142/https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-weekend-box-office-1234976639/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

===Tie-in media===
Disney licensed several books based on the film, which were released both before and after the U.S. premiere, including novelizations, short stories, a sticker album, a behind-the-scenes book and coloring books.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Templeton |first=Rita |date=March 10, 2022 |title=These Brand New 'Turning Red' Books Bring The Disney/Pixar Magic to Your Bookshelf |url=https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2544407/disney-pixar-turning-red-books/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318113126/https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2544407/disney-pixar-turning-red-books/ |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=[[SHE Media|SheKnows.com]]}}</ref> A [[manga]] focused on 4*Town, titled ''4*Town 4*Real'', was released by [[Viz Media]] on April 25, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=June 17, 2022 |title=Manga Companion to Pixar Film 'Turning Red' to Launch in 2023 |url=https://variety.com/2022/biz/asia/turning-red-manga-comic-1235297098/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622155728/https://variety.com/2022/biz/asia/turning-red-manga-comic-1235297098/ |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Disney and Pixar's Turning Red: 4*Town 4*Real: The Manga |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disney-and-pixars-turning-red-dirchansky/1141673814 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218182932/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disney-and-pixars-turning-red-dirchansky/1141673814 |archive-date=2023-02-18 |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=[[Barnes & Noble]] |language=en}}</ref> On February 27, 2023, it was announced that Red Panda Mei would become a meet-and-greet character at [[Shanghai Disneyland]] for a limited time, from March 1 to May 31, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=Francis |first=Katie |date=February 27, 2023 |title=Panda Mei From 'Turning Red' to Debut for Meet and Greet at Shanghai Disneyland |url=https://wdwnt.com/2023/02/panda-mei-from-turning-red-to-debut-for-meet-and-greet-at-shanghai-disneyland/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227162642/https://wdwnt.com/2023/02/panda-mei-from-turning-red-to-debut-for-meet-and-greet-at-shanghai-disneyland/ |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |accessdate=February 27, 2023 |work=WDW News Today}}</ref>

==Release==
===Theatrical and streaming===
''Turning Red'' had special screenings that took place in London at [[Everyman Cinemas|Everyman Borough Yards]] on February 21, 2022, and in Toronto at [[TIFF Bell Lightbox]] on March 8, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Must-See Celeb Sightings: February 2022 |url=https://www.etonline.com/gallery/must-see-celeb-sightings-february-2022-178640 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226160956/https://www.etonline.com/gallery/must-see-celeb-sightings-february-2022-178640 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |access-date=February 26, 2022 |website=[[Entertainment Tonight]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Roger |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Toronto 'Turning Red' Premiere Event Photos |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/toronto-turning-red-premiere-event-photos/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313053053/https://whatsondisneyplus.com/toronto-turning-red-premiere-event-photos/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=April 28, 2022 |website=What's On Disney Plus |language=en-us}}</ref> It premiered at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in Hollywood on March 1, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chuba |first=Kirsten |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Events of the Week: 'The Batman,' 'Winning Time' and More |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/the-batman-winning-time-fresh-red-carpet-premiere-1235101239/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304221319/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/the-batman-winning-time-fresh-red-carpet-premiere-1235101239/ |archive-date=March 4, 2022 |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> It was originally scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on March 11, 2022, by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2020 |title=The Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule |url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-studios-announces-updated-release-schedule/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429110421/https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-studios-announces-updated-release-schedule/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |website=[[The Walt Disney Company]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=July 13, 2021 |title=Pixar's Turning Red asks "What if the Hulk turned into an adorable, giant red panda instead?" |url=https://www.theverge.com/22575165/turning-red-disney-pixar-trailer-panda-release-date |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713143941/https://www.theverge.com/22575165/turning-red-disney-pixar-trailer-panda-release-date |archive-date=July 13, 2021 |access-date=December 31, 2021 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref name="ReleaseDate">{{Cite news |last=Julie & T.J. |date=December 10, 2020 |title=Disney Investor Day 2020 — Pixar Announces Series, Shorts, & 2 Films for 2022 'Turning Red' and 'Lightyear' |work=Pixar Post |url=https://www.pixarpost.com/2020/12/disney-investor-day-2020-pixar-news.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217154136/https://www.pixarpost.com/2020/12/disney-investor-day-2020-pixar-news.html |archive-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref> On June 17, 2021, a Pixar insider reaffirmed the film would have a theatrical release after both ''[[Soul (2020 film)|Soul]]'' (2020) and ''[[Luca (2021 film)|Luca]]'' (2021) were assigned direct-to-streaming releases on [[Disney+]] in response to the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pixar is planning to go back to 'normal' theatrical releases with 2022's 'Turning Red' |url=https://www.insider.com/pixar-turning-red-will-get-theatrical-release-2021-6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210617224926/https://www.insider.com/pixar-turning-red-will-get-theatrical-release-2021-6 |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=June 17, 2021 |website=[[Insider.com]]}}</ref> However, as the [[SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant|Omicron variant]] cases rose, on January 7, 2022, the decision was made to shift the film from its theatrical release to its direct-to-streaming release on Disney+ as a Disney+ original. In international markets where Disney+ was not available, it was released theatrically.<ref name="deadline1">{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=January 7, 2022 |title=Pixar's 'Turning Red' Skips Theaters & Heads To Disney+ |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/turning-red-skips-theaters-disney-premiere-1234906438/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108021845/https://deadline.com/2022/01/turning-red-skips-theaters-disney-premiere-1234906438/ |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |access-date=January 7, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> In February 2022, it was announced that it would play a one-week theatrical engagement at Hollywood's [[El Capitan Theatre]] from March 11–17, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Roger |date=February 8, 2022 |title=''Turning Red'' To Have A Limited Engagement At The El Capitan Theatre |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/turning-red-to-have-a-limited-engagement-at-the-el-capitan-theatre/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212035112/https://whatsondisneyplus.com/turning-red-to-have-a-limited-engagement-at-the-el-capitan-theatre/ |archive-date=February 12, 2022 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=What's On Disney Plus}}</ref> It also began playing at Manhattan's [[AMC Empire 25]] and Oakland's [[Grand Lake Theatre]] the same day it was released to Disney+,<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=March 13, 2022 |title='The Batman' Climbs To $238M+ US Today After Super Second Weekend Hold; Eyes Half Billion WW This Week – Sunday Update |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-weekend-box-office-1234976639/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313063338/https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-weekend-box-office-1234976639/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Pixar's "Turning Red" on the Big Screen at Grand Lake Theater (Oakland) |url=https://sf.funcheap.com/pixars-turning-red-big-screen-grand-lake-theater-oakland/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315155342/https://sf.funcheap.com/pixars-turning-red-big-screen-grand-lake-theater-oakland/ |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=Funcheap}}</ref> as well as several [[Showcase Cinemas|Showcase Cinema de Lux]] venues across the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weston |first=Christopher |date=March 11, 2022 |title=Is Turning Red in theaters, streaming on Disney+ or both? |url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/03/11/will-turning-red-be-in-theaters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311175158/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/03/11/will-turning-red-be-in-theaters/ |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=HITC}}</ref> Disney canceled the Russian release on February 28, 2022,  in response to the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McClintock |first1=Pamela |last2=Couch |first2=Aaron |date=February 28, 2022 |title=Disney First Hollywood Studio to Pause Theatrical Releases in Russia |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-russia-theatrical-releases-1235101526/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301052659/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-russia-theatrical-releases-1235101526/ |archive-date=March 1, 2022 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> ''Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red'', a 48-minute documentary about the film especially focusing on its all-female creative team, was released on Disney+ the same day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Remley |first=Hilary |date=November 12, 2021 |title='Turning Red,' 'Lightyear' Documentaries Coming to Disney+ in 2022 |url=https://collider.com/turning-red-lightyear-documentaries-disney-plus-2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127110527/https://www.collider.com/turning-red-lightyear-documentaries-disney-plus-2022/amp/ |archive-date=January 27, 2022 |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malhotra |first=Rahul |date=March 14, 2022 |title='Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red' Trailer Goes Behind the Scenes of Pixar's Newest Film |url=https://collider.com/embrace-the-panda-making-turning-red-trailer-making-of-documentary-pixar/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315180015/https://collider.com/embrace-the-panda-making-turning-red-trailer-making-of-documentary-pixar/ |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref> On December 5, 2023, it was announced that ''Turning Red'', as well as ''Soul'' and ''Luca'', would be released in theaters in the United States throughout early 2024, with ''Turning Red'' being released on February 9, 2024, accompanied by Pixar's ''[[SparkShorts]]'' short film ''[[Kitbull]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreau |first=Jordan |date=2023-12-05 |title=Pixar's 'Soul,' 'Turning Red' and 'Luca' Coming to Theaters After Disney+ Debuts During Pandemic |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixar-soul-turning-red-luca-theaters-1235822031/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Home media===
''Turning Red'' was released on digital services on April 26, 2022, and by [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on May 3, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Massoto |first=Erick |date=April 7, 2022 |title='Turning Red' Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD With 6 Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending |url=https://collider.com/turning-red-4k-blu-ray-release-date-deleted-scenes-alternate-ending-audio-commentary/amp/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407231800/https://collider.com/turning-red-4k-blu-ray-release-date-deleted-scenes-alternate-ending-audio-commentary/amp/ |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Censorship===
[[Kuwait]] refused to distribute the film for its explicit depictions of puberty and other mature themes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Kuwait/comments/tqwv1l/the_listed_of_banned_events_keeps_growing_and_no/ |title=The Listed of Banned Events Keeps Growing and No|work=[[Reddit]]|date=March 29, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086040083/turning-red-controversy|title=Turning Red Controversy|website=[[NPR]] |date=March 12, 2022}}</ref> It was also banned from [[China]] for the similar reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://radii.co/article/pixar-turning-red|title=Pixar's "Turning Red" Is Also Controversial in China|date=March 23, 2022}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
Before February 9, 2024, ''Turning Red'' did not see a traditional theatrical release in most markets and was released to the Disney+ streaming service due to COVID-19. By September 2022, the film earned $20.1 million outside the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="BOM">{{Cite Box Office Mojo |title=Turning Red |id=8097030|access-date=February 21, 2024}}</ref> It earned $3.8 million from 12 international markets in the opening weekend, with second-place openings in Saudi Arabia ($920,000), Poland ($430,000) and the United Arab Emirates ($420,000).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=March 14, 2022 |title=''The Batman'' Nears $500M Global; ''Sing'' Franchise Tops $1B WW & ''Uncharted'' Crosses $300M – International Box Office |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-sing-2-uncharted-milestones-global-international-box-office-1234977917/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314160259/https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-sing-2-uncharted-milestones-global-international-box-office-1234977917/ |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> It earned $2.8 million in its second weekend<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=March 20, 2022 |title=''The Batman'' Swoops In On $600M WW, Unflappable Despite Tough Break In China – International Box Office |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-bad-guys-ambulance-china-global-international-box-office-1234982700/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321151936/https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-batman-bad-guys-ambulance-china-global-international-box-office-1234982700/ |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> and $1.7 million in its third.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=March 29, 2022 |title=''RRR'' Roars With $60M+ WW Debut; ''The Batman'' Rises To $673M Global; ''Lost City'' Finds Strong Early Start – International Box Office Update |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/rrr-the-batman-lost-city-moonfall-india-china-global-international-box-office-1234987698/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329172046/https://deadline.com/2022/03/rrr-the-batman-lost-city-moonfall-india-china-global-international-box-office-1234987698/ |archive-date=March 29, 2022 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> The film is ranked first on the list of "Biggest Money Losers, Based on Absolute Loss on Worldwide Earnings" by film industry data website [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biggest Money Losers, Based on Absolute Loss on Worldwide Earnings |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905180420/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |access-date=September 9, 2022 |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |publisher=Nash Information Services |ref={{harvid|Biggest Money Losers (The Numbers)}}}}</ref> Its domestic gross was $1.4 million during its theatrical re-release.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turning Red (2022) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Turning-Red-(2022) |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=The Numbers}}</ref>

===Viewership===
According to [[Samba TV]], ''Turning Red'' was streamed in 2.5 million U.S. households over its opening weekend, the most-ever for a Disney+ original title.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Oscar's Halo Effect On Best Picture Nominees Dims — Not Just At Box Office But On Streaming: A Scorecard |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/oscar-best-picture-nomiees-box-office-boost-streaming-viewership-1234985202/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325014748/https://deadline.com/2022/03/oscar-best-picture-nomiees-box-office-boost-streaming-viewership-1234985202/ |archive-date=March 25, 2022 |access-date=March 24, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> According to [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen]], ''Turning Red'' was the most watched program across all streaming services in the U.S. with 1.7 billion minutes viewed for the week of March 7 to 13, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Pixar's 'Turning Red' Tops Nielsen Streaming Chart, Outdoing Netflix's 'The Adam Project' In High-Profile Movie Duel |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/pixar-turning-red-nielsen-streaming-chart-the-adam-project-1234996744/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407223739/https://deadline.com/2022/04/pixar-turning-red-nielsen-streaming-chart-the-adam-project-1234996744/ |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=[[Deadline (website)|Deadline]]}}</ref> It continued to hold the top position during March 14 to 20, 2022, with 1.675 billion minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=April 14, 2022 |title='Turning Red' Repeats As No. 1 On Nielsen Streaming Chart, Holding Off 'The Adam Project' In Subdued Week |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/turning-red-nielsen-streaming-chart-the-adam-project-disney-netflix-1235002664/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414214728/https://deadline.com/2022/04/turning-red-nielsen-streaming-chart-the-adam-project-disney-netflix-1235002664/ |archive-date=April 14, 2022 |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]}}</ref> According to Nielsen, ''Turning Red'' became the second most-watched movie on U.S. streaming services in 2022 with 11.4 billion minutes viewed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=January 26, 2023|title='Stranger Things' Was Most-Streamed TV Show in 2022|url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/stranger-things-most-streamed-tv-show-2022-1235503095/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218092955/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/stranger-things-most-streamed-tv-show-2022-1235503095/ |archive-date=February 18, 2023|access-date=February 18, 2023 |website=Variety}}</ref>

===Critical response===
''Turning Red'' received critical acclaim.{{efn|Attributed to these sources:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Shirley |date=2022-03-25 |title=What the Controversy Over 'Turning Red' Misses |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/03/turning-red-movie-inappropriate-controversy/629385/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Ryan |date=2022-12-27 |title=As The Best Animated Feature Competition Heats Up, Can Netflix Or Another Newcomer Bring Home The Oscar? |url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/animated-feature-oscar-magazine-turning-red-disney-pinocchio-netflix-dreamworks-a24-apple-gkids-animation-1235207307/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Busch |first=Jenna |date=2022-03-14 |title=Embrace The Panda: Making Turning Red Trailer: Learn About The Women Who Created The Film |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/798776/embrace-the-panda-making-turning-red-trailer-learn-about-the-women-who-created-the-film/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-12-05 |title=Disney to Release Pixar's Pandemic-Era Movies in Theaters |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-05/disney-to-release-pixar-s-pandemic-era-movies-in-theaters |access-date=2024-03-10 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pettis |first=Caillou |date=2022-03-10 |title='Turning Red' reviews hail Pixar's latest as a triumph |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2022/turning-red-reviews/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=GoldDerby |language=en-US}}</ref>}} On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], {{RT data|score}} of 289 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}.<!--EDIT NUMBERS AT https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104845027#P444--> The website's consensus reads, "Heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated, and culturally expansive, ''Turning Red'' extends Pixar's long list of family-friendly triumphs".<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id=turning_red |type=m |title=Turning Red |access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], which uses a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]], assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100 based on 52 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite Metacritic|id=turning-red-2022|type=movie|title=Turning Red|access-date=August 3, 2022}}</ref>

''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s Michael O'Sullivan gave 4 stars out of 4 and concludes: "[The film] delivers a bigger, and in some ways more universal message: It's okay to not always be in control, to let your freak flag fly. To paraphrase [[Sigmund Freud]], sometimes a red panda is just a red panda. And sometimes it's a metaphor for that inner spark of creativity, the flame of originality that is to be cherished, not extinguished. With 'Turning Red,' Shi demonstrates that she's got it, in spades".<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |title=Pixar's 'Turning Red' is a brilliant, hilarious follow-up to Oscar-winning short 'Bao' |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/movies/2022/03/09/turning-red-movie-review/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313161522/https://www.washingtonpost.com/movies/2022/03/09/turning-red-movie-review/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]''{{'}}s Siddhant Adlakha gave a rating of 9 out of 10 and concludes: "A story of magical transformation as a metaphor for personal and cultural change, ''Turning Red'' (from Bao director Domee Shi) is Pixar's funniest and most imaginative film in years. It captures the wild energy of adolescence, uses pop stars as a timeless window into puberty, and tells a tale of friendship and family in the most delightfully kid-friendly way".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adlakha |first=Siddhant |date=March 7, 2022 |title=Turning Red Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/turning-red-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314012050/https://www.ign.com/articles/turning-red-review |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''<nowiki/>'s [[Richard Lawson (writer)|Richard Lawson]] commented that "The film often seems squarely, deliberately, aimed at ... parents instead, offering them a gentle (if busy) reminder that they were young once too, once bursting at the seams with enthusiasm and curiosity and, yes, budding lust."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lawson |first=Richard |date=2022-03-09 |title='Turning Red' Is a Puberty Story Aimed at Parents |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/03/review-turning-red-is-a-puberty-story-aimed-at-parents |access-date=2023-08-14 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref> The film was also praised for its realistic depiction of female friendships and their ups and downs,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stoddard |first=Sebastian |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Besties Assemble! The Fabulous Friendships of 'Turning Red' |url=https://collider.com/the-fabulous-friendships-of-turning-red/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327042752/https://collider.com/the-fabulous-friendships-of-turning-red/ |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en-US}}</ref> which producer Lindsey Collins credited to having mostly women on the creative team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Booth |first=Kaitlyn |date=February 7, 2022 |title=Turning Red: Red Pandas and Presenting Accurate Female Friendships |url=https://bleedingcool.com/movies/turning-red-red-pandas-and-presenting-accurate-female-friendships/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207185431/https://bleedingcool.com/movies/turning-red-red-pandas-and-presenting-accurate-female-friendships/ |archive-date=February 7, 2022 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |website=[[Bleeding Cool]] |language=en}}</ref> Sara Michelle Fetters describes the film as a coming-of-age sensation where the supernatural and the mundane happily walk hand in hand, with each eye-popping surprise grounded in lifelike normality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fetters |first=Sara |date=March 11, 2022 |title=Pixar's Turning Red a Miracle of Storytelling Genius |url=http://moviefreak.com/turning-red-2022-movie-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313061105/http://moviefreak.com/turning-red-2022-movie-review/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=February 18, 2024 |website=[[Moviefreak (website)|moviefreak]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s Benjamin Lee gave 3 stars out of 5 and concludes: "The journey is slick and diverting, and at times incisive, but Turning Red is yet another Pixar film that coasts rather than glides. Hopefully its next offering can turn into something more".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Benjamin |date=March 7, 2022 |title=Turning Red review – pandas and pop music collide in solid Pixar caper |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/07/turning-red-review-pandas-and-pop-music-collide-in-solid-pixar-caper |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313152216/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/07/turning-red-review-pandas-and-pop-music-collide-in-solid-pixar-caper |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''<nowiki/>' Richard Roeper gave 2.5 stars out of 4 and comments that "The problems are mostly with the script, which often requires Meilin to be almost irritatingly obnoxious. Meanwhile, her mother behaves like a monster for much of the story, which takes on an increasingly supernatural element to the point where there's a 'Ghostbusters' homage".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roeper |first=Richard |date=March 9, 2022 |title='Turning Red': Our little girl is becoming a ... panda? |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/3/9/22967167/turning-red-review-disney-pixar-movie-billie-eilish-finnian |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320091258/https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/3/9/22967167/turning-red-review-disney-pixar-movie-billie-eilish-finnian |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |language=en}}</ref> [[World (magazine)|''World'']]'s Collin Carbarino comments that "With ''Turning Red'', Pixar abandons decades of nuanced storytelling and warms over Disney's clichéd advice to follow your heart."<ref>{{Cite web |title=A turn for the worse |url=https://wng.org/articles/a-turn-for-the-worse-1648106980 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=[[World (magazine)|World]] |language=en}}</ref> [[The Gospel Coalition]]'s Brett McCracken said that "For all of its merits, the film ultimately advocates a wrongheaded central message under the guise of empowerment: embrace who you are, even your reckless vices and dangerous impulses, and don't let anyone stop you."<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCracken |first=Brett |date=2022-03-22 |title=Unhelpful Advice in 'Turning Red' |url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/turning-red/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=The Gospel Coalition |language=en-US}}</ref>

''[[CinemaBlend]]''{{'s}} Sean O'Connell called the focus on a Chinese Canadian girl as "limiting" to a broad audience: "By rooting ''Turning Red'' very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for Domee Shi's friends and immediate family members. Which is fine&nbsp;– but also, a tad limiting in its scope".<ref name="npr cinemablend">{{Cite web |last=Shivaram |first=Deepa |date=March 12, 2022 |title='Turning Red' is a turning point for Asians in film. Why is it seen as unrelatable? |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086040083/turning-red-controversy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312164223/https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086040083/turning-red-controversy |archive-date=March 12, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref> ''[[The New Yorker]]''{{'}}s Jane Hu echoed O'Connell's views, accusing the film of relying on East Asian stereotypes and of being "hyper-specific and alienating."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hu |first=Jane |date=March 31, 2022 |title=There is More Than One Way to be Exhausted by 'Turning Red' |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/there-is-more-than-one-way-to-be-exhausted-by-turning-red |url-status=live |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821202307/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/there-is-more-than-one-way-to-be-exhausted-by-turning-red |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |access-date=August 27, 2022}}</ref> The review received backlash by members of the press on social media, who called it "sexist" and "racist"; crew and cast members of the movie eventually spoke up on the case. Lead voice actress Rosalie Chiang said the film was meant to appeal to all: "This is a [[coming of age]] film, everyone goes through this change&nbsp;... I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to". As a result of the push-back, ''CinemaBlend''{{'s}} editor-in-chief Mack Rawden pulled O'Connell's review and apologized publicly for it and that the site had "failed to properly edit" the review before posting; O'Connell also posted his own apology for the review.<ref name="cbc cinemablend">{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Jackson |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Turning Red is for everyone, cast says after review calls film about Chinese-Canadian girl unrelatable |work=[[CBC.ca]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/turning-red-review-pulled-1.6377614 |url-status=live |access-date=March 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312164102/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/turning-red-review-pulled-1.6377614 |archive-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref>

The attention drawn by O'Connell's review led to parents and other audience critics to raise further issues with the film due to the character specificity, bringing up concerns that the film, aimed at a family audience, brings up the issues of menstruation, teenage crushes and sexuality, and disobedience of one's parents, which these people felt were topics best left for parents to discuss with their children on their own.<ref name="nytimes review criticism">{{Cite web |last=Moyer |first=Melinda Wenner |date=March 16, 2022 |title='Turning Red' Is a Good Conversation Starter — and Not Just for Girls |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/well/family/turning-red-periods-discussion.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317132510/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/well/family/turning-red-periods-discussion.html |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="vox culture">{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Aja |date=March 16, 2022 |title=Pixar's Turning Red is an unlikely culture war battleground |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/22981394/turning-red-reviews-controversy-reactions-parents |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317150725/https://www.vox.com/culture/22981394/turning-red-reviews-controversy-reactions-parents |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> Movie critics for ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Atlantic]]'', ''[[The Daily Beast]]'', and ''[[Vox Media|Vox]]'' argued that these are natural topics that reflect the realities of 13-year-old girls and should not be considered taboo, and praised the film for its honest portrayal of these behaviors.<ref name="nytimes review criticism" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Shirley |date=March 25, 2022 |title=What the Controversy Over Turning Red Misses |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/03/turning-red-movie-inappropriate-controversy/629385/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326030002/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/03/turning-red-movie-inappropriate-controversy/629385/ |archive-date=March 26, 2022 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref><ref name="vox culture" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Fletcher |date=March 16, 2022 |title=How Did Pixar's Delightful 'Turning Red' Become the Target of Sexist, Racist Controversy? |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-did-pixars-delightful-turning-red-become-the-target-of-sexist-racist-controversy?ref=home |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317074401/https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-did-pixars-delightful-turning-red-become-the-target-of-sexist-racist-controversy |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref>

In 2023, Barry Hertz of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' named the film as one of the 23 best Canadian comedy films ever made, acknowledging that it was not a Canadian production but writing that "''Turning Red'' gets a pass because it not only reminds audiences of what Pixar can do when it's not in an Elemental-y slump, but showcases one of this country's brightest, funniest filmmakers, who is surely just getting started."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hertz |first=Barry |date=2023-06-29 |title=The 23 best Canadian comedies ever made |language=en-CA |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-best-canadian-comedies/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703033800/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-best-canadian-comedies/ |archive-date=2023-07-03}}</ref> Kimberly Jones from the Austin Chronicles summarizes the film as a funny, sweet, and empathetic portrait of cultural identity, gentle teen rebellion, and tetchy mother-daughter relations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Kimberly |date=2024-02-09 |title=Turning Red |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2024-02-09/turning-red/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214135346/https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2024-02-09/turning-red/ |archive-date=2024-02-14|access-date=2024-02-18 |website=[[The Austin Chronicle (website)|austinchronicle]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{{Main|List of accolades received by Turning Red|l1=List of accolades received by ''Turning Red''}}
At the [[95th Academy Awards]], ''Turning Red'' received a nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=March 12, 2023 |title=Oscars: Complete Winners List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313042718/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/ |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> The film's other nominations include seven [[Annie Awards]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |title=''Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio'' Wins Five Trophies Including the Top Prize at the 50th Annie Awards |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/annie-awards-animation-2023-winners-1235334278/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=February 26, 2023 |date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226092842/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/annie-awards-animation-2023-winners-1235334278/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a [[British Academy Film Award]],<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Yossman |first1=K.J. |last2=Ravindran |first2=Manori |date=February 19, 2023 |title=''All Quiet on the Western Front'' Dominates BAFTA Awards With Record-Breaking Seven Wins |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/bafta-film-awards-2023-winners-1235528454/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219220613/https://variety.com/2023/film/global/bafta-film-awards-2023-winners-1235528454/ |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |access-date=February 20, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> a [[Critics' Choice Movie Award]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=January 15, 2023 |title=Critics Choice Awards: Full List of Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-2023-1235300137/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116052049/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-2023-1235300137/ |archive-date=January 16, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> and a [[Golden Globe Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=January 10, 2023 |title=Golden Globes: Full List of Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-2023-winners-list-1235294541/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111023550/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-2023-winners-list-1235294541/ |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

== Future ==
Domee Shi has expressed interest in a follow-up, stating: "We are open, but we haven't talked about it. But yeah, it's an invitation at the end for more stories". Chiang and Oh also expressed interest and came up with ideas for a sequel or a prequel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Jenna |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Turning Red Director and Producer Tease Potential Sequel (Exclusive) |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/turning-red-sequel-spoilers-disney-plus-exclusive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312171814/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/turning-red-sequel-spoilers-disney-plus-exclusive/ |archive-date=March 12, 2022 |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=ComicBook}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hippler |first=Megan |date=March 17, 2022 |title=How Sandra Oh Feels About a "Turning Red" Sequel |url=https://www.popsugar.com/node/48756221 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321185218/https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/turning-red-will-there-be-sequel-48756221/ |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=[[PopSugar]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{IMDb title}}

{{Disney theatrical animated features}}
{{Pixar}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Turning Red''
|list = 
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Animated Film}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film}}
{{TFCA Award for Best Animated Film}}
}}

[[Category:2022 films]]
[[Category:2022 comedy films]]
[[Category:2022 computer-animated films]]
[[Category:2022 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2022 3D films]]
[[Category:2020s American animated films]]
[[Category:2020s coming-of-age comedy films]]
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]
[[Category:2020s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:2020s teen comedy films]]
[[Category:2020s teen drama films]]
[[Category:2020s teen fantasy films]]
[[Category:2020s children's animated films]]                                                     
[[Category:American animated comedy films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age comedy films]]
[[Category:American computer-animated films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American monster movies]]
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:American musical fantasy films]]
[[Category:Teen buddy films]]
[[Category:American teen comedy films]]
[[Category:American teen comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Animated teen films]]
[[Category:American teen musical films]]
[[Category:Animated films about families]]
[[Category:Animated films about friendship]]
[[Category:Animated films about music and musicians]]
[[Category:Anime-influenced Western animated films]]
[[Category:Films about Chinese Canadians]]
[[Category:Chinese-Canadian culture in Toronto]]
[[Category:Disney+ original films]]
[[Category:Film and television memes]]
[[Category:Films about curses]]
[[Category:Films about fear]]
[[Category:Films about puberty]]
[[Category:Animated films about shapeshifting]]
[[Category:Films directed by Domee Shi]]
[[Category:Animated films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ludwig Göransson]]
[[Category:Films set in 2002]]
[[Category:Giant monster films]]
[[Category:IMAX films]]
[[Category:Middle school films]]
[[Category:Animated films about mother–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:2020s female buddy films]]
[[Category:Pixar animated films]]
[[Category:Animated coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 2000s]]
[[Category:Animated films set in Toronto]]
[[Category:Animated films set in schools]]
[[Category:Turning Red| ]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Julia Cho]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Domee Shi]]