You couldn’t miss this giant red panda that has been invading your news feed for a few weeks. Turning Red! has been on Disney + since March 11, 2022 and has achieved the best start of the entire platform according to the official Twitter account. The film is eminently modern, evoking the trials and tribulations of adolescence through the prism of a fluffy metaphor… and with all that this implies: the first periods, love affairs and sexual questions. However, the plot does not take place in 2022 but 20 years earlier… in the early days of the 2000s: the flamboyant era of boy bands. The film thus contains a number of cult references to the delight of parents… and geeks in search of nostalgia! Here are the top Easter eggs in Turning Red! The egg hunt is on!
1 : Pixar Studios references
As the 25th Pixar animated film, the latest one does not escape the tradition of scattering winks to the Studios and their history. We can notably see :
- the Luxo lamp, in the reflection of Mei’s mirror;
- the A113 code on the tracking wheelbarrow, referring to a CalArts classroom where many animators studied;
- the Pixar balloon floating in the pool on Tyler’s birthday. A recurring element in Pixar films, this yellow balloon with the red star and blue lines is iconic.
2 : Winks to other films and shorts
If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll notice numerous references to other Pixar films:
- the Pizza Planet truck, the iconic vehicle from the Toy Story films, makes an appearance during Mei’s escape;
- Doma Shii, the director of Bao, has incorporated numerous references to Pixar shorts. Mei and her parents enjoy delicious ravioli, reminiscent of Bao’s adorable bun. In addition, Mei’s secret notebook is covered with a sticker of the rabbit from Madeline Sharafian’s My Terrier;
- On Mei’s desk, next to her tamagoshi, it is possible to recognise Purl’s adorable ball of wool, a work in which Doma Shii lent her voice to one of the characters in 2018;
- Coco also gets its own little tribute. The name of the deadly rock band Escapula visible on the T-shirt of a boy in middle school with whom Mei falls madly in love.
- Finally, if you have a keen eye (and especially if you’re not too short-sighted) you can notice in the classroom the bones of Kevin, the wacky bird from Upstairs.
3 : Announcement of the next Pixar
Faithful to their habits and customs, Pixar Studios have the habit of announcing their next production through a discreet reference. Red Alert was teased in Luca through a record cover of a band called Quatro Villagio, an Italian translation of 4 Town.
Here, we can see a quick nod to the highly anticipated Buzz Lightyear, scheduled for release in June 2022. Indeed, a sticker of Sox, Buzz’s robot cat, is stuck on the bottom of Miriam’s skateboard.
4 : Other films
As film buffs, the animators at Pixar Studios also like to pay homage to famous film productions. Turning Red! is no exception to the rule! There is an allusion to the Twilight saga with the cover of the book Nightfall that Priya reads.
Mei’s mother’s version of the giant red panda that roams the cities at the end of the film is definitely reminiscent of the famous Godzilla monster. There is also a reference to King Kong in the way she grabs her daughter in her huge hairy paw.
Finally, at the sight of her friend transformed into a giant stuffed animal, Abby can’t help but exclaim “You’re so fluffy!”, which refers to a scene in Despicable Me when little Agnes gets her unicorn plush.
5 : Pop culture
In her dreams, Mei imagines herself in a heroic pose surrounded by the five young singers of the 4 Town. This conquering posture has been used many times in movie posters from the 70s and 80s. The poster for Star Wars Episode 4 is a good example, as is the more recent poster for Thor, Love and Thunder, which is due to be released in July 2022.
Finally, a little hello to the Simpson family with the two red panda statues at the entrance of the temple. Mei named them Bart and Lisa after the two children of the most famous American family!
What’s up? Did you get them all? This list is not exhaustive and many other Easter eggs are still to be hunted in the film. Do you want to see it again and tell us about the ones you forgot in the comments?