First trailer for Pixar’s ‘Turning Red,’ from ‘Bao’ director, shows protagonist Mei’s magic transformation

The official debut trailer for Pixar’s new film “Turning Red” reveals the first transformation of 13-year-old Mei.

“It’s Gonna Be Mei”: “Turning Red” follows the life of Mei, who transforms into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.

The new trailer for the movie, set to the tune of “It’s Gonna Be Me” by ’90s boy band NSYNC, shows Mei and her friends navigating the middle school experience.
The teen magically changes into a giant red panda one morning, and she finds out from her mom and dad that their family has a “mystical connection” to the furry creatures.
“We needed our character Mei to be obsessed with something that her mom would not approve of,” director Domee Shi said. “Boy bands were the first step into the world of boys for a lot of girls that age. The guys were all super pretty, polished, soft and loving, and they had of way of bringing girls and their besties together. Plus, I thought it’d be really cool to create an animated boy band.”

Who is involved: Along with Shi, who also directed the Pixar short “Bao,” and Rosalie Chiang as Mei, Sandra Oh plays the teen character’s caring mother, Ming.

Orion Lee lends his voice to Mei’s dad, Jin, and Wai Ching Ho voices Grandma.
Mei’s friends are voiced by Ava Morse as Miriam, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, and Hyein Park as Abby. Tristan Allerick Chen voices classmate Tyler, and Addie Chandler lends his voice to Mei’s crush Devon.
A fictional boy band called 4*Town is composed of Jordan Fisher, Grayson Villanueva, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo and Finneas O’Connell.
Grammy award-winning singer-songwriters Billie Eilish and FINNEAS wrote the band’s songs, while Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson composed the score for “Turning Red,” which hits theaters on March 11, 2022.

Trailer and Featured Image via Pixar

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