'Brave': Pixar Poster Debuts (PHOTO)

With the premiere of "Cars 2" on Friday, Pixar will have released twelve full length features since they kicked off with the massive worldwide sensation, "Toy Story," in 1995. Between their features and shorts, the 3D animation studio, now owned by Disney, has garnered 26 Academy Awards amidst universal praise from both critics and fans. They've broken animation grounds time and time again, telling heartwarming stories with breathtaking imagery.

But there's one place the fearless studio hasn't gone: for all their strong female characters, the studio has never had a lead female protagonist. That's about to change.

Pixar has released the poster for their next film, "Brave," the tale of a warrior princess from Scotland. First appearing at Entertainment Weekly, the film is about a tough Scottish princess who eschews royalty for her dream to become an archer. Voiced by Kelly MacDonald, the film is due to hit theaters June 22, 2012.

The synopsis (via Collider):

The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right.

Here's the poster; for newly released still photos, click over to Stitch Kingdom.

PHOTO:

Comments

[ThaGovna]

10:33 AM on 06/28/2011

Very cool!

[Heidland]

01:16 AM on 06/28/2011

Does AOL have a piece of Pixar? How many articles mentioning Brave can one e-mag have?

[QuietProfessional]

09:53 PM on 06/27/2011

This is sooo "Jane and the Dragon."

[kandem]

04:00 PM on 06/27/2011

There hasn't been a Pixar movie I've not liked so far, and plenty I've loved. Can't wait to see this one!

[acastan1]

03:30 PM on 06/27/2011

that's quite the epic poster. its far less glossy than other pixar film posters -- which is refreshing!

[darkmark]

03:06 AM on 06/27/2011

its disney.

[GraceNotes]

05:23 PM on 06/27/2011

Pixar started as a part of Disney, but they have begun to make films independent of the big mouse.

[darkmark]

05:43 PM on 06/27/2011

good for pixar but this is what i read:

Disney Pixar has unveiled the first teaser trailer for their next big film, the 2012-scheduled, "Brave.

[TheSardonicAtheist]

10:30 PM on 06/26/2011

NO MORE SEQUELS!!!!!

[Volantiad]

09:31 PM on 06/26/2011

Oh! I should caveat my last post by excluding The Incredibles because Elastigirl/Helen Parr & Edna Mode were such awesome characters. Each member of the family is important & valued. They all work as a team: not a team with a captain and a bunch of less important players. A strong team where everybody plays because without everybody the team wouldn't win. Edna Mode is an absolute show stealer: loved her!

Dory was also awesome (and show stealing) in Finding Nemo. However, I don't think her character was written to be so prominent. Ellen DeGeneres is just that funny/talented.

[Volantiad]

09:24 PM on 06/26/2011

Reading the synopsis for 'Brave' sounds more like a cautionary tail AGAINST girls being brave/strong/their-own-person. She's impetuous, makes a reckless choice, unleashes peril on her kingdom, endangers her family, and struggles with a bunch of stuff to un fcuk her mistakes. Wow, thanks PIXAR. Does she also go to bed without her dinner for being a very bad girl?

Excluding "Up," none of PIXAR's male hero/protagonists are the cause of their own (mis) adventures.

THAT's the big difference between the other PIXAR movies and this one. She got herself into a whole mess of trouble (with no buddy in sight, apparently - although I predict a talking animal). She's guilty of causing a heap of damage & problems for other people and she MUST fix it. She is being held accountable by her family, her kingdom, herself and the audience. Sounds like fun! What's the Randy Newman song for this one going to be? Something like "It's Better For Everybody If You Just Stay Home & Do What You're Told."

PIXAR makes great animation and fun stories which rocks. They support social norms that minimize the importance, capability, nobility & complexity of girls & women while maximizing those traits only for boys & men. That part sucks.

I will see this movie, hoping I'm wrong about it.

[Volantiad]

10:00 PM on 06/26/2011

Pardon me: cautionary TALE.

[WVRevy]

10:56 AM on 06/27/2011

You're absolutely right. Well, except for Nemo, who gets himself in trouble. And Toy Story, where Woody's carelessness gets he and Buzz in trouble (in the first movie). And Cars, where Lightning causes his own problems in Radiator Springs. And The Incredibles, where Mr. Incredible's slight to a kid comes back to bite him and everyone else. And A Bug's Life, where the main MALE character makes mistakes in judgment that bring the band of "circus bugs" to town instead of a band that can fight the evil grasshoppers.

But, other than all of those examples, you're exactly right! Pixar must have some misogynistic ulterior motives since this ONLY happens in THIS movie (except for those others, I mean...oh, and Toy Stories 2 and 3 where the males make bad decisions that they have to learn and grow from....but other than those 8 or 9 examples, you're right on)!

[Lefty Pockets]

09:23 PM on 06/26/2011

The fact that the wasted time on a sequel to the least interesting Pixar movie had me baffled. But this looks much more interesting. Pixar, you are forgiven.

[Volantiad]

09:33 PM on 06/26/2011

Yah, weird, isn't it Lefty? I think I would've gone with something more like Monsters Inc. where Boo is older and has an adventure of her own, instead.

[Lefty Pockets]

10:48 PM on 06/26/2011

Or even no sequels at all. Pixar has done well with original stories. Though I do like the Toy Story movies.

[kvolovesart]

12:39 PM on 06/26/2011

Looks good...

[PerfumeisToxic]

10:40 AM on 06/26/2011

"For all their strong female characters" You have to be kidding.

They have had one strong female character and that was Dory. And they never made a Finding nemo2, as opposed to many sequels for all their other less successful movies. Strange?

Pixar likes weak females who only exist as love interests for males, evil witches, and background nobodies. They NEVER have once shown a friendship between females. I don't think they have ONCE shown a positive conversation between 2 females (that wasn't about a male.)

Even one time? I don't think so.

[Malcolm Gordon]

12:30 PM on 06/26/2011

Seriously? I think you are confusing character flaws, which both the male and female characters have, with weakness. Also, just because a woman becomes a "damsel in distress", doesn't mean that they aren't strong. I would say that most of the main female characters in Pixar's film have portrayed strength.

Jessie - Toy Story 2
Mrs. Incredible
EVA - Wall-E
Colette - Ratatouille (Most Definitely)
Ellie - Up

What Pixar movie has witches in it?

[Dude4Thought]

01:13 AM on 06/26/2011

You can't find consistently great movies being produced in any other studio at the rate that Pixar churns them out. I'm sure this will one will be well worth the hype.

[PatrynXX]

12:30 AM on 06/26/2011

although technically Pixar pretty much bought out disney animation and the Pixar heads run that dept. It's about as confusing (same darn year too) as what Dell did with Alienware. Which is pretty much junk now. Or Sony did with Aiwa before that brand went down the tubes. (great now I just provoked George Carlin's ghost. tubes? what tubes? has anyone seen these tubes. why can't it be just one??

[NWmom]

12:06 AM on 06/26/2011

oh my, I can already tell my boys are going to love this movie. kings - check. battles - check. archery - check. magic - check. set in Scotland - bonus!!