Pixar’s ‘Elemental’: Cast, Release Date, and Everything to Know

Disney and Pixar are teaming up to release their first animated film of 2023, perfect for a family trip to the movies this summer. Elemental follows in the footsteps of previous Pixar films by exploring the emotional lives of unexpected things. It answers the question, "What if the four elements had feelings?"

The film was teased in Pixar's previous film, last summer's Lightyear, with an Easter egg hidden in the Toy Story spinoff. In a blink-and-you-'ll-miss-it moment, one of Elemental's main characters, Wade Ripple, can be spotted on bottles of water inside a vending machine.

Here's what you need to know about Elemental before it hits theaters, including release date, cast, and how to watch.

'Elemental' release date

TLDR: Elemental will premiere in theaters on Friday, June 16, 2023.

THE DETAILS: Disney had previously reserved the Father's Day weekend spot for an untitled release, which we now know to be Elemental. The film is also showing at the Cannes International Film Festival Out of Competition on May 27, closing out the festival.

'Elemental' cast

TLDR: The film's main characters, Ember and Wade, are voiced by The Half of It's Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie from Netflix's horror series Archive 81, respectively.

THE DETAILS: The characters are all named according to their elements, whether they're fire, air, water, or earth.

Full voice cast list

'Elemental' plot 

TLDR: Elemental is a romantic comedy about opposites attracting, set in a fantastical world that's a lot like our own.

THE DETAILS: The film is set in Element City, where the four elements live together in uneasy coexistence. Ember, a young woman from Fire Town, mostly lives by the rules set for her by society and her immigrant parents, with the number one rule being "elements cannot mix." But then she meets Wade, an easy-going guy who opens Ember up to new experiences by showing her the world outside her own corner of the city. With the help of her new friend, Ember starts to discover who she really is and realizes there's more to life than doing what is expected of you.

Director Peter Sohn told Deadline the film is inspired by his childhood growing up in New York City. "My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx," Sohn said. "We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams – all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighborhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental."

Here's the movie's official logline:

"Disney and Pixar’s Elemental is an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in."

'Elemental' trailer

The trailer showcases the film's colorful and vivid world of Element City, where clouds puff around, earth characters thrive, water flows freely, and fire babies drink bottles of lighter fluid inside a charcoal grill stroller. We see Ember working in her father's store where she first meets Wade, who comes through a break in the water pipe. They leave Fire Town and set off on an adventure through the spectacular city, riding on motorcycles and in hot air balloons, with the trailer inviting us to "Get ready to live out of your element."

Where to watch 'Elemental'

THE DETAILS: Elemental is coming to a theater new you on June 16. It will be available to stream on Disney+ somewhere between 30 and 90 days after that. Disney's last two theatrically released animated films, Lightyear and Strange World, both headed to Disney+ about a month after they premiered in theaters, but a streaming release date for Elemental has not been announced yet.