Pixar Announces ‘Onward,’ New Title For Dan Scanlon’s ‘Suburban Fantasy’ Project

Pixar Animation Studios has revealed new details about its next original feature, titled Onward. It had previously been announced under the working title “The Untitled Pixar Film That Takes You to A Suburban Fantasy World.”

Directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) and produced by Kori Rae, Onward is indeed set in a suburban fantasy world in which two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to “discover if there is still a little magic left out there.”

“At Pixar we try to create stories that come from some kind of personal truth,” Scanlon said in a press statement. “This film was inspired by my own relationship with my brother.”

Last years, Scanlon, who lost his father at a very young age, spoke more extensively about the project at the D23 Expo, explaining that the film was inspired by a question he’s always asked: Who was my father? He added: “In the film, we’re going to tell the story of two teenage elf brothers whose father died when they were too young to remember him. But thanks to the little magic still left in the world, the boys embark on a quest that will allow them a chance to spend one last magical day with their father.”

The studio also announced today that its voice cast will include Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer.

Onward is slated for release on on March 6, 2020.