Image Credit: Disney-Pixar
Brave (in theaters June 22) is a bit of a maverick among Pixar’s animated repertoire. As the studio’s 13th feature, it represents the first time a Pixar picture has starred — finally! — a female protagonist. Brave‘s also the animation powerhouse’s first fairy tale, its first movie set far in the past (ancient Scotland), and marks a step into slightly darker and creepier territory. In Japan, for instance, the film will be called Merida and the Frightening Forest. “It’s appropriately scary, as much as it needs to be to tell the story effectively,” says Mark Andrews, who shares directing credit with Brenda Chapman. “But it’s not overly horrific or terrifying — we’re not going for a PG-13 rating. You’re in good hands with a Pixar movie, as always.”
Andrews was careful not to reveal too much of the story, but this much we know: Merida (Boardwalk Empire‘s Kelly Macdonald) is a teenage princess in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch, and as such, she’s expected to marry one of three suitors from neighboring clans. But Merida, being the fiery free spirit that she is, wants nothing to do with the tradition. “How she resists [this custom] leads to more and more trouble that ultimately endangers not only the kingdom, but her loved ones,” says Andrews. One of Merida’s choices involves seeking the assistance of a witch (Julie Walters), who grants the princess a wish that goes horribly wrong.
Check out more about Merida and Brave‘s other major characters, as well as see four new character posters exclusive to EW, below: READ FULL STORY »
