Disney Honoring Legendary Ed Asner With New Pixar Short

In 2009, Disney and Pixar came out with one of its most beautiful and heart-wrenching movies, UP. UP tells the story of Carl Fredricksen, a man who doesn’t know what to do with himself after the death of his wife, Ellie. Carl meets a young Wilderness Explorer — Russell — and the two go on an incredible journey together. On their journey, they meet a dog named Dug, who quickly becomes a beloved group member. In the end, Carl realizes that there is so much to life, and Ellie wants him to live it to the fullest.

Credit: Disney/Pixar

12 years later, Disney decided to continue with the UP franchise and created the series Dug Days for Disney+. Dug Days is a series of shorts that focus on the lives of Carl, Russell, and, of course, Dug, after the events in the movie. While all the shorts created for the series were streamed straight to Disney+, Disney has decided to change the game and release one of the new shorts in theaters!

Credit: Disney/Pixar

According to Disney, a brand-new short called Carl’s Date will air in theaters for Guests who have come to watch Disney and Pixar’s newest film, Elemental. It will be the first short film to show before a feature-length Disney film since Bao in 2018. Per The Wrap:

“Carl’s Date,” a short film produced after the series of “Up”-based shorts called “Dug Days” that premiered on Disney+ in 2021, will get the big screen treatment this June. The short is set to appear before “Elemental,” the new Pixar feature from Peter Sohn (who partially inspired the character of Russell in “Up”), and features Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) get ready for his first date since Ellie passed away. It is deeply touching and hilarious and appropriate as a preamble for “Elemental,” which focuses on the love story between two very opposite characters – one made of fire (Ember, played by Leah Lewis) and the other made of water (Wade, played by Mamoudou Athie).

Credit: Disney/Pixar

Carl’s Date will feature the voice of Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen. As many Disney fans know, Asner passed away in 2021 at the age of 91. However, he recorded the lines for this new short film two months before his passing. Elemental is scheduled to premiere in theaters on June 16, 2023. The movie will feature the voice talents of Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gail. Catherine O’Hara will voice Brook, and Leah Lewis will play Ember Lumen. Elemental will tell the story of all four elements — wind, water, fire, and air — all living together in Elemental City.