Pixar's Onward first trailer takes on elves, mermaids and raccoon unicorns

The urban-fantasy tale stars Chris Pratt, Tom Holland and Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor

Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.

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Corinne Reichert

May 30, 2019 8:04 p.m. PT

2 min read

The first images from Pixar Animation Studios' upcoming film Onward have landed, with the Disney-owned studio tweeting the official poster and the first teaser trailer late Thursday.

The teaser sets up the film's urban-fantasy world, where pegasus must fight for air space with planes, and unicorns are the equivalent of racoons. Our protagonists are two teenage elf brothers who head on a road trip to run a "really fast and strange errand" aka a quest.

Dropped by Disney to People, two more Onward images show the characters of voice stars Chris Pratt, Tom Holland and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Onward writer and director Dan Scanlon said the movie sees two elf brothers "go out on an adventure to see if there's a little magic left in that world," according to People.

"Tom Holland is perfect for our character of Ian, the younger brother," Scanlon told People. "We were looking for someone who could have this shy quality and someone who is good at being a little awkward. And Tom is great at that! And yet has a genuine sweetness to him that you really root for him."

The character traits of Holland's fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star Pratt are "the exact opposite," the director, who also directed Monsters University, reportedly told People.

"Someone who could be wild and chaotic and out of control, but in a very charming and infectious way," the director is quoted as saying. "Chris Pratt is perfect for that. He has this ability to be both sort of wild and out of control but in a really lovable, fun, infectious way."

Having two of the Avengers -- Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy's Star-Lord -- reunite for Onward also brought more fun to the voices, Scanlon told the magazine.

Louis-Dreyfus, who voiced Princess Atta in Pixar's A Bug's Life, is providing the voice for the brothers' mom.

Pixar provided the basic details of Onward back in Dec. 2018 via a tweet.

"Just announced: The next original feature from Pixar Animation Studios, 'Onward,' starring Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer, will arrive in theaters March 6, 2020!" the tweet read.