97 Fun Facts About Turning Red

What animal does Mei Lee turn into when she gets emotional in Turning Red?

Mei turns into a giant red panda, a hereditary transformation passed down to the women of her family by an ancestor.

Who directed Turning Red, becoming the first woman to solely direct a Pixar feature?

Domee Shi, who joined Pixar as a story intern in 2011, directed alone; Brenda Chapman had only co-directed Brave with Mark Andrews.

In which city and year is Pixar's Turning Red set?

Toronto in 2002: the director grew up in the city, and a giant statue of panda Mei was placed next to the CN Tower for the release.

How old is Mei Lee in the film?

13: her voice actress was only 12 when Pixar hired her to record scratch vocals in 2017.

Who voices Mei's strict, overprotective mother Ming?

Sandra Oh was the director's top pick, partly as a fellow Canadian who could handle Ming's complicated emotions.

Who voices Mei?

Rosalie Chiang began as Mei's scratch-vocal actor at 12, and Pixar kept her as the final voice instead of recasting with a famous name.

What is the name of the boy band Mei and her friends are obsessed with?

4*Town, despite the name, has five members: Robaire, Jesse, Aaron Z., Aaron T. and Tae Young.

Which sibling duo wrote the boy band's original songs for the film?

Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell wrote 4*Town's original songs; Finneas also voices band member Jesse.

Which of these is one of the original songs performed by the boy band in the film?

"Nobody Like U" is a 4*Town original written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell; the other three are *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys hits.

Who composed the score for Turning Red, his first animated film?

Ludwig Göransson, composer of Black Panther and The Mandalorian, scored Turning Red as his first animated feature.

What are the names of Mei's best friends?

Miriam, Priya and Abby: Miriam is a tomboy with braces, Priya is deadpan and Abby is the short, aggressive one.

Who voices Mei's deadpan friend Priya?

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, star of Never Have I Ever, voices Priya, Mei's mellow, deadpan Indo-Canadian friend.

Who is Mei's secret crush at the start of the film?

Devon, a teenage convenience-store clerk, is Mei's crush; Ming finds Mei's drawings of him and confronts him at the store.

What is the name of the ancestor whose temple Mei's family maintains?

Sun Yee, the family's ancestor, asked the gods for the red panda's power to protect her daughters and village during wartime.

What celestial event is needed for the ritual to seal Mei's red panda spirit?

A lunar eclipse, when the red moon peaks, is required for the sealing ritual; it falls on the same night as the 4*Town concert.

What does Mei's mother initially assume is happening when Mei hides in the bathroom?

Ming assumes Mei has had her first period and rushes in with pads and painkillers before discovering the giant red panda.

What does Mei wear to school to hide her newly red hair?

Mei hides her red hair under a toque, the Canadian word for a knit beanie, when she goes back to school.

Whose birthday party does panda Mei attend to earn money for concert tickets?

Tyler hires panda Mei for his birthday party; she attacks him when he insults her family, but he joins the friend group by the end.

Where is the boy band's concert held?

The concert is at the SkyDome, which Ming's giant panda form wrecks; the Lee family afterwards collects donations toward its repair.

Who voices Mei's quiet, supportive father Jin?

Orion Lee voices Jin; in the post-credits scene Jin is caught in the basement listening to a 4*Town CD.

Which veteran actor voices Mr. Gao, the elder and shaman who leads the ritual?

Hong, then in his 90s, had also voiced Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda films.

What is the name of Mei's middle school?

Mei attends Lester B. Pearson Middle School, named for the former Canadian prime minister; her homeroom teacher is Mr. Kieslowski.

Which earlier Pixar short by the same director won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film?

Bao, Domee Shi's 2018 short about a mother whose dumpling comes to life, won the Oscar and played before Incredibles 2.

Which convenience store does Mei's crush Devon work at?

Devon works at the Daisy Mart, the corner store where Ming storms in with Mei's drawings of him.

Turning Red was released in the US on which platform in March 2022?

Turning Red premiered on Disney+ on March 11, 2022 after the Omicron surge scrapped its theatrical plan; it finally reached US cinemas in February 2024.

Which type of animation influenced the film's look, with hand-drawn 2D effects layered on the 3D?

Anime shaped the look: Shi cited Sailor Moon, Ranma ½, Fruits Basket and Inuyasha, with hand-drawn 2D effects layered over the 3D.

Which Studio Ghibli film inspired the idea of an "iconic grabbable giant animal"?

My Neighbor Totoro was the model: Domee Shi wanted Mei's panda to be as iconic, huggable and grabbable as Totoro.

The director compared the film's plot to which 1995 animated film about a parent and child bonding at a pop concert?

A Goofy Movie, in which Goofy and Max bond at a Powerline concert, was Shi's comparison for Mei and Ming at the 4*Town show.

How many concepts did the director pitch to Pixar in October 2017, one of which became Turning Red?

All three were coming-of-age stories about teenage girls; producer Lindsey Collins said Mei and Ming were the clearest characters.

Which country refused to distribute Turning Red over its depictions of puberty?

Kuwait did not release Turning Red, its distributor citing the puberty themes; in markets without Disney+ the film grossed over $21 million in cinemas.

Turning Red lost the Best Animated Feature Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards to which film?

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio won; Turning Red was also a BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee for animated feature that season.

How many US households streamed Turning Red in its opening weekend, per Samba TV?

Samba TV measured 2.5 million US households streaming Turning Red on Disney+ during its first three days.

What lets Mei turn back from panda form into a girl?

Picturing her friends calms Mei enough to turn back from panda form, which is how she manages the change at school.

Where was the director born before immigrating to Canada at age two?

Domee Shi was born in Chongqing, China, in 1989 and moved to Canada at two, living briefly in Newfoundland before Toronto.

Which later Pixar film did Turning Red's director Domee Shi co-direct?

Domee Shi co-directed Elio, released in June 2025, alongside Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina.

What does Mei accidentally break during her escape from the ritual, unleashing her mother's panda?

Mei's breakout cracks Ming's talisman, freeing Ming's panda; Mei's grandmother and aunts later smash their own talismans to help haul giant Ming back.

What does Mei decide about her red panda at the end of the film?

Her panda form even becomes an attraction at the family temple.

Which co-writer worked with the director on the Turning Red screenplay?

Julia Cho, the playwright behind The Language Archive, co-wrote the screenplay with Domee Shi.

Which zoo's red pandas did Pixar animators study for the film?

Pixar animators studied the red pandas at the San Francisco Zoo, a short drive from the studio's Emeryville base, to design Mei's panda form.

At which park did "Red Panda Mei" become a meet-and-greet character in 2023?

Disney spent $23 million on TV spots for the film, more than for Black Widow.

What was Turning Red's working title during development?

The final title was locked by December 2020, and the first look was shown at Disney's Investor Day that month.

Which web browser maker partnered with Disney on Turning Red themes and wallpapers?

Mozilla partnered with Disney because red pandas are nicknamed firefoxes; Firefox users could apply Turning Red themes and wallpapers.

Which airline decorated an Airbus A220 with images of Mei to promote the film?

Air Canada, a promotional partner, flew an Airbus A220 decorated with Mei and ran a contest to attend the Toronto premiere.

Approximately what was Turning Red's production budget?

Turning Red's production budget was about $175 million, in line with other Pixar features, even though it skipped theaters in most markets.

Which Pixar executive personally approved casting Rosalie Chiang, originally hired for scratch vocals, as Mei?

Pete Docter, Pixar's chief creative officer, approved keeping Rosalie Chiang, hired for scratch vocals at 12 partly because she lived nearby in Fremont.

How many original songs for the boy band 4*Town did Billie Eilish and Finneas write for Turning Red?

Three: 'Nobody Like U', '1 True Love' and 'U Know What's Up'; Finneas also voiced Jesse, one of the band's five members.

Which manga publisher released the 4*Town 4*Real tie-in manga in 2023?

Viz Media published 4*Town 4*Real: The Manga in April 2023, a spin-off following the boy band.

Embrace the Panda, the Disney+ documentary about Turning Red, focuses especially on what?

The 48-minute documentary was released on Disney+ the same day as the film.

What is Mei's full first name?

Meilin 'Mei' Lee lives with her parents Ming and Jin beside the temple they keep.

In Turning Red, how old is Devon, the convenience-store clerk Mei has a secret crush on?

17: Ming marches to the store with Mei's notebook of drawings of him, a public humiliation that triggers the panda nightmare that night.

Who does Ming clash with at school, making Mei transform in front of everyone?

Ming, spying on the school, gets into a shouting match with the security guard; Mei sees it, panics and turns into the panda in front of her class.

How long after Mei's first transformation is the sealing ritual scheduled?

The ritual must wait about a month for the next red moon; Ming and Jin treat the panda as an inconvenience rather than the wartime blessing it once was.

What does Jin find while cleaning that prompts his heart-to-heart with Mei?

Jin finds the camcorder videos of Mei playing as the panda with her friends and tells her not to push away that side of herself.

Where are Mei, Ming and the other Lee women sent when the new ritual works?

The ritual sends them to the astral plane, where Mei finds a weeping teenage Ming and helps her mend the bond with her own mother.

What completes the stadium-floor ritual when the chanting alone isn't enough?

Singing along with 4*Town finishes the ritual: the crowd's 'Nobody Like U' blends with the aunties' chant to power the circle.

What name does the concert disaster go by a year later?

The Lee family is still fundraising for the stadium repairs when the film ends.

How does the fight between Mei and her giant mother at the concert end?

Mei knocks Ming out by accident when she charges her kaiju-sized mother; the unconscious Ming is then dragged into a new ritual circle.

What is the surname of Mei's friend Miriam?

Miriam's surname is Mendelsohn; Priya is a Mangal and Tyler, the class bully, a Nguyen-Baker.

Who voices Mei's energetic, aggressive friend Abby?

Hyein Park, a Pixar story artist, voices Abby; the Korean Canadian character shares her surname.

In Turning Red, which classmate catches sight of Mei's panda form in the school restroom?

Stacy Frick spots panda Mei in the restroom, finds her adorable and spreads the word, which makes the panda a school sensation.

Which British pop singer voices classmate Lauren in the UK version?

Anne-Marie voices Lauren in the UK release, a tiny role recast with the British singer for that market.

Which actress, Marvel's Madame Gao, voices Mei's grandmother?

Wai Ching Ho, the Hong Kong-born actress behind Madame Gao in Daredevil, Iron Fist and The Defenders, voices Mei's grandmother.

Which of these actresses voices one of Mei's aunts?

Sherry Cola voices Auntie Helen, one of the four aunts who arrive uninvited with Mei's grandmother to help run the ritual.

Who voices 4*Town frontman Robaire?

Jordan Fisher, a Broadway and Dancing with the Stars alum, voices frontman Robaire and sings lead on 'Nobody Like U'.

Which 4*Town member shares the rap verse with Robaire in 'Nobody Like U'?

The song runs 2 minutes 40 seconds at 104 beats per minute, in the style of Max Martin-era boy bands.

What peak did 'Nobody Like U' reach on the Billboard Hot 100?

It was the first song from any Pixar film to make the Hot 100 at all.

'Nobody Like U' earned a Grammy nomination in which category?

'Nobody Like U' was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 65th Grammys, announced in November 2022.

What are 4*Town's fans called?

Fans of 4*Town call themselves 4-Townies, and Mei and her friends proudly count themselves among them.

Which Japanese boy band recorded Japanese versions of the 4*Town songs?

Da-iCE recorded the Japanese-language versions of 4*Town's songs for the film's Japanese release.

Which 4*Town song was written to be the group's ballad?

"1 True Love" is 4*Town's slow ballad, the lovesick counterpart to the upbeat "Nobody Like U" and "U Know What's Up".

Which Chinese instrument did Göransson take up to write Ming's theme?

Ludwig Göransson learned the guzheng, a Chinese zither, to write Ming's theme, while Mei's theme leans on flutes.

In which language is the chant used in the panda-sealing ritual?

The ritual chant is sung in Cantonese, layered over 4*Town's pop hook in the stadium finale.

Which Destiny's Child hit is heard in the film?

DJ Casper's 'Cha Cha Slide' also turns up, right on period for 2002.

Which Backstreet Boys song played over the film's first trailer?

The first teaser trailer, released in July 2021, was cut to Backstreet Boys' 'Larger Than Life'; the song is not in the film itself.

How did the producer pitch the boy-band job to Billie Eilish and Finneas?

Producer Lindsey Collins went after the duo because her own child was a fan.

Before Turning Red, Eilish and Finneas wrote the theme for which James Bond film?

Billie Eilish and Finneas wrote 'No Time to Die', the 2020 Bond theme that won them an Oscar and a Grammy.

Which Hollywood venue hosted the March 1, 2022 premiere?

Turning Red premiered at Disney's El Capitan Theatre on March 1, 2022, which then gave it a one-week run from March 11.

In which city was Turning Red first screened, on February 21, 2022?

Turning Red had its world premiere at the Everyman Borough Yards cinema in London on February 21, 2022.

Why was Turning Red's Russian release, set for March 10, 2022, delayed indefinitely?

The invasion of Ukraine prompted Disney's announcement on February 28, four days after it began.

Which country delivered the biggest theatrical opening, about $920,000?

It opened in second place there, as it did in Poland and the UAE.

Per Nielsen, where did Turning Red rank among the most-streamed films of 2022?

Nielsen ranked Turning Red second among the most-streamed films in the US in 2022, behind only Encanto.

Which outlet pulled a review that called the film's Asian-Canadian focus 'limiting'?

CinemaBlend pulled managing director Sean O'Connell's review, which called the film 'limiting' and made for Shi's friends and family, and apologized.

Which newspaper listed Turning Red among the 23 best Canadian comedies ever made?

Critic Barry Hertz admitted it wasn't a Canadian production but gave it a pass for its hometown director.

Critic Richard Roeper spotted a homage to which 1984 comedy in the film?

Roeper gave the film just 2.5 stars out of 4 in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Which city's Society of Film Critics gave Turning Red its Best Animated Film award?

It also took the prize from the Florida and Toronto critics' groups.

What title was Domee Shi promoted to at Pixar in April 2022?

Domee Shi was named a vice president of creative at Pixar in April 2022, alongside Andrew Stanton, Peter Sohn and Dan Scanlon.

Which moment from Shi's own teens was written into the film?

Shi has said her mother was always making sure she never wandered too far.

How did Shi sum up the film's overall visual style?

Domee Shi called the look an 'Asian tween fever dream', mixing Toronto's 2002 streetscape with chunky, cute anime-influenced design.

Which non-profit helped Pixar choose the foods shown in the film?

Production designer Rona Liu ran the food scenes, as she had on the director's earlier short.

The 'dream glow' of food in which film inspired Turning Red's food shots?

Studio Ghibli's food and Sanrio's exaggerated cuteness were the other two reference points.

In what year was Shi announced as writer-director of the film?

She had pitched the idea the previous Halloween, on October 31, 2017.

What did Rosalie Chiang use to record her audition?

She had done only short films and commercials before landing the lead.

Before acting, Chiang published two children's books of what?

A is for Albatross earned a Skipping Stones Honour Award.

How did Shi finally tell Chiang that the lead role was hers?

Shi and producer Lindsey Collins had listened to many professional auditions first.

Where did Chiang record most of her lines after the pandemic hit?

After the pandemic hit, Chiang recorded most of her lines in a room at her parents' house in Fremont, using audio gear Pixar shipped to her.

Which pastime do Mei and Ming share in the film's opening montage?

Mei and Ming's routine includes watching a Chinese soap opera together after temple chores, the closeness the panda later upends.

Which label released the Turning Red soundtrack on March 11, 2022?

Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack, with Göransson's score and 4*Town's songs, on March 11, 2022, the film's Disney+ release day.