Spoiler Warning: Turning Red (2022)

Pixar’s latest film, Turning Red, follows the exploits of Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) and her friends as they navigate the beginnings of puberty. Mei Lee’s family has a curse running through their blood, one in which all the women eventually turn into enormous red pandas. The film serves as a coming-of-age story, as Mei Lee deals with new feelings about boys, being embarrassed by her parents, and controlling her transformations. Throughout the course of the film, Mei comes into conflict with her overbearing mother, Ming Lee (voiced by Sandra Oh). The climax of Turning Red sees Mei breaking the customs of her family, and rather than following through with the ritual to expel the red panda inside her, she instead embraces it, demonstrating her independence.

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Sequels to Pixar films aren’t precisely uncommon. Cars received two sequel movies, while Finding Nemo and The Incredibles have one sequel, and Toy Story has three sequels. Therefore, it wouldn’t be out of place for a Turning Red sequel to occur. In fact, Turning Red is the perfect Pixar movie to receive a sequel because the main group of characters are all in middle school, so they still have a lot of growing up to do, which would be in line with the themes of the film. Here is what such a Turning Red sequel should focus on.

Entering the Workforce

     Pixar

Most entry-level jobs begin hiring part-time at the ages of fifteen and sixteen. Most teenagers around this age leave their part-time jobs with a stronger sense of who they are, like what they’re willing to put up with and how they spend their money. Including a part-time subplot for the main characters of Turning Red would surely not only be relatable but also provide decent characterization. Additionally, with the hilarious cast of main characters, this sequel movie would be able to utilize the experience of customer service for comedy, not unlike how Clerks did it.

Although Mei works with her mother at the temple, her quest for independence could lead her to seek a job among her contemporaries. Having to abide by the strangely strict and harsh rules imposed on teenagers in the customer service world would undoubtedly lead to memorable and hysterical moments involving her inner panda. In addition to this, seeing how a job might impact her relationships with her friends, such as not having enough time for them or conflicts with them at work, would be interesting and heartwarming to see her persevere through and end up a better friend for it.

Transitioning Into High School

It wouldn’t be controversial to say that high school functions very differently from middle school. Clicks of friends change, shrinking and growing. People adopt different hobbies and personas and get involved in school activities more. Even for such a tightly-knit group of friends like the characters of Turning Red, high school will pose a challenge to their friendship and dynamics. Of course, it would make sense for them to conflict with one another.

Additionally, forces outside their friend group could pose direct and indirect challenges, such as harsher bullies and strict teachers. There could also be a challenge in finding out how the unspoken dynamics of the school function, like figuring out where to sit at lunch or how to go about getting a bathroom pass. High school is also where most teenagers begin to date seriously, which would continue Mei’s character arc where she and her friends first start developing crushes. High school would also provide a perfect arena for self-discovery, finding out what each character is good at and their aspirations for the future.

Grappling with Popularity

     Disney/Pixar

While there are certainly those who don’t see the inherent value in being popular or liked by strangers, whether that be classmates or coworkers, there are still many people who crave popularity. While whom among the main group of friends would succumb to this desire is up for debate, it’s still something that would act as a pretense for conflict. Rising through the ranks of popularity seldom means carrying with you the old friends you have made, at the very least, in children’s fiction. Take Diary of a Wimpy Kid, for example. Greg’s desire to elevate his reputation costs him his meaningful friendship with Rowley. Or in Heathers, when Veronica leaves behind her unpopular friend, Martha, so she can join the popular crowd.

The conflict could present itself in a way like in Heathers, where one or perhaps two of the main characters begin acting differently and treating their former friends rudely. Such a plot point would also create a sort of “fall from grace” in which this character(s) realize who their real friends are and go to lengths to try and make up for what they’ve done.