Onward
Short description
Onward is set in a fantasy suburb where elves, trolls, and other magical beings long ago traded sorcery for modern conveniences. Two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, lost their father when they were too young to remember him. When Ian receives a staff and a spell that could bring their father back for a single day, the magic fizzles partway through, restoring only his lower half. To finish the spell before the day runs out, the brothers set off on a quest for the missing piece, with Barley's enthusiasm for old legends driving the journey.
The film was directed by Dan Scanlon, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Keith Bunin and Jason Headley, and produced by Kori Rae for Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures. It followed Scanlon's earlier feature Monsters University, his second time directing a Pixar film. Tom Holland voices Ian, with Chris Pratt as Barley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as their mother Laurel, and Octavia Spencer as the Manticore. Released in early 2020, it carries a budget of 200 million dollars against a worldwide gross of about 142 million, a gap that reflects the abrupt closure of cinemas during its theatrical run.
Audiences rate it 7.4 out of 10 on IMDb from 185,000 votes and 7.6 out of 10 on TMDB, while the film critics' rating stands at 7.2 out of 10 from 346 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The calendar in Ian's room depicts a forest from the full-length computer-animated film 'Brave' (Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell, 2012). Some geographical names on Barley's map are references to 'Brave' and the short animated film 'The Ballad of Nessie' (Kevin Dietz and Stevie Vermers, 2011).
- An advertisement for the Longbottom brand is displayed at the gas station. This brand has previously appeared in the universes of 'The Lord of the Rings' and Harry Potter.
- The cook in the tavern is Remy from the full-length animated film "Ratatouille" (2007), while the others wear Mickey's hat from the 1940 cartoon "Fantasia." The Pixar intro ball is even visible on the shield. You can also see the toy frogs from Josh Cooley's 2019 animated film "Toy Story 4."
- The impetus for creating the film was the death of Dan Scanlon's father when the future director was only one year old. He wrote the screenplay after hearing an audio recording of his father's voice.
- It took 6 years to make the film.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this film became the first Disney movie to be available for digital download while still playing in theaters.
- As in all Pixar films, the number 'A113' is present here (though only mentioned). This is the number of the classroom where John Lasseter, Tim Burton, and Brad Bird studied at the California Institute of the Arts (a private art university).
- The worker is named Felix, which is a reference to the character of the same name from Rich Moore's animated comedy stereoscopic film 'Wreck-It Ralph' (2012).
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