Elemental

An American animated romantic comedy-drama film released in 2023, produced by Pixar and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The story is set in Element City, inhabited by anthropomorphic residents of four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The main character, Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), a fiery young woman, assists her parents, Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder Lumen (Shila Ommi), in running their shop, the Fireplace. Ember's parents emigrated to Element City and opened the shop to secure a future for their daughter. Ember is preparing to take over the family business, but her fiery temper hinders this transition. During one of her emotional outbursts in the shop's basement, a water leak occurs, attracting the attention of water inspector Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie). Wade reports the violations to the city department, which could lead to the shop's closure. To prevent this, Ember and Wade embark on a joint investigation to find the source of the leaks and save the shop. Along the way, they grow closer despite their elemental differences. The film explores themes of family, identity, and embracing differences. It closed the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2023, screening out of competition, and on June 16, 2023, it opened across the United States in Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and RealD 3D formats. In the CIS countries, the premiere took place on June 15. Although initial box office returns were below expectations, the film became a "sleeper hit," grossing $500 million worldwide.