By: Rebecca Plaisance

Next month, Pixar will release their much anticipated new movie, Brave.

The story takes place sometime between 800 and 1200 AD, and gives us the first female lead in a Pixar film. Merida (voice of Kelly McDonald) is the headstrong and independent daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).  She's an expert archer and as fiery as her incredible mane of red curls. Her determination to take hold of her own destiny and defy century old tradition unleashes unexpected consequences as the story unfolds.

Merida sets off to find a way to prove to herself and her mother that she is able to care for herself. She is driven by her desire to not be married off to follow the same path as her mother. Accompanied by her horse Angus, she faces her fate head on.  Merida follows the “will o’ wisp” and they lead her to an old witch (Julie Walters) who grants Merida her wish. As with most fairy-tale wishes, this one comes with some strings attached and unforseen effects. She is faced with dangers and a beastly curse that force her to dig deep within her self to learn the true meaning of bravery.

I was lucky enough to see a 30minute sneak peak of Brave. I and everyone else in the theater groaned in protest when the preview was over. The small part that I saw was incredible. Beyond the story that grips you right away, Merida with her fiery hair and personality have you rooting for her from the start.

Fun Facts about Brave:

•    Merida has over 1500 individually sculpted curls
•    If Merida’s hair were straightened it would be 4 feet long! No Keritan treatment for this girl!
•    Because King Fergus wears 9 layers of garments at the same time they had to be simulated with algorithms on the computer
•    Pixar artists created new and unique tartan designs for the families
•    To give Queen Elinor’s gown the desired look, the art department used actual silk fabrics that they hand painted and embellished then recreated on the computer
•    This is the first Pixar film to feature a castle in it
•    111,394 storyboards were drawn for Brave!
•    In Scotland swampy bog gasses seep up that are blue in color. Scottish lore says that people follow the lights thinking they are fairies. This is the inspiration behind the “will o’ wisps” in Brave
•    Look out for the pizza truck from Toy Story! It’s hiding somewhere in Brave.

Brave opens in theaters everywhere June 22nd.