Fairy tales are old hat for Disney, but in 2012 Pixar will release their first fairy tale titled,BRAVE, the story is set in the Highlands of Scotland and is about a courageous princess who would rather carve out her own future as a brave archer than living in a castle. Meridia (Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire, No Country For Old Men) turns her back on an ancient custom that is sacred to the lords: Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd, Rome), Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson, Late Late Show) and Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter).
This act unintentionally unleashes havoc on the kingdom so Meridia searches for the Wise Woman (Julie Walters, Billy Elliot) for help who in turn grants her an ill-fated wish. Through her quest Meridia learns real bravery while trying to right her wrongs before a curse dooms the kingdom.
Due to scheduling conflicts Reese Witherspoon was originally thought of as the voice actor for Meridia. Given the story, the Scottish born Macdonald in the lead makes more sense. Also joining Macdonald will be Billy Connolly as the voice of King Fergus and Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor. John Ratzenberger is sure to be in there somewhere too.
“‘Brave’ is an epic adventure chock-full of action, humor and heart,” says director Mark Andrews in a press statement. “There’s no more perfect setting for this powerful tale than the dark and rugged Scottish Highlands. Imagine: magic, mystery and danger—all set within a haunting and beautiful landscape. It’s like nothing you’ve seen before from Pixar.”

For those wondering if Pixar was putting too much of an emphasis on sequels like Cars 2, Toy Story 3, and Monsters Inc. 2 (November 2, 2012) Brave looks to be like an exciting new adventure that is sure to have all the charm, humor and awesomeness we’re used to seeing from the prolific animation house. The voice cast is rock solid and apropos, looking at the early conceptual art, Brave will be a fresh palette as far as Pixar visuals go. Also, should anyone think Meridia’s tomboy character goes against the grain of Disney’s princesses, she is expected to join the Disney Princess franchise, further diversifying characters idolized by young girls.
Brave will be the 13th feature-length Pixar film set for a June 22, 2012 release and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D in select theaters.
-buzzfocus.com