‘Elemental’ Filmmakers Peter Sohn & Denise Ream On Bringing Elements To Life: “We’ve Never Done This Before”
When director Peter Sohn and producer Denise Ream began working on Elemental, they started with the idea of elements coming to life. This led to the creation of Element City, a sprawling metropolis filled with residents made of fire, water, earth and air. The story follows Ember (Leah Lewis), a fire resident working in her parents market, whose fiery temper leads her to a chance meeting with Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a sappy water resident working as a city inspector. While fire and water do not mix well, Ember and Wade find themselves forming an unlikely friendship. As Sohn and Ream were working on the project, they soon discovered how difficult it was to animate fire and water to give them emotional performances, without turning them into humans. Elemental premieres in theaters on June 16, 2023 with new animated short Carl’s Date.