Does ‘Growing Up is a Beast’ fit the Pixar Theory?

The animation “Red: Growing Up is a Beast”, released in 2022, is among one of Pixar’s most recent releases, raising some speculation about where it would fit in the studio’s timeline based on the “Pixar Theory”, created by the writer and journalist Jon Negroniin 2013.

Set in the early 2000s, Mei Lee’s story takes place between the events of the first two films in the “Toy Story” franchise and “Finding Nemo”, but although these universes do not directly connect, there are some interesting easter eggs to point out.

We know that the protagonist’s ability to become a red panda can be combated through a ritual performed with magic, where she comes into contact with a kind of astral plane, very similar to what happens in the film “Soul”, where the characters also have access to this plane in the form of souls. This similarity suggests a possible connection between the films, since the spiritual concepts may have been influenced by the similarity with the plot of “Soul”.

As for Easter eggs, we can see a wide variety of them, starting with the appearance of the Pizza Planet delivery car, Andy’s favorite pizzeria in “Toy Story”. Another reference that also involves food is the restaurant “Bao”, which is linked to the short film of the same name directed by Domee Shiwho was also responsible for “Red”.

The objects used by the main characters are also rich in easter eggs, such as, for example, the colorful unicorn sticker that appears stuck to a cell phone, a clear reference to “Inside Out”, and another sticker on Miriam’s skateboard, displaying the Star Command logo, a reference to the character Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story”.

“Red” is currently available on Disney+ streaming; check out the dubbed trailer!