Pixar’s latest animated comedy, Turning Red, has recently landed on Disney Plus for all the family to indulge in this weekend, but some have questioned the movie’s specific setting.
We explain why Turning Red is set in the specific year of 2002, introduce you to the boy band 4*Town, which solidifies the nostalgia of that era, and provide an introduction to the cast members involved in the animation.
Directed by Domee Shi as her directorial debut and written by Shi and Julia Cho, Turning Red stars Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, and many more talented actors in a story about 13-year-old Mei who transforms into a red panda every time she experiences strong emotions.
- MORE: Who are the 4 Town members in Turning Red? Meet Pixar film’s cast
Why is Turning Red set in 2002?
Turning Red is set in 2002 in order to accurately capture the spirit of the boy-band era, which existed during the late nineties and early noughties.
A large part of the movie centers around the fictional boy band 4*Town, which is a parody band copying the style of popular groups Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
Both Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC were hot property between 1997 and 2003 before both bands went on a hiatus around 2004. Despite *NSYNC failing to release another album after Celebrity in 2001, Backstreet Boys did make a comeback in 2005.
Meet 4*Town
In order to capture the nostalgia of Turning Red’s 2002 setting, the boy band 4*Town was included to mirror that era.
The band members – Robaire, Jesse, Aaron Z, Tae Young, and Aaron T – even sport some of the same haircuts seen in the aforementioned boy bands.
All of 4*Town’s music was written by musician Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell, who voices Jesse.
Check out 4*Town’s music below:
- NOBODY LIKE U by 4*Town (Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
- U KNOW WHAT’S UP by 4*Town (Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
- 1 TRUE LOVE BY 4*Town (Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
- More: Turning Red soundtrack: Explore 4 Town songs & score of Pixar’s comedy
Turning Red cast
Fans of Turning Red have praised Pixar for their casting selections, including Killing Eve star Sandra Oh who plays Mei’s mother.
Below, we have highlighted the full cast list for you to become acquainted with:
- Rosalie Chiang – Meilin “Mei” Lee
- Sandra Oh – Ming
- Ava Morse – Miriam
- Hyein Park – Abby
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Priya
- Orion Lee – Jin Lee
- Wai Ching Ho – Wu Lee
- Tristan Allerick Chen – Tyler
- James Hong – Mr. Gao
- Addie Chandler – Devon
- Sasha Roiz – Mr. Kieslowski
- Lily Sanfelippo – Stacy Frick
Additionally, the 4*Town band members are made up of Robaire, Jesse, Aaron Z, Tae Young, and Aaron T, and these characters are voiced by Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Grayson Villanueva, and Topher Ngo.
By Jo Craig – email protected
Turning Red is now streaming on Disney Plus.
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