Pixar has whetted the appetite of fans at Comi-Con 2008 with a quirky teaser trailer for its upcoming animation, Up. Interestingly, the hero of the movie is a 78-year-old man named Carl Fredricksen! Maybe Hollywood is learning from the fashion industry and its recent trend of using seniors as models?
Pixar has previously said of Fredricksen, “Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon.â€
The official plot of Up goes like this, “The hero of the film is a 78-year-old man named Carl Fredricksen, who walks around hunched over with a tripod cane. When he was a kid he met a girl named Ellie, who grew up in small midwestern town. The two fell in love and eventually got married. Her dream was always to explore the world and visit paradise falls, but as usually happens, life got in the way. They were never able to make good on their promise, and Ellie eventually passed away. Now Carl is a widower living alone in his small home. Developers are threatening to move him into an old folks home.â€
I think this unusual portrayal of a very old man as the main character in a big budget movie is awesome. It goes to show that you can never be too old for an adventure.
The Disney/Pixar movie is slated to come out May 2009.
Old People as Animation Heroes
Pixar Teases with UP at Comic-Con 2008
Trend Themes
1. Seniors as Models - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring the use of seniors as models in various industries such as fashion and advertising.
2. Old Age Heroes - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating more stories and media featuring elderly characters as protagonists, challenging age stereotypes.
3. Adventure at Any Age - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Promoting the idea that adventure and exploration are not limited by age, inspiring new experiences for older individuals.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing fashion campaigns that include seniors as models, appealing to a broader demographic.
2. Entertainment - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Producing films and TV shows that prominently feature elderly characters in leading roles, catering to diverse audience preferences.
3. Tourism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing travel and tourism packages specifically for older individuals, highlighting adventure and exploration as age-inclusive experiences.