Carl From 'Up' to Go on First Date Since Wife's Death in New Pixar Short

By Michael Hein

Last week, Pixar announced that its upcoming short film will revisit Carl from the 2009 movie Up, and fans have been in awe ever since. Up starred Ed Asner as an elderly widower gradually realizing that his life could go on after the death of his wife, Ellie. Apparently this new short will find Carl going on a date, but many fans don't seem to want romance in Carl's life.

Pixar Animation Studios new short film "Carl's Date" will play before the upcoming Pixar feature film Elemental, in the longstanding tradition of the studio. Last week's announcement included a poster for "Carl's Date" showing Carl standing on his porch with flowers in his hand while Doug stands behind him with one extra stem in his mouth. According to Pixar's press release, the short will be about Carl "reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with a lady friend – but admittedly with no idea how dating works these days."

It sounds like the short will take place mostly before the date itself. It will be about Doug trying to "calm Carl's pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends – if you're a dog." Many fans panicked at the thought of Carl finding romance after losing Ellie, believing that he can find fulfillment without that kind of love. Others proposed theories – perhaps Carl is just going out with a friend, or perhaps he is visiting Ellie's grave.

Whatever the case, the title "Carl's Date" stirred up a lot of conversation – as it was likely intended to do. Here's a look at what fans are saying.

Dubious

Many fans were dubious about the idea of Carl going on a date, and were expecting some kind of twist right from the beginning.

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Implicit

Others thought that it was perfectly logical for Carl to go on a date after the note that Ellie left him in the first movie.

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Anticipating Tears

The beginning of Up is infamous for making viewers cry, and many expected this short to match that intensity one way or another.

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GIFs

An announcement like this is practically self-explanatory, but GIFs played a perfect role in the response to this story. Many fans found the perfect way to encapsulate their responses.

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Early Reviews

Some critics and industry insiders have already seen "Carl's Date" and are speaking highly of it.

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Titles

Fans cracked a lot of jokes about this title and all it suggests.

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Short Only

Finally, many fans joked about how they are only interested in "Carl's Date," not Elemental, which is likely the reason Pixar is promoting this short and revisiting an older IP as well. The movies will hit theaters together on June 16.

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