Pixar has released the first official logo for their upcoming film, Brave, on Facebook.  The film, which was formally titled The Bear and the Bow, will tell the story of “the impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer.” Reese Witherspoon will be providing the voice for Miranda and the rest of the voice cast includes Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, and Julie Walters.  You can hit the jump to check out the logo and to find out what we know about the film so far.

The one thing that some people have brought up when discussing Pixar is that they haven’t really made any movies strongly aimed towards girls, with all of their movies featuring a male lead character.  Brave, however, looks like it will change that.  The film will be Pixar’s first foray into the “princess genre”, will feature a female lead character, and is directed by Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt).

Brave was set to hit theaters next December but will now be released on June 15, 2012.  As we’ve reported before here are the two plot summaries that we have for the film so far:

“The Bear and the Bow” will be about the rebellious Princess Merida who prefers roaming free in the Scottish Highlands rather than being closed up in with her parents, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Eleanor (Emma Thompson) and her younger triplet brothers.  Further details were scarce but don’t expect a prince to figure prominently in the plot, which is supposed to focus more on Merida’s relationship with her mother.  Lest you confuse it with a Nora Ephron film, “Bow” will also feature a villainous “Wise Woman” who is voiced by Julie Walters.

“Brave will feature the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters. In the film, the impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father’s kingdom and her mother’s life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. “