Pixar shorts are usually pretty great, and they’re about to become more racially diverse. The LA Times has released a first look at Pixar’s upcoming short film, “Sanjay’s Super Team”. Directed by Sanjay Patel, who has worked as an animator on multiple Pixar films including A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 3, and The Incredibles, the story is based on his childhood and reconciling his love of superheroes with his father’s meditation ceremony.

Per the LA Times:

The seven-minute short begins with young Sanjay watching cartoons and eating cereal in a bland, beige room as his father jingles a bell, beckoning him to join in meditation. Reluctant and bored by the ceremony, Sanjay begins daydreaming a kind of ancient, Hindu version of "The Avengers," with the gods appearing like superheroes. As the daydream progresses, the color, light and animation of the film grows increasingly dazzling and cosmic, and Sanjay grows closer to understanding his father's inner world.

The story sounds great, and I love that we’re getting more diversity in animation even if it is just a short film at this point. I’m also glad that Pixar is encouraging that kind of personal creativity as its features will soon rely more on sequels like Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles. Hopefully, Patel’s short will live up to its promise. We’ll see it later this year when it plays in front of Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, which opens November 25th.

Here's the first concept art for "Sanjay's Super Team":


sanjay-super-team-concept-art
Image via Pixar Animation Studios