New Pixar short will show Carl from ‘Up’ getting ready for a date

Are you ready to see Carl date again?

Fans left in tears after the emotional love story montage at the start of the movie “Up” may or may not be prepared for the release of the new Pixar short “Carl’s Date.” The short was written and directed by Bob Peterson, who also voices the dog, Dug.

The short film follows the aforementioned Carl, played by the late Ed Asner, moving on with his life. He agrees to go on a date, but has no idea how dating works these days. His trusted dog Dug helps calm his nerves and offers advice — only Dug’s advice is geared toward making friends if you’re a dog.

The short will run before Pixar’s “Elemental,” out in theaters on June 16.

“Up” shared the love story of Carl and Ellie from their childhood through Ellie’s death at the start of the 2009 feature-length cartoon. The opening sequence set the scene for why Carl would want to fly his house away to South America after his wife’s passing. The nearly wordless and emotional 10-minute sequence has stuck with many viewers of the film.

The rest of 2009’s “Up” follows Carl as he goes on an adventure with his unexpected new pal, 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell, to Paradise Falls in South America.

Those that are hesitant to see Carl dating again after the death of the love of his life may take comfort from an early review of the short by Julie and T.J. of Pixar Post, who called it “perfect from beginning to end.”

The film also gets the seal of approval from Matt Asner, the actor’s son, who recently posted a tweet calling the short “wonderful.”

Fans of Dug the dog, who comes back with Carl from Paradise Falls, will be glad to know his role in the short is quite important.

“Carl’s Date” is the final chapter of the “Up” story, which also included several other shorts in a series called “Dug Days,” focusing on Dug.

In comments after a screening of “Elemental,” reported on by Screen Rant, the short’s director, Bob Peterson, and producer Kim Collins both said they’d been reluctant to do more without Ed Asner, the voice of Carl. Asner died in 2021.

As for showing Carl on a date, Collins said they meant to honor Asner’s performance as Carl, with an ending that completes the story by showing the bond between the man and the dog.

“It was a hard one to decide to do because you don’t want to ever take away from Ellie. No one will ever replace Ellie and this relationship,” Peterson said, Screen Rant reports. “But her last thing was, ‘Go have a new adventure.’ And does Carl do that or not? Can he go forward?”