# Old People as Animation Heroes Pixar Teases with UP at Comic-Con 2008 By Ayman | Published 2008-07-28 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixar-up-comi-con-2008 References: [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/5029658/up-new-pixar-movie-has-us-completely-puzzled) & [comingsoon.net](http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=41326) 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](http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seniors-on-fashion-ad-campaigns-65-year-old-lauren-hutton-is-mangos-latest)? Pixar has previously said of Fredricksen, “Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon.” 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.” 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixar-place-hotel)/Pixar movie is slated to come out May 2009. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.9/10 - Popularity: 56% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Seniors as Models:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring the use of seniors as models in various industries such as fashion and advertising. - **Old Age Heroes:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating more stories and media featuring elderly characters as protagonists, challenging age stereotypes. - **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. ### Who This Affects Most - **Fashion:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing fashion campaigns that include seniors as models, appealing to a broader demographic. - **Entertainment:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Producing films and TV shows that prominently feature elderly characters in leading roles, catering to diverse audience preferences. - **Tourism:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing travel and tourism packages specifically for older individuals, highlighting adventure and exploration as age-inclusive experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Animation-Inspired Themed Hotels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixar-place-hotel.md) - [Film-Inspired Whimsical Rental Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/icons-program.md) - [Reimagined Film Brick-Form Shows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bricktoons.md) - [Anticipated Japanese Animated Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kimitachi-wa-da.md) - [Animation-Inspired Collaborative Streetwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixar-collection.md) - [Holiday Animation Capsule](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kith-x-pixar-holiday-2025.md) - [Hand-Drawn Animated Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-boy-and-the-heron.md) - [Adult Animated Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/animated-comedy.md) - [Animated Film Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbnb-smurf-experience.md)