Brave

Brave is a 2012 American computer-animated fantasy film directed by Pixar and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman (in the former's feature directorial debut), co-directed by Steve Purcell, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, with executive producers John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter. Chapman wrote the story and co-wrote the script with Andrews, Purcell, and Irene Mecchi. Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, and Craig Ferguson lend their voices to the picture.

The film is set in the Scottish Highlands and depicts the narrative of Princess Merida of DunBroch, who breaks an age-old custom and causes havoc in the kingdom by declaring her desire not to be betrothed. When Merida's mother, Queen Elinor, succumbs to a terrible curse that transforms her into a bear, she must go within herself to find the answer to saving the country. Pixar's first Disney Princess, Merida, was created. The film is also dedicated to Steve Jobs, who died shortly before its premiere. Brave is Pixar's first film featuring a female lead, as well as the first to use the company's new proprietary animation system, Presto.

Chapman drew inspiration for the story of the film from her own relationship with her own daughter. Chapman became Pixar's first female feature-length film director, co-directing with Andrews and Purcell. Pixar fully redesigned its animation technology for the first time in 25 years in order to generate the most sophisticated images conceivable. The film Brave is the first to employ the Dolby Atmos sound system.

Brave premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 10, 2012, and was released in North America on June 22, 2012, to positive reviews and box office success. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA.

Budget: $185 million

Earnings: $555 billion