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Pixar debuts trailer for new short film Bao
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Pixar just released a trailer for its upcoming short film that will debut with Incredibles 2 later this summer. - photo by Herb Scribner
Pixar just released a trailer for its upcoming short film that will debut with Incredibles 2 later this summer.

The new short, Bao, tells the story of a Chinese-Canadian mom experiencing empty nest syndrome. The mother receives a second chance at raising a child when her dumpling yes, a dumpling turns to life.

The short film will offer a glimpse into what it means to be a parent even when the children have left the home.

Director Domee Shi, who is the first female director to direct a Pixar short, told Entertainment Weekly that the story is based on her own upbringing.

Often times it felt like my mom would treat me like a precious little dumpling, wanting to make sure I was safe, that I didnt go out late, all that stuff, she said. I just wanted to create this magical, modern-day fairy tale, kind of like a Chinese Gingerbread Man story. The word bao actually means two things in Chinese. Said one way, it means steamed bun; said another, it means something precious a treasure.

Its a fitting short to accompany Incredibles 2, a film centered on the superhero family and their struggles to raise a new baby boy with superhero abilities.

"Incredibles 2" and "Bao" will resume Pixar's tradition of showing company-made short films before their feature-length films, a tradition they dropped for their 2017 film "Coco." Instead of a Pixar short, "Coco" featured the Disney short film Olafs Frozen Adventure, making "Coco" the only film in the company's history not to have a Pixar short show before it.

It was a gamble that didn't pay off for the Oscar-winning animation company, as the Frozen spinoff drew harsh criticism for being long, boring and simply unfunny. Theaters in Mexico even pulled "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" for all Coco screenings.