Fandoms
Up, like every Pixar flick, has a massive fan following, and the animation studio knows how to deliver the goods to its devotees—and we’re not just talking about plush Dugs and replica Russell backpacks.
Pixar films are famous for their fan-friendly Easter eggs. Not those food-coloring-coated suckers your dad hides in the backyard every spring: we’re talking about an assortment of nuggets and nods to other Pixar films. The production company stuffs all of their movies with clandestine treats for eagle-eyed Pixar buffs to discover with every viewing, and Up is no exception. Check it out:
- The Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story pops up not once, but twice in Up: first, when Carl’s house initially takes off, and later, in the Fentons' parking lot.
- Lotso, the menacing teddy bear from Toy Story 3—which was released the year after Up hit theaters—can be seen in the bedroom of the little girl whose bedroom window Carl floats past in his house.
- The construction company that wants to take Carl’s house? It’s Buy N Large, the same evil corporation that runs, well, basically everything in WALL•E.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For more of Up’s Easter eggs, check out Slashfilm’s screen cap filled rundown or Movie Hole’s eye-opening video “Hidden Secrets & Easter Eggs of Up You Didn’t Notice,” and get ready to blow your friend’s minds.
Or, if you’re ready to tumble all the way down the Pixar rabbit hole, grab a peanut butter and anchovy smoothie and check out The Pixar Theory. Based on the conspiracy theory film fan Jon Negroni first posted on his personal blog, it posits that all of Pixar’s flicks, including Up, exist in the same chronological universe with a cohesive timeline and a central theme. Better make that PB&A smoothie an extra-large.