A newly released deleted scene from Turning Red reveals a heartfelt moment between mother Ming Lee (Sandra Oh) and her daughter Mei (Rosalie Chiang). The Pixar film was released in March 2022 to near-universal acclaim, garnering a 94% Fresh rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The family film did not fare well at the box office as a result of a U.S. Disney+ release due to rising COVID-19 cases worldwide. However, Turning Red was viewed in 2.5 million households across the United States in its opening weekend, giving it the best start ever for a Disney+ original program.
Turning Red is a coming-of-age story centered around Mei, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who wants nothing more than to hang out with her friends. But due to a curse passed down through the women in her family, Mei turns into a gigantic red panda when she reacts to any situation with strong emotions. The start of the film finds Mei loyal to her mother, admiring her strength and character while avoiding her ire when it comes to Mei’s friends and music interests. Conflict arises between the two when Mei expresses a desire to see her favorite band with her friends. This results in immediate disapproval from Ming, forcing Mei to finally disobey her mother.