First Look: New concept art for Pixar's Brave

I've been bemoaning the lack of originality in Hollywood especially with so many sequels coming out, some I look forward and some I wonder do we really need more?  But I'll never say no to an original Pixar offering.  Here's a first look at beautiful, beautiful (yes, twice!) color scripts from Brave which is due to release June 2012.

                                          

It offers a glimpse of Pixar's first female heroine in Merida featuring a tale set in the Scottish highlands.  Lots of new information being released about the film as well.  Originally, Reese Witherspoon was to have voiced Merida but instead Kelly Macdonald (Broadwalk Empire, Gosford Park) which is great considering she's Scottish.

Since Entertainment Weekly summarizes it so well, I'm going to quote them here.

Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters) and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).

Sounds amazing!!!  Brave was originally titled The Bear and the Bow.  (P.S. Can you spot the bear in any of these photos?)  It was also supposed to be the first Pixar film directed by a female.  Brenda Chapman left the project though she will still be credited as co-director.  Mark Andrews, who directed the short One Man Band, will see the film through it's release date.