WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Turning Red, now streaming on Disney+.
Turning Red did a pretty great job with young Mei, having the 13 year-old deal with her ability to turn into a giant Red Panda once she hit puberty. It quickly evolved from a story of her and her friends trying to see the boy band, 4*Town, to one of generational trauma and controlling mothers. However, while it wrapped on a complete note with Mei's family healed, there are threads left hanging for a sequel and spinoffs, which director Domee Shi is already interested in.
Turning Red 2 Can Focus On Mei At University
It'd be a travesty to have Mei's high school journey be a one-and-done, especially as there aren't that many Asian properties being franchised, so a follow-up can focus on a celebrity Mei at university with Miriam, Priya and Abby. This would shift from the younger narrative of menstruation and puberty to older topics such dating and careers, giving the property a slightly more mature spin for older teens and young adults.
It'd make their female journey even more interesting, which can even touch on LGBTQ+ issues in the diverse crew. In addition, they may grow apart with Mei becoming famous with the public knowing and loving her Panda side. This pressure can test Mei mentally, leaving her afraid of losing control like her mom, who could now become her healing factor to add depth to their once-antagonistic bond.
A Turning Red Prequel Can Focus On Sun Yee
Sun Yee's the ancestor from feudal-era China who prayed to the gods to turn her into the Panda to protect her clan. She passed this gift down to Mei's family, so a prequel can detail Sun Yee's journey. It'd be along the lines of Mulan, depicting female power and another Asian badass warrior who did everything to take care of her own.
It's a nice blank canvas that could dissect the mystical side of Mei's lineage, with evil warlords using supernatural means to fight back. Sun Yee and her proteges might even have had enemies turning into animals affiliated with Chinese lore such as dragons, so this could be an emotive trip through Mei's ancestral history.
Turning Red 2 Can Focus On Modern Enemies
Sun Yee's enemies could have passed their talents down, so a sequel can deal with them hunting her family as part of a vendetta after Mei came into the light. This creates a brutal rivalry with Mei and her kin being stalked, opening a new dimension to the franchise.
It could make Mei a superhero, not just defending her family's honor and legacy, but trying to save the world from villains who were stopped by Sun Yee and her descendants over the centuries, giving Mei new purpose. Plus, fans would lap up this pseudo-kaiju war with giant Pandas fighting other cute creatures.
A Turning Red Spinoff Can Focus On Mei's Cousins
Mei's aunts came over to help save her and Ming, so there's the Teen Wolf Too route to take akin to when the wolf franchise switched from Michael J. Fox's Scott to his cousin, Jason Bateman's Todd. With a new female in focus, fans can see her struggling to live in Mei's shadow, jealous and angry people expect her to be a celebrity too now that the secret's out.
This spinoff can dissect more of the aunts, explaining why they and granny, Wu Lee, became so bitter and ready to seal their Pandas away. It'd add nuance to the family tree, show how different personalities cope, allow more Pandas to shine and dive into how the women, upon coming West, lost their sense of tradition and deep-rooted heritage by considering their guardians to now be curses. It'd address how globalization sometimes leads to people unintentionally neglecting the meaningful parts of their culture that need preserving.
Turning Red is now streaming on Disney+ and will also be released in theaters to regions where the streaming service is not available.