Pixar's Ghostly Comedy Adventure
Pixar unveils 'Ghost Market,' a comedic adventure based on Asian folklore arriving 2028
Key Points
The teaser reveals a non-traditional ghost adversary—a flying bowl of soup with chopsticks—emphasizing a humorous, adventurous tone rather than straight horror in Ghost Market.
Ghost Market is reportedly being directed by Trevor Jimenez, a Pixar veteran known for the Oscar-nominated short Weekends, and the project migrated from an originally planned streaming series to a theatrical feature.
The story centers on Kyle, a fast-talking teenager from Chicago who, during a family trip to Hawaii, stumbles into a mysterious hidden market where the living and the dead intersect, expanding on the premise through new character and setting details.
Spring 2028 remains the target window for Ghost Market, with a specific release-date frame noted as March 10, 2028 in coverage, and the project positioned within Pixar's busy 2028 slate that includes other Pixar originals and potential sequels.
Pixar has announced Ghost Market, its first-ever ghost-themed feature film, set for a spring 2028 release. The film draws on Asian folklore about hungry ghosts and a hidden supernatural bazaar where the living and the dead meet, according to Pirates and Princesses.
The announcement came at Disney's D23 Expo alongside major updates on Incredibles 3 and Coco 2. Ghost Market is described as a comedic adventure — not a horror film — and one of Pixar's most ambitious original projects in years, per Coming Soon.
Flying Soup and a Hidden Market in Hawaii
The teaser for Ghost Market introduces Kyle, a fast-talking teenager from Chicago. During a family trip to Hawaii, he stumbles into a mysterious hidden market where the living and the dead cross paths. The setting blends real-world Hawaii with supernatural folklore from across Asia, Pirates and Princesses reported.
The film's ghost adversary is unlike anything Pixar has done before. The teaser reveals the villain as a flying bowl of soup with chopsticks. That detail signals the tone clearly — Ghost Market is going for laughs and adventure, not scares, according to Head Topics.
Director Trevor Jimenez Brings Oscar Pedigree to Ghost Market
Ghost Market will be directed by Trevor Jimenez, a Pixar veteran. Jimenez is best known for Weekends, a short film that earned an Oscar nomination. Head Topics reported that Pixar tapped him to lead the project, which originally started as a streaming series before being upgraded to a theatrical feature.
The shift from series to feature is significant. It suggests Pixar sees Ghost Market as a major theatrical event rather than a smaller streaming release. The project joins a packed Pixar slate that Pete Docter discussed at D23, per Pirates and Princesses.
March 2028 Target Puts Ghost Market in a Crowded Pixar Year
Ghost Market is aimed at spring 2028, with World of Reel pinpointing a specific date of March 10, 2028. That same year, Pixar also plans to release Incredibles 3 on June 20, 2028. The studio has not officially confirmed the March date, but multiple outlets have cited it in coverage.
2028 is shaping up to be Pixar's biggest year in recent memory. Beyond Ghost Market and Incredibles 3, Coco 2 is also in the pipeline for 2029, and Gatto, another Pixar original, is set for March 2027, according to Pirates and Princesses. Ghost Market sits at the center of this ambitious expansion push.
Ghost Market Fits Pixar's Push Into New Cultural Mythology
Ghost Market is the latest Pixar film to build its world from a specific cultural tradition. Coco used Mexican Día de los Muertos mythology. Ghost Market reaches into Asian folklore about hungry ghosts — spirits said to roam in search of food and connection. The premise feels close to Coco in spirit but carves out its own distinct setting and tone.
AOL and Coming Soon both noted the D23 reveal as part of a broader Pixar storytelling push into underrepresented myths and cultures. With a comedic tone, a teenage lead, and a Hawaiian backdrop layered with supernatural stakes, Ghost Market looks built to reach a wide global audience.
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