turning red toronto references

People are loving all of the Toronto Easter eggs hidden in new Turning Red movie

Canadian filmmaker Domee Shi's love letter to Toronto, Turning Red, dropped on streaming service Disney+ on Friday, and Toronto natives have been flocking to computer screens and digital devices to soak in all of the local landmarks and references jam-packed into the 100 minutes of fun.

The lead-up to the release of the first full-length Disney animated film set in the 416 has been exciting in its own right, teasers and trailers tantalizing Toronto with tastes of the city as it appeared in 2002.

This means that in this Toronto, SkyDome is still SkyDome, the condos are few, and the streetcars still have that old-school analog feel. But there's so much more to love about this movie, many of them small Easter eggs hidden away that only locals are noticing.

Some are more obvious, like the inclusion of Daisy Mart convenience stores and TTC vehicles, but others are a bit more on the obscure side, like our distinctive public garbage cans with three openings, and the design of school buildings.

The character Tyler, who starts off as a bully but eventually befriends protagonist Mei, wears a #15 basketball jersey, a reference to early 2000s Toronto Raptors legend Vince Carter.

Blue Jays fans also got an Easter egg in the form of the team's namesake bird perched in front of the SkyDome.

Though most were already aware that the movie was set two decades ago, one viewer only figured it out when they caught a glimpse of the old paper bills that have since gone out of circulation.

RIP the TTC Metropass, you are missed by many, even if Pixar didn't bother licensing your real logo.

Even the Toronto District School Board chimed in, noticing an educational facility with a familiar name.

Not all of the Easter eggs were historically accurate, however, as one commenter noted that the "6" graffiti shown in the film wouldn't have been a known nickname for the city two decades ago.

It wasn't an Easter egg within the film, but those who watched a 'making of' documentary got a taste of a passed-on title for the movie, a nod to the 1988 Hayao Miyazaki classic 'My Neighbor Totoro.'

For those who couldn't get enough, there could even be more computer-animated Toronto in the works, with director Domee Shi reportedly interested in a sequel.

Lead photo by

Disney+


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