Today is the day. It’s March 11, 2022 and we have a special family movie watch planned. The popcorn will be popped, a light dinner plated, and our family room will be converted into a movie room by the time Brian is off the clock. We are getting our weekend started early. 

Since seeing the trailer for Turning Red, which features the N*SYNC classic throwback “It’s Gonna Be Me (It’s Gonna be May)” about a month ago, my son has been counting down the days until its release. 

“Set in Toronto between 2002 and 2003, Turning Red centers around Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student. One morning, she is horrified to discover that whenever she gets too excited or stressed, she turns into a giant red panda; however, she can turn back if she becomes calm. Mei later learns that her ancestors have a shared history with the species as a family curse, though the curse can be contained by performing a special ritual on one specific night, which happens to coincide with a concert by her favorite boy band, 4*Town.[2][1]”

Wikipedia.com

As a mama who grew up during the TRL (Total Request Live) days when the number one spot was often a battle between N*SYNC and Backstreet Boys, seeing my son dance around to NSYNCs “It’s Gonna Be Me (It’s Gonna be May)” brings me a nostalgic kind of joy. The 2000 hit song is used in the trailer for Turning Red and it’s marketing genius:  

1. People who were teens during the height of that song’s popularity are probably parents now so, you’ve got my attention. 
2. Meilin “Mei” Lee is the main character in Turning Red and it’s a clever play on her name. Mei/Me (May as Justin Timberlake sings it)

Disney and Pixar’s TURNING RED is now available to stream, exclusively on Disney+.