Discover UKU, Volcano and Main Character of Next Pixar's Animated Short " Lava "

Pixar's new animated short "Lava" won't be released before one year - with Pete Docter's awaited "Inside Out" - but the LA Times has posted an article with the first rendered still of the main character, a volcano named Uku ( his love interest is Lele ). Here is what director James Ford Murphy told to the LA Times about what went into the short:

"I thought it would be so cool to fall in love with a place who’s also a character […] I wanted to make Uku appealing and likable but also look like he’s been carved out of lava flows."

James Ford Murphy also learned to play ukulele and wrote a love song, "Lava," which you'll hear in the short animated, performed by Hawaiian recording artists Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig.

And by the way, this artwork is already on display in Pixar's atrium as you can see on this Instagram photo posted by Eric Chu.

Pictures: copyright Pixar , Eric Chu