Leave it to Pixar to make us cry. After all, they just took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film with Bao, and the animation film studio has been tugging on our heartstrings for decades, with heart-warming films such as Toy Story, Up, and Inside Out – to name a few.
So it's no surprise that their newest short film, Kitbull, produced under its SparkShorts programme, has just gone viral. It's had 13 million views since its release a week ago.
The nine-minute short tells of the unlikely friendship developed between an abused pitbull and a stray kitten. Fair warning, though: when you watch it, you may just find yourself shedding a tear or two (especially if you're an animal-lover).
Click the video above to watch it.
The SparkShorts programme
The film was directed by Rosana Sullivan, who has worked as a storyboard artist with Pixar Animation Studios. Kitbull is a bit different from other Pixar shorts as its created in 2D from hand-drawn animation.
Sullivan explains the inspiration behind the short: “To be honest, it started from a cat video. I loved watching cat videos in times of stress,” she says in another video Pixar posted. “At first, I just wanted to draw something that made me feel good and was fun, but it evolved into something more personal to me eventually.
“Growing up, I was always very sensitive and very shy, and had actually a lot of trouble making connections, making friendships. So I related to this kitten because it never really stepped outside of its comfort zone to be vulnerable and make a connection.”
The SparkShorts programme helps develop new talent within Pixar and explores new ways of telling stories through animation. So far, they've released three shorts: Purl, Smash and Grab and Kitbull, and a new one will be released every week on their YouTube page. Click here to watch them all.
Social media reaction
Plenty of fans have taken to social media to express their appreciation for Sullivan's work. In particular, a few Twitter users really loved the way she drew and shared their own renderings of the main characters:
Kitbull was so lovely! So much crying! @DisneyPixar #pixar #kitbull pic.twitter.com/RZCAO3LO0A
— RZillustration (@rzillustration) February 23, 2019
Thank you #PixarSparkShorts for the beauty that is #Kitbull. So very heart-warming & adorable! I also LOVE the shots of the Mission as that's where I grew up. ❤️
— 🌺 Faustina 🐰 Available for Animation Work! (@faustinya) February 20, 2019
Congrats to @Rdsullivan83, @katthendrickson, @davidmlally, Lindsey Collins, and the whole team! ✨ #LoveYourPetDay pic.twitter.com/068LWVxfQl
I think I am still crying.... go watch #kitbull ... it is so whilesome.... also it is so #Sheith ... 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/27YyqiQoqq
— 🌊 Ribbit 🌊 STORE OPEN (@ribbitsplace) February 20, 2019
I wanted to do a little 3D #kitbull fanart because the tiny black cat hasn't left my mind since I watched it 🐱 pic.twitter.com/i1wDwDvoiS
— 🔥Stef🔥 (@CynicalPlant) February 22, 2019
lil #kitbull warmup~ pic.twitter.com/2wxMGSzdIv
— z i b b y 🦭🌈 ARTFIGHT #TEAMCYBER👾 (@Zibe_) February 21, 2019
I had to remind myself that they are happy now. :D #kitbull pic.twitter.com/DpXS0pmyAR
— RaffeinatedArt COMMISSIONS OPEN (@RaffeinatedArt) February 22, 2019
Others, however, just weren't ready for how they would feel after watching it:
just watched kitbull. crying. rip me.
— a bad and ugly simp (@reddenedchub) February 25, 2019
someone should have warned me not to watch Kitbull. i have been emotionally compromised
— sarah (@slancinator) February 22, 2019
Well, at least we warned you first.