Carl Fredricksen

Carl Fredricksen was a shy and quiet boy who idolized renowned explorer Charles F. Muntz.

He learns, however, that Muntz was accused of fabricating a giant bird skeleton he had discovered in Paradise Falls, South America, forcing him to return there to capture one alive.

One day, Carl befriends an energetic tomboy named Ellie (Elizabeth Docter), who is also a Muntz fan. Detailing her ambitions in her personal scrapbook, she tells Carl of her desire to move her clubhouse to a majestic waterfall cliff in Paradise Falls, and makes him promise to help her, which he does.

Carl and Ellie eventually get married and grow old together in the house where they first met, working as a toy balloon

vendor and a zookeeper respectively.

Unable to have children, they repeatedly try to save up for the trip to Paradise Falls, but other financial obligations arise. Just as they're finally about to make the voyage, Ellie becomes ill and dies, leaving Carl a lonely and bitter widower. As the years pass, the city grows around the now elderly Carl's house.

Refusing to move, he soon ends up in a tussle with a construction worker over his broken mailbox, resulting in a court order to move him into a retirement home.

However, he comes up with a scheme to keep his promise to Ellie: he turns his house into a makeshift airship, using tens of thousands of helium balloons to lift it off its foundations. A young Wilderness Explorer, Russell

is accidentally trapped on Carl's porch after trying to earn his final merit badge for "assisting the elderly".

Carl then travels to Paradise Falls alongside the eager Russell where they befriend a huge colourful and flightless bird, an animatronic talking operated dog and discover the true plan of Charles Muntz.

Fun Stuff
Courtesy of Pixar animations and Walt disney studios,

The art drawers have released step by step sketches on the character creation.

Inspiration
Edward Asner the actor voicing the arrogant 78 year old character was a gruff old looking man himself.

The casting offices decided his audition would be perfect to bring such a warm calculating character to life.