In “Carl’s Date,” Dug helps Carl calm his pre-date nerves as he plans a date with a lady friend; a challenge to the curmudgeon since he has no idea how dating works in this day and age. In an interview with Animation Magazine, Bob Peterson said that Pixar only had one recording session with Ed Asner for “Carl’s Date,” but he was amazed at how quickly Asner brought the right sense of nuance to the material. “We really looked for takes that would honor him as best we could and would tell the story with Ed Asner’s humor and heart and gruffness. It was all in there and it was fun finding the best of it,” Peterson explained.
At the Pixar presentation, Peterson noted that Carl’s titular date in the short film — his first since the passing of his longtime wife, Ellie, in “Up” — is considered to be a “bow” that tops off the story of “Up,” The Wrap reported. Along with that analogy, though, came news from Peterson — who directed and co-wrote the short with Pete Docter — that “Carl’s Date” would also be the final “Up” story, at least for the time being.
