Disney-Pixar has released its first teaser trailer for Brave, an animated fantasy film featuring the fiesty, flame-haired Princess Merida, voiced by the very talented Kelly McDonald (“Boardwalk Empire”).

The trailer has been playing in front of Cars 2 all weekend (and from what I’ve heard, it was the best thing about going to see that particular film.) I’m excited about Brave for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it’s an original story, but at the center of it is a female heroine! This is actually Pixar’s first female lead. The plot revolves around a Scottish princess who defies her parents by pursuing an interest in things like archery, which we see in the trailer along with the beautiful Scottish countryside and an impressive castle looming in the background.  Merida longs to become a warrior, but in her quest “confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts” and  inadvertently jeopardizes her father’s kingdom in the process.

Emma Thompson (whose credits are too numerous to mention) is the voice of Queen Elinor, but I’m very excited to hear the brogues of Scots Billy Connolly as King Fergus, Colin Ferguson as Lord Mcintosh and especially Kevin McKidd (“Rome”, “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Lord MacGuffin. His sultry tones can be heard doing the voice-over for the trailer. All I can say is “Oh yes please!” Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane round out the cast.

Directed by Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) and Brenda Chapman (The Lion King, Prince of Egypt), and produced by Katherine Sarafian (The Incredibles), Brave sweeps into theaters on 22 June 2012, in both 2D and 3D in select theaters.