I'm becoming a big fan of Carl Fredericksen. He's not a real person, actually, and I don't even know all that much about him. But he's part of the dynamic duo that stars in Pixar's next movie, Up, a movie I'd be excited about no matter what. But Carl, in all his cantankerous glory, seems like an animated person I am bound to love come next summer.

Empire Online got their hands on a new image of Carl and his accidental exploring buddy, Russell, which you can see in close-up below. I love how excited Russell, the boy scout, looks about what he's seeing, while Carl remains cranky as ever. Yes, this is because I'm totally in the tank for Pixar, but I know plenty of you are right there with me. Check out the image and feel the excitement.