Third Model Of Popular Automobile...

It appears someone has let out the secret that the Lamp has "Cars 3" in development...

Really?  This is shocking news?  You weren't thinking that all those  "untitled" films would remain that way forever, we're you?  Now, it's not an official release confirming the film.  It is a statement from the Sheriff, and you need to respect the law officials here at Blue Sky (and Radiator Springs).

The news comes courtesy of an interview with Michael Wallis, a historian who also happens to be the voice of the police car in the two Cars films.  It's doubtful we'll hear an official confirmation for a while.  It is apparently in the early stages, and we don't know if John Lasseter will be back as director or will simply guide the film as producer when they take the cars out for a spin.

The Lamp has a mixture of films in development right now.  No, from what I hear no "Incredibles 2" yet.  Brad Bird is a busy man, and it will all have to come with his approval.  Even if his ideas are ready to be put in development it doesn't mean he will be director, but it will require his blessing.  Each Pixar film is filled with so many layers I look forward to whatever they want to show me .

If Pixar has a car show, I'm there...

Playing With Imaginary Friends While Growing Up...

I am a HUGE fan of the "Calvin & Hobbes" strip...

I have the entire collection(and will eventually get the Ultimate Collection) and frequently turn the pages to reflect on life as an adult.  It is an example of the sardonic genius that ink and paper can have.  Bill Watterson is a hermit who happens to be a brilliant storyteller.

And for what seems like forever I've wanted to see an animated film of this high spirited little fella and his vivid imagination.  I never thought I would get it knowing how Watterson was against marketing his creation outside of the newspaper pages.  It's not like he needs the money (he 's worth a reported $300 million just from the comic strip).  He's rejected offers since C&H was in syndication , which is why no child has been able to fall asleep with their very own, plush Hobbes to protect them.

The artist/author is notoriously recluse and has done less interviews than you could count on one hand.  Surprisingly, he has agreed to an interview with Mental Floss Magazine in which he talks candidly about his work, ripoffs and the possibility of a film of his famous creation.  He doesn't outright say no, but he makes it clear he doesn't believe there will ever be a film of his definitive work.

But isn't that what P.L. Travers said about her famous work, "Mary Poppins"?  She was stern, absolutely adamant  in her desire to not let Walt Disney make a film of her best selling book.

And yet it got made...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Countdown To Extinction Bumped...

Nobody ever remembers that you slipped a film, but they will remember a bad film.

- Ed Catmull

The dinosaurs have dodged the meteor...

The prehistoric creatures will live to star in the Lamp's next film.  Just not in 2014.  The film "The Good Dinosaur" that was scheduled to open on May 30, 2014 will now open on November 25, 2015.  If that date sounds familiar it's because that was the release date for "Finding Dori".  And I mean was because it has now been bumped to summer 2016.

There still has been no decision on who will take the helm, although an announcement should be coming soon.  This leaves 2014 without a Pixar film.  But don't feel sad for long as you'll get two films in 2015.  John Lasseter and Ed Catmull are ultimately concerned about getting the story right, not meeting a release date.  If they could have met the original date they would have.

Now the dinosaurs have a little breathing room having escaped extinction...

Trusting The Brain...

The Lamp confirmed that Bob Peterson is no longer directing its next film...

I wonder what prompted them to speak up about it?  You woundn't know by the article, thanks LA Times, we can always count on you being classy.  Everyone here knows where it came from.  Still, the article had some revelations which weren't known yet about the evolving "The Good Dinosaur".

Like the fact that they haven't chosen a director to replace Bob with yet (he is an extremely talented and nice to a fault person, btw). It appears now that four of Pixar's "Brain Trust" will be in charge of various scenes, making sure that the picture has a cohesive direction while they search for someone to finish directing it.

From what I hear, there will likely be decisions soon as to who will take over the film's production.  Likely in the next two or so weeks. it is unknown as to who Lasseter will choose for certain, but odds are that Peter Sohn or Mark Andrews may get the go.  If not them, word is it could be an outsider.

Now, this isn't final, it's not written in stone. It's just the vibe the Bothans are getting from other Pixar employees as to who they are betting on in their Fantasy Film Maker Pool. And these are only a few rumblings I'm hearing.  Some speculation, I'm waiting for more info on.

Everything is still fluid in this situation.  It all depends on who John and Ed get a feel has the right handle on the scenes they 're working on.  So think of what is going in now as a test for the future director of the film.

Soon, we'll know who passed....

Not Extinct, But Evolving... (Exclusive)

The animation business can be a very chaotic experience...

The Lamp has had many films in production that would either shut down (Newt) because of similarity to another project (Rio), or drastically changed (Ratatouille) to make the release date. Word from my Bothans is that there is another having such difficulties.  It's not a good thing, but it is a normal, yet chaotic process.  Which film?

The Good Dinosaur.

The producer and director of the film had been removed, but the film is not as of yet in turnaround. John Lasseter has reportedly taken Bob Peterson off the film, and is attempting to still meet the 2014 release date.

This will not be an easy task, but they're hopeful that another director will be able to bring the project back in to better focus as the story wasn't coming together.  The meteor that killed the dinosaurs hasn't yet destroyed this film, but it has put it in jeopardy.

Developing...

The Mechanics Of Cars…

Pixar has had a long running streak of sucess in animation...

For most of its slate, the Lamp has not only had financial hits, but critical hits as well.  Out of these films the low bar by many is considered the "Cars" film series (yes, there will be more films from the inhabitants of Ornament Valley).  And even though the film is one of the least loved by animation fans, it's still a much better film than ninety-percent of everything out there.

There have been many critics of these films, but the one thing that can't be argued is the success of it among sales of merchandise.  It falls just behind the mouse and bear in terms of earnings.  There are a lot of fans out there of anthropomorphic metal creations.  And there are also a lot of people that hit a logical roadblock there as well.

A lot of people had this problem with the first film, and the second, and even the new DisneyToon Studios spinoff, "Planes" which opened this weekend.   Take the review of that film by Capone over at Ain't It Cool, or Drew McWeeny's review of the film over at Motion Captured.  There is a common thread of confusion or detachment from the ability to suspend disbelief in a world of talking vehicles.  While the Transformers get a pass, the cars, planes, trains and ships get no such break.

It all comes down to the question of where the humans are?  Or where did they go?  This is the psychological pothole in the road that has some people hitting the brakes on enjoying what happens next.  Well, I'm here to put an end to this question.  I'm here to tell you where the humans are in the world of Cars.  Or to put it more precisely, I'm going to define what humans are in this world/reality.

Humans are the souls of these cars.  The souls are the drivers, the conscience of the automobile.

That is why you don't see them, yet the cars seem to function as a repository for them.  We are watching the world through their experiences and that is reason they're not visible.  Souls can't be seen, but they're there.  What you see in the personality of the vehicles, is reflective of the human that owns it. The experiences you see are from the unliving objects point of view based on the guidance of the driver, the soul.

When you see Mater interacting with Lightning or Sally, you're getting a look into the unseen soul of the driver of that car, or plane.  The actions that they do are the result of the decisions of the soul.  He/she is the one that puts his/her foot on the gas and he/she is the one that decides the destination and makes the decisions.  When the wheels move, the heart follows.  The driver takes you on the journey.  So the next time you watch one of those films, imagine the souls guiding the action of the events that unfold.  Think about your soul: the one you know you have, but isn't really visible to the naked eye.  It's the driver of your actions, the lead foot on the gas pedal of your choices.  Even though it's not tangible to you, you know it's there.

Just like the unseen driver that is the soul in each piece of metal that rolls down the street chasing tractors for fun...

A Change In Misdirection...

I've seen a lot of articles by people about the Lamp changing its strategy... But I don't think they're looking close enough at the very evidence that they're quoting. Some sites are reporting that Pixar is going to curb the output of sequels over the next few years. I can tell you that this is absolutely not so. But on the same note, they aren't increasing them either. How can this be? Simple. It's business as normal and for some reason a few reporters/writers/bloggers had misinferred a statement by Ed Catmull as a change in direction. It isn't. This is simply a statement of a business strategy that's been in place for some while now. Here's the statement from an interview at Buzzfeed:

For artistic reasons … it’s really important that we do an original film a year. Every once in a while, we get a film where we want or people want to see something continuing in that world — which is the rationale behind the sequel. They want those characters, which means we were successful with them. But if you keep doing that, then you aren’t doing original films.

We’re going to have an original film every year, then every other year have a sequel to something. That’s the rough idea.

   
Have you looked at the fourteen films that the Emeryville branch of Disney North has made?  How many original films?  How many sequels/prequels were there?  A lot of people want to think of John Lasseter's fertile garden as pure and pristine, without any hint of corporatism or desire for profits.  Wrong.  Only four years after their first film, "Toy Story" did a sequel come out.  "Toy Story 2" was the first sequel, but it was only their third film.  In other words, they had already planned a sequel by the beginning of production of their second film.  The difference between Pixar and other film studios is that they actually wanted to do films that had a story to them.  Lasseter and Catmull didn't want to churn out films for the sake of dollars, but wanted to have films worthy of those dollars the public spent.

Now, everyone is saying that they're going to slow down with the production of sequels.  There have been 14 Pixar films and four of them are sequels.  Now if you do the math it turns out that the number you come up with roughly is a little less than a third of films are sequels.  Now, look at where Catmull is talking about a new film once a year and a sequel every other year.  That would add up to ten new films in a decade, and five sequels in the same decade.  Out of fifteen films, that would mean a third would be sequels.  Does that seem like they're going to pull back on making sequels?  No, it looks like almost the same amount of new versus sequel films as what has been made over the past two decades.  It's simply a continuation of what has gone on for a while explained by one of the men responsible for it.  The only difference is that the production has ramped up to a film a year.

Now, I don't think this means we'll get an announcement of "The Incredibles 2" anytime in the near future.  When Brad Bird comes up with a story that he feels is worthy of making, he'll call up John and say let's make it.  And there is no way that Pixar wouldn't make the film if he had a story he wanted to film.  But we can look forward to seeing more adventures in the worlds Pixar created in the future.  See how simple that was?  A lot of smoke, no fire.  Pay no attention to these droids.  Nothing new to report here.

Move along, move along...

Hat Tip to /Film.

University Lessons...

The Lamp's latest film was number one at the box office this week...

"Monsters University" beat out a horde of zombies and an Alien from a dead world to be on top in theaters over the weekend.  And if you've seen the film then you know that it didn't blaze the trail with a new concept, just an old fashion story that's been told many times before.  But this time it was told by Pixar.

If you've seen films like "Revenge of the Nerds" or "Real Genius," then you've watched the premise of the film.  But that doesn't mean it's not worth watching.  The way the crew up in Emeryville take the beloved characters from the original film and transfer then into the setting of a college party film is an entertaining little jewel.  It was wonderful fun and a textbook example of why any film from Pixar is better than ninety percent of most live-action films.

John Lasseter and his crew know how to tell a story.  They can take a simple tale and fill it with emotion and narrative that brings characters to life.  They truly live up to the word animate.  The stories that they invite us to watch are compelling examples of life that audiences connect with.  And even though some might decry the fact that this is an unnecessary film, it's not.  So long as it's enjoyable, there is no reason it shouldn't have been made.  Going back to the world of "Monsters Inc." to see the characters we all fell in love with is only part of the beauty of rediscovering this unique world.

If you want original, then the next couple of years will be a feast.  From what I've heard from the Bothans, "Inside Out" is shaping up to be a very original animated film.  And then of course, next year we have the Lamp's take on dinosaurs which I can't wait to see.

And you'll get a glimpse of it this fall...

Enrolling Soon...

The final trailer for the Lamp's prequel to "Monsters Inc." is out...

Pixar's "Monster University" will be out June 21 and the word from people who've seen it is that it's good.  It's remarkably fresh and entertaining, with a surprising amount of heart.  Now, is it really surprising that a Pixar film has heart?

The great thing about the Emeryville Campus of Disney North, is that John Lasseter and his Brain Trust run it.  They are the heart surgeons that created this little bit of animated Nirvana.  And thankfully, he's well on his way to making the Hat Building a place filled with heart as well.  Animationally speaking, of course.

Monster University should be a lot of fun, not to mention the trailer in front of it...

An Untitled Slate...

Walt Disney Pictures has announced the line up for its major animation studios...

The studio has given a list of the release dates of both the Mouse and the Lamp.  The five year plan for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios was put out to lay claim to those weekends.  Now, only the dates were published, not the titles.  That will only come as we get closer to the release date, and those dates are subject to change.  Nothing is chiseled in stone:

2016

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 3/4/16 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/17/16 in 3 D.

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 11/23/16 in 3D.

2017

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/6/17 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 11/22/17 in 3D.

2018

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 3/9/18 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/15/18 in 3D.

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 11/21/18 in 3D.



Now all we have to do is let the stories unfold...

Frozen In Time...

Just a little less than a month from now and "Monsters University" will be out...

But what many people will be happy about is getting their first real look at Walt Disney Animation Studios' next feature: "Frozen".  The first teaser will be in front of the Lamp's animated prequel.  Now, it's a teaser, not a full trailer.  It's meant to give you the flavor of the film.  It'll be a sweet little scene (not of the main characters) that shows off the humor.  One that gets you ready for what's to come.

A frozen treat, if you will...

2 Many Dreams...

If you remember, Brad Bird was always my first choice for the "Episode VII" directing gig...

The genius director talked with The Hollywood Report's Heat Vision for an interview where he addressed the chance to be behind the camera for the start of a new Star Wars film.  His response was layered in his passion for stories and his love of pursuing dreams:

I’ve known Kathy [Kennedy] for a while and I know George. And they did come to me. But the problem was, the schedule they had in mind made it impossible to do…unless I dropped Tomorrowland. And I was just really deeply into this film at that point. It’s easy to say, “Just put it on hold.” But you’re moving now; you don’t know if you’re going to be able to move later. Maybe it’s true of filmmakers like Cameron or Spielberg, but I have to act on momentum. We had reached a critical mass where it would’ve thrown the furniture around from the train stopping. I really want to see this movie. I love the Star Wars films, and I can’t wait to see what J.J. does, but it meant I’d have to shut down one dream to participate in another. I feel like [with Tomorrowland] we’re making something that’s really special and unique.

He also got asked about the chances for another "Incredibles" film.  He probable has been asked this more than any other question every time he sits down for an interview:

I have been thinking about it. People think that I have not been, but I have. Because I love those characters and love that world. I am stroking my chin and scratching my head. I have many, many elements that I think would work really well in another [Incredibles] film, and if I can get ‘em to click all together, I would probably wanna do that. I like the idea of moving a little more quickly in films. I’m looking for ways to accelerate the pace a little bit and figure out a way to keep creative control over these movies to a level where I’m comfortable with the end result but also speed them up a bit and make more of them. I have many different films I wanna make. It’s like a big airplane hangar and I have different projects on the floor; half-assembled in my brain. I’m interested in all of them. You kind of have to move on the ones people are willing to pay for and the ones you’re most excited about.

I believe when he's done with "Tomorrowland" he'll be perfectly timed to gear up for "Episode VIII" to start pre-production...

Toying With Terror...

Even though "Toy Story 3" was the last film with Woody and Buzz, we still get to play with them...

In addition to the Cars Toons featuring Pixar's Mater, the characters from the Lamp's first film, known at Toy Story Toons, still get cranked out.  Made primarily by Pixar Canada, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have remained committed o keeping the icon characters from the first computer animated film in the minds of fans the world over.

So as a Halloween special, the latest short, "Toy Story of Terror" will actually be a half hour animated special.  It joins "Hawaiian Vacation", "Small Fry", and "Partysaurus Rex" in a growing collection of adventures featuring Andy's toys.  And it won't be the last.  There are plans for more.  Eventually, you'll be able to buy a DVD of the collection, unless you have the ability to stream it on Netflix by then.

Four and counting...

2015: Becoming A Disney World...

With all the major purchases over the last five years, the Walt Disney Company is about to have a bumper crop...

What am I talking about?  Well, between the purchases of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, not to mention the live-action/animated films coming from the main branch, the Mouse is gearing up for a monster year.  That year will be 2015.  Just a little more than two years from now Disney will dominate the box office.  It's simply a given.  What films will they release that year?  Take a look at what most likely will be the summer offerings:


Avengers 2

Pirates of the Caribbean 5

Star Wars 7

Finding Dori

Walt Disney Animation Studios release (which one hasn't been determined yet, more in a future post.)

Tron 3 (not announced, but likely)

Ant-Man

Can you imagine the box office that year?  The public is going to get very used to seeing that castle every time they go see something at the local movie theater.  I don't believe any other film studio has had such a dramatic effect on the box office of an entire year this much.  It's going to be a very interesting year.  I'm trying to picture what the other major studios are going to line up against it.

And it's not just the films they release that will mark the year for Disney, but the theme park expansion as well.  There are several expansions (including a rather nice one for Disneyland if it's green lit) that could happen, but aren't approved as of yet.  These are the main two expansions that are on schedule to be opened.


Disney's Animal Kingdom: Pandora: The World of Avatar (tentatively)

Shanghai Disneyland 


This year will mark the end Disney's normal content distribution system as well.  Starting the next year, Netflix will be a primary driver of Mouse entertainment that will likely change distribution channels.  So this year will close on a normal way people get shows, films, and possibly even gaming.  Better sign up now.

Bob Iger is going to be leaving the company on a high note.  The opposite of how Eisner left the entertainment giant.  It's hard to believe how large the company has grown in the last decade, but it shows the popularity of the Disney brand.  Of course, Iger will still be there for a year or so after his resignation as "Chairman Emeritus", but the day to day of the company will be handled by one of four people who now report to him.

Just don't let it be Rasulo...

Opening Umbrellas...

It's raining entertainment... 

Pixar is about skating the edge of entertainment...

In an article a while back I posted a comment by Glen Keane where he perfectly described the difference between Disney and Pixar.  Basically, he said when it came to stories, the Mouse was about "Once upon a time," and the Lamp was basically about "Wouldn't it be if..."  And that in a very tiny nutshell is the difference between the two.  It's not exact, and it's not the end all, be all, but it clarifies the reasons for each division of the animation studios inside the Walt Disney Company as good as an explanation as possible.

Pixar makes great shorts.  They push the envelope of technology as well as expand the scope of entertaining the audience.  And each new film has the bonus treat of a new short from the little dream factory in Emeryville.

This summer when "Monster University" comes out, it'll be accompanied by a new short entitled: "Blue Umbrella" that will carry on the tradition of these talented animators giving an inanimate object a soul.  And that's not something easy to do, although John Lasseter and his crew have been doing it since they started with "Luxo Jr." back in the Eighties. 

Today, Pixar has released a short clip from the photo realistic short in an article at the Wall Street Journal.  It that takes a few lines and adds them to what would be just a normal prop, and adds a heart to it.  Take a look and then count the days till you get to see this.

 More magic from the Lamp...

Campus Tour...

Boo... 

Two new posters for the Lamp's next film are out...



Pixar released two teaser posters for "Monster University" today. One is the image above, and the other is a French poster (read: International) that offers the tone of the film - Revenge of the Monster Nerds? This looks to be an entertaining staple for Emeryville, but I'm most excited about the next few original films they have in development for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

 


But until then, we'll have a fun tour of the campus...

Disney North...

That's no planet, that's a space station... 

 

Walt Disney is synonymous with America, but also with California...

But specifically southern California.  Since arriving in the Golden State in 1923 and setting up shop, the man and the company that lived on has had a permanent presence in this area.  From his early days on Hyperion, to the formal home of the Burbank Studios, or the Golden Oak Ranch, this area is treaded territory of the Mouse.  And it's been that way for decades.

While northern California has been in films, it has has never been a crucial, or pivotal part of the company's story; until the middle of this decade.  That's when the importance of the land up north began to play a much crucial part of it's history, and now its future.

When Bob Iger bought that little plot of land in Emeryville it was the beginning of a gradual expansion that most people haven't noticed.  The $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar gave the company a permanent, albeit small presence up north that would play a vital part in the creative direction that it charted.

Who would of thought that within the next five years it would grow so rapidly?

Besides the Lamp, across the bay you will find the Walt Disney Family Museum.  Now, I know that it isn't owned by the company, but it does a valuable service and provides great influence/advertising the Disney brand in the NoCal area.  So it's a step-son in the Walt Disney Company that provides a valuable service.

With the purchase of George Lucas' Lucasfilm, a great deal more real estate, and valuable entertainment icons became part of the company.  The Letterman Digital Arts Center, just down the way from the Walt Disney Family Museum houses Industrial Light & Magic, LucasArts, and Lucasfilm's marketing/licensing arm.  This is truly a dream factory in the green setting of the Presidio.

Lastly, a little further up in Marin County lies Skywalker Ranch, the original home of Lucasfilm, which is a haven for creative types that seek it out for writing and other services, but the jewel there is Skywalker Sound.  UPDATE: It appears that Lucas will retain the right to the land and surrounding ranch, but it's unclear if their services will be used, or if Skywalker Sound and other parts of the company will move out to other parts of the Bay Area.

Think about all the property that now exists up north.  There is probably more land in use by Disney in the bay area than in the area surrounding Hollywood.  And just seven years ago there was really no presence by the Walt Disney Company up there.  The state of California has Walt fully anchored in it from north to south.  Now maybe they can purchase something in Fresno so that there's a bridge between north and south.

The little company that was started in southern California has taken over the whole state...

Party Goer...

Party rockers in the house tonight...

You can never have enough toy stories...


So long as they're stories that are told by the Lamp.  If you were lucky enough to see "Finding Nemo" in 3D then you saw the sweet short: "Partysaurus Rex," which played before it.  Well thanks to the Mouse for putting that short online for all to see.

It's wonderful to see these mini-tales that expand the characters we all grew up with.  Learning more about their lives, and how toys see the world is hysterically entertaining.  Looking forward to more of these over the years.

And there are more planned...

Lost Again...

Dad is out looking for Harpo again...









So Andrew Stanton is going back to the well...

Deadline Hollywood, the site that doesn't like to credit non-approved websites for breaking stories has the breaking story. Stanton will film a sequel to his most famous creation: "Finding Nemo."

After the lackluster box office of "John Carter" because of the marketing departments totally inept campaign, the director is moving into familiar territory. Disney hadn't confirmed it as of this morning, but it makes sense. According to Deadline, the Lamp is very happy with the take that the director wants to take with the story.

Hopefully, it'll be more than just finding this time around...

UPDATE:

Sources are reporting that scribe Victoria Strouse (The Apostles of Infinite Love - Black List 2008), has been hired by the Mouse to write the script based on Stanton's idea. It looks like they're aiming for a 2016 release date.

Ralph Wrecks Panel...

Gonna wreck the box office...









Out of all the things that were shown at the Disney Panel, one film stole the show...

Or panel I should say. That would be the next animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios if you're still not getting what I'm hinting at. Sure, "Oz: The Great and Powerful" looked stunning, and "The Lone Ranger" will be a giant Western epic if the film lives up to the teaser footage that was shown. But the film that got the most buzz, the most jabber, the most geeked out moments?

"Wreck-It Ralph"

Now, I've been telling you how well thought out, endearing and heart felt the story is for sometime. But yesterday a whole lot more people got a sense of what it is. I think this year will be the first one in a long time that the film released from the Mouse actually does better, and gets more buzz than the one released by the Lamp. And the cherry on top is the amazing "Paperman" short that you will be blown away by.

Disney will make a mint with this film. Mark my words. It is going to be a big hit. And Disney animation will knock away a few more detractors about their being irrelevant. This film shows you that after being under Lasseter for a little over half a decade, the Hat Building is finally going to be firing on all cylinders.

And "Frozen" will only add to that success next year...