Director Andrew Stanton may have made one of the biggest flops in a generation, but you know what else he made? The Oscar-winning blockbuster Finding Nemo. Thus today's big news from Mike Fleming at Deadline: "I’m told he’s now officially come aboard the Finding Nemo sequel and has a concept the studio loves. [...] As for Disney coming through with another live-action project, I’m hearing that nothing is firm but that the studio is working on it. It looks like the studio is ready to give Stanton a mulligan on John Carter. Stanton, who has played a big role in many of Pixar’s hits going back to Toy Story, has an opportunity to put a big flop behind him." Terrific! All's well that ends in a $200 million write-down well. [Deadline]
This weekend's new theatrical offerings include a massive array for any taste. In the studio realm,
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter marks the 16th Prez as a savior from Vampires, Pixar's
Brave centers on a Princess who must save her kingdom. Focus'
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World pits a mismatched man and woman on an unlikely road trip, while doc
The Invisible War is a fascinating but sad exposé on the sad truth about sexual assault in the U.S. military. Fellow doc
Kumaré, meanwhile follows a man posing as an Eastern guru who builds his own following in Arizona.
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Critics will argue over Disney-Pixar's 11th century Scottish princess adventure Brave, but there's one thing we can all agree on: That redheaded Merida chick has one fantastic head of hair. And as the Wall Street Journal reports, it wasn't easy to do the 'do. "Merida's hair is made up of 1,500 individually sculpted curves, distinct points in a three-dimensional space, that are programmed to bounce and interact in relation to one another via a new software system, says [Pixar simulation supervisor Claudia Chung]. Another software program was created to make the hair react more realistically to the character's movements and surroundings." Not bad for a girl born nine centuries before the invention of Herbal Essences. [WSJ via Movie City News]
Too cute not to share: Pixar has cut a very special Brave promo, just in time for Father's Day, celebrating all that fathers teach us — how to acquire an inner strength and confidence as children that carries us into adulthood, how to shoot arrows, how to ride horses and become deadly sword-fighting killing machines... you know, the basics.
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Pixar Animation storyboard artist Emma Coats took to Twitter last month to share the storytelling tips she's gleaned during her time at the Oscar-winning animation house, and taken together they comprise one of the most comprehensive, sensible, must-follow rules for writing you can find. (Ridley Scott, Damon Lindelof, whoever's working on the next Prometheus -- are you listening?)
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Fingers are crossed that Pixar bounces back from the uncharacteristic critical disappointment that was Cars 2 with their next effort, Brave -- a foray into Disney princess territory about a headstrong young Scottish lass (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who defies tradition in her parents' kingdom. A new trailer for the animated adventure promises no small measure of spunky girl power as our heroine Merida upends an archery contest where doofus candidates are vying for her hand in marriage.
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Last summer’s Cars 2 marked a notable footnote in the history of Pixar Animation, just not a good one; despite opening to the studio’s sixth-highest worldwide take to date, the sequel to 2006’s Cars earned middling reviews, prompted critics to deem it a commercial cash-grab, and eventually – maybe most shockingly, given the studio's track record – became the first Pixar film not to nab an Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature since the category was inaugurated. Could it be, as Pixar producer Lindsey Collins suggests, that Cars 2 was Oscar-snubbed because of anti-Pixar backlash?
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Welcome to fairy tale trailer week! Yesterday, Movieline previewed Mirror, Mirror, Tarsem Singh's hammy Snow White adaptation which features Julia Roberts as an ineffectively evil queen who worries about age lines and financial security (just like you!). Today, Pixar has unveiled a full-length trailer for the company's first foray into fairy tale territory, the much more promising Brave.
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Because it looks complicated to make, has very limited mobility, and is kind of super creepy, this homemade Pixar-inspired costume -- a full-body reconstruction of the anthropomorphic Pixar Luxo lamp logo -- may not be the best costume idea for your Halloween movie-related revelries. But you've got to see it in action. Shivers. Check it out and stick around for your daily Buzz Break.
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While it's common for successful directors, writers and actors to offer advice to their aspiring peers, it's less common to hear about an established animator encouraging his fellow artists with kind words. Nevertheless, that is what Pixar's own Austin Madison (Up, Ratatouille) has done via a thoughtful, handwritten note that he contributed to the Animator Letters Project in hopes of motivating all of the gifted future animators amongst us. Take a look at the letter, which quotes Peter Jackson and appears to be inspirational to anyone in a creative field, below.
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You may have seen the trailer and stills for Pixar's first fairy tale Brave but that doesn't mean that you know anything more about the film than when it was first announced. A new image of Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) doesn't do much to clear that mystery up... but it is gorgeous. Check it out ahead.
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If you saw Cars 2 this weekend -- and judging from its box office-crushing premiere, you did -- then you saw the first teaser trailer for Brave, Pixar's next box office smash. Like the poster and stills already released, the trailer cloaks much of the story in a fog of mystery. Also, regular fog. Click through to watch.
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Tonight, Cars 2 audiences will see a teaser of Pixar's first fairy tale Brave during previews. In case you can't make it out to the multiplex -- or would just rather spend $12 to see Bad Teacher -- the Disney company has released the clearest image to date of the film's red-haired heroine, Princess Merida.
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And now, a safe prediction about Cars 2: Its best part will be the short that precedes the movie. In the mini adventure, both Woody and Buzz (still voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, respectively) and the rest of the toys stage a Hawaiian getaway for Ken (Michael Keaton), whose botched travel plans with Barbie (Jodi Benson) force him to remain in Bonnie's bedroom. A just-released still from the short is enough to bring back my tears from Toy Story 3. I could live in these damn movies.
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Just two days before unveiling the teaser trailer for Brave -- which audiences will get to check out during the moments before Cars 2 this weekend -- Pixar has debuted the first poster for the company's inaugural fairy tale. Check out the artwork for the film that director Mark Andrews is describing as "dark" ahead.
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