It sounds like yesterday's D23 Expo event was owned by Disney/Pixar, with the bulk of the weekend's news surrounding their future projects. By comparison I've heard nothing but crap came out of the Marvel camp, with The Avengers info and footage being woefully underwhelming. But let's stay on topic and jump to the big reveal of the day, and that's Pixar's two new announced projects coming out way after Monsters University.
The first will hit theaters on November 27th 2013, and is currently going under the working title of The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs. In case you couldn't figure it out, the film is about dinosaurs. More specifically, it presents an alternate earth where the dinosaurs weren't destroyed by the asteroid which changed life on Earth all those millions of years ago? So basically humans and dinosaurs evolved side-by-side. An interesting and high concept approach that sounds like something only Pixar would do. Bob Peterson, who made his directorial debut on Up
alongside Pete Docter, will be at the helm. You might recognize Peterson's name also as he was the voice of Dug the Dog in that film. He'll be assisted by animator Peter Sohn. Speaking of Pete Docter, he'll be directing what to me sounds like the most intriguing of the two films. Earlier this month, Pixar snatched up the May 30th 2014 release date for some new mystery project. And now we know what it is. The Monsters Inc.
director will tackle a film set inside the human mind. What the hell? Are we talkin' some Fantastic Voyage
type crap here? Doesnt' sound like it. Check out the official synopsis...Pixar takes audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the tepui mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space. From director Pete Docter (“Up,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and producer Jonas Rivera (“Up”), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.
Sounds pretty damn amazing, and again something I would only expect to see from the ambitious folks at Pixar. According to ThePlaylist, the script will be written by Michael Arndt, who's name should be familiar as the writer of Little Miss Sunshine
and a little film called Toy Story 3
. Ronnie Del Carmen, who has done work on Finding Nemo
and Ratatouille
, will be co-directing. Pixar might be the only studio where things never seem to slow down. Every project they announce sounds like a potential world beater, and even if they don't all turn out to be gems(Cars 2
), nobody else can generate the same level of anticipation the way they can. In other Pixar reveals, Dave Foley has joined the voice cast of Monsters University, the prequel Monsters, Inc. This one shows the college years of best buddies Sulley(John Goodman) and Mike(Billy Crystal), back when they weren't so chummy. Steve Buscemi is returning as Randall Boggs, the villain in the last movie. Dan Scanlon is directing, with the film due out on June 21st 2013.
Those worried that the gang from Toy Story had been sent to that big toybox in the sky were probably ecstatic over the short film, Hawaiian Vacation, which had been attached ahead of Cars 2. Well now they're back again, this time ahead of The Muppets when it debuts on November 23rd. The film is titled Small Fry, to be directed by Angus Maclane. What's it about? Check out the official plot..
In the latest Toy Story Toon, Buzz Lightyear is left behind at a fast food restaurant when a kids’ meal toy version of Buzz takes his place. While Bonnie’s toys are stuck with the annoying 3-inch-tall Buzz impersonator, the real Buzz is trapped in the restaurant at a support group for discarded toys. As Woody and the gang devise a way to rescue their friend, Buzz tries to escape the toy psychotherapy meeting.
A self help group for toys in a fast food joint? And what's with Bonnie always leaving her toys behind? Still, this sounds pretty cool and broad enough to make a full film on.
And lastly is some info on the film I'm most looking forward to, Wreck-It Ralph. This one features the voice of John C. Reilly as an 8-bit video game villain who longs to be considered a hero. He escapes his game and ventures into others looking for his chance to save the day. According to news from the panel, some footage was shown which indicates it'll be a mix of old school 8-bit graphics, live-action, and storyboarded animation, with appearances from a number of recognizable video game characters. We have a look at the logo for the film, as well as the Fix-It Felix Jr. arcade console which Ralph escapes from. Pretty sweet. Look for Wreck-It Ralph on November 2nd 2012.
