It’s an interesting time for Pixar. They’ve been dominating the animation world for over a decade, but with Cars 2 being nothing more than a merchandise cash grab and Brave unable to meet the high stand of their previous films, they’ve found themselves trailing to other animation outlets such as DreamWorks (How to Train Your Dragon) and Universal (Despicable Me).
Last month we asked whether Pixar’s dominance was slipping, and now we’ll take a look at the new Pixar movies which could get them back on track.
Monsters University – June 2013
Monsters University will be the 14th movie made by Pixar and is a prequel to Monsters Inc. which made $525 million worldwide back in 2001. The plot follows the origins of Mike and Sully’s relationship all the way back to their time at the University of Fear. They weren’t always the best of friends, and the film unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became professional scream catchers.
John Goodman, Billy Crystal and Steve Buscemi are returning to voice their respective characters, and Cars storyboard artist Dan Scanlon will be making his feature film debut.
The Good Dinosaur – May 2014
What if the cataclysmic asteroid that forever changed life on Earth actually missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? That’s the only plot summary we’ve been given by Pixar, but it’s enough for us to get excited about the film. Bob Peterson (Up!) is directing and he said his inspiration “came from a childhood visit to the World’s Fair where he was awed by some dinosaur animatronics.” Peterson thought “it’s time to do a movie where you get to know the dinosaur, what it’s really like to be a dinosaur and to be with a dinosaur”.
The Untitled Pixar Movie that Takes You Inside the Mind – June 2015
The official premise informs us that Pixar will take ‘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’.
Last year John Lasseter revealed the film takes place inside of a girl’s mind, and it is about her emotions as characters. This will mark the second Pixar film to feature a female protagonist after Brave, and Pete Docter (Up) will be the director in charge of bringing her emotions to life. It’s an interesting premise, and one Pixar can do pretty much anything they want with.
*image not Pixar related or concept art. Found it here.Finding Nemo 2 – 2016
Andrew Stanton is returning to direct the sequel to Finding Nemo, which made over $850 million at the worldwide box office in 2003. We don’t know anything about the story other than Stanton “has a concept the studio loves”, and Ellen DeGeneres is set to return as Dory, the Pacific Regal Blue Tang with short-term memory loss.
The Untitled Pixar Movie About Día de los Muertos – TBA
Very little is known about this one, other than Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) is directing the film that delves into the vibrant holiday of Día de los Muertos. The Mexican holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. I’m not familiar with Día de los Muertos but I’m sure Pixar can work some of their magic and find something in there kids can enjoy.
Which upcoming Pixar movies are you looking forward to? Are there any new Pixar movies you think could return the company back to its glory days?
