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...

An Ever-Expanding Galaxy...

So the films that Kasdan and Kinberg are working on for Lucasfilm might not be part of the trilogy after all...

 But they will be Star Wars.  It appears Kathleen Kennedy and crew are taking a page out of the Marvel playbook.  While we're supposed to have an Avengers film every three years or so, we have individual adventures set in between, like Thor and Iron Man, etc.  Word comes from The Hollywood Reporter that the films that these writers are working on could be stand alone/spin offs that inhabit the universe far, far away.

So these adventures could turn up in one of the in between years of Episode VII and Episode VIII?  This explains Iger's statement of having films come out every 2-3 years.  That would allow for at least one solo (pun intented) adventure in the gap between one trilogy film, and another.  This means we could get all kinds of space operas.  From a Boba Fett film, to a Republic Commandos film, to a tale about the Rebel Alliance.  What be your take?

I think this universe is big enough to have multiple adventures...

Injustice...

Not again, you suits... 

While I love Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Batman, I am not slavishly devoted to it...

I love "Batman Begins," I adore "The Dark Knight," and sadly disappointed in "The Dark Knight Rises."  I feel the last one is Nolan's least developed.  It felt like something he had to do, not want to do.  I think Joseph Gordon Levitt is one of those rising young stars.  He's an incredibly gifted actor who has a promising future.

Just not as Batman.

And certainly not one that happens to not be Bruce Wayne.  That is the character that will always be tied to the meaning for there being a Batman in the first place.  There is a purpose to who he is and what he wants.  His wealth is a gift for his vengeance on a cruel world that he is trying to right.  He is no street vigilante.  He is no cop.  He is a man searching for answers to a childhood that died a long time ago and his tools are his brains, accompanied by the body he has trained.

I know that Warner executives want to continue the money train that is the caped crusader.  But the world of Nolan's Batman wasn't meant to exist in a universe where other heroes in underwear walked around.  It wasn't.  It's not that there is anything wrong with creating a DC Cinematic Universe to rival the one Marvel had, but to try and put Nolan's universe in the larger one is wrong.

They need to reboot a new Batman.  One that happens to be Bruce Wayne.  I want to see a cohesive universe where Clark Kent spars with Bruce Wayne, not some young, upstart cop that just took over the suit.  It's not the suit that made Batman, it's the events.  And the events happened to a young boy named Bruce Wayne.

It's as if Sony wanted to continue the success of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" and just had someone else step into the role that wasn't named Peter Parker.  I would recoil at such a thought the same way I feel about this rumor, if true.  I have wanted to see a Justice League film since I was a child.  For Warner Suits to put such a monkey wrench into the machine that they plan on going forward with is a prescription for a project that will be mired in doubt.  It will deflate the feelings I had looking forward to seeing a great number of DC characters together in 2015.  It's not starting off the wrong foot, it's walking off a cliff, and shows that Suits still don't "get" super-heroes.

Go forward with Justice League.  Go forward with a reboot of Batman right on it's heels.  But don't think that carrying forward with a character from the last Batman film will guarantee success for a future one.  Let each director reinterpret the character with his own stamp, not the legacy of the last director.  The legacy belongs to the character.

The Warner Suits want a future for all the characters in DC entertainment, but going forward with this will be an end, not a beginning.  Marvel will still be moving forward with it's expanding universe, and Warner Bros. will still be wishing they could take advantage of the large collection of characters that they still don't have an understanding of.

I guess in another decade they can try rebooting again...

Miss Directions...

Make the jump to Hyperspace... 

And so we have more rumors of Matthew Vaughn directing Episode VII...

Several sites are reporting an interview with Jason Flemyng, where he supposedly lets slip that Vaughn is working on the much hyped sequel to the successful franchise.  Now, it's not direct confirmation, but it's one more step in the line of confirmation that the director is in line to direct the film.

There are supposedly three directors that Kennedy and Lucasfilm have been talking to.  The Bothans I've talked to have said that Jon Favreau was the favorite to actually take the reigns of this productions.  I would much prefer Vaughn to him, but above all, I want Brad Bird.  He would create an amazing Star Wars film.  And if I can't have him for the first one, then maybe he can direct the TESB of this trilogy, or at least the Jedi closer.  And as much as I love Guillermo del Toro, and I know his name has been whispered about this by the fanboy community.  But I don't see him getting the job.  He's got too heavy a fingerprint on his films and I believe that Lucasfilm isn't going to want someone whose style will overwhelm or clash with the vision they want to bring across. 

Seeing as Bird is not the one to helm Star Wars: Episode VII at this time, I thought we'd offer Blue Sky Disney's pics for the top five directors we would choose to start this party.  Starting from five and counting down to one:


#5 Joe Johnston - The director behind "The Rocketeer" and Marvel's best solo effort, "Captain America" would be a solid director for the film.  He's a former Lucasfilm employee, he knows big budget effects films, and he knows Star Wars.

#4 Joseph Kosinski - His attention to detail, and clean vision would make for a very interesting Star Wars film.  Like Johnston, he's a veteran with FX films and could make for a unique choice.

#3 Drew Goddard - The director of "Cabin in the Woods" and co-writter with Joss Whedon, knows story structure, and is a rising film maker.  He would make a riskier choice, but would be a statement regarding the importance of story.  Not to mention, he could get Whedon to give his opinion of the script.

#2 Alfonso Cuaron - A great director who would be a fantastic statement that this project is an incredibly valuable property.  He would be able to translate the worlds we've come to know in Star Wars into a grand vista of epic proportions.

#1 Rupert Wyatt - If they were to choose this director, it would mean that the script/story is going to be smart.  It would be a proclamation that this is going to be a very layered film that won't talk down to the audience/fans like the Prequels did.  Hiring Wyatt would show that the Mouse is setting up this series as an extremely important series, and they want to get it right.


Of course, these are my picks and Kathleen and George don't know me from Adam, or Luke or Leia...

The Next Holy Grail...

Da, da, da, da, da, da, da... 

Now that the Mouse has finally done what I've been crusading for, it's time to get off that soapbox...


And get on another one.  The fact that we're going to have more Star Wars films is great news.  For fans, and for the series itself.  But since Lucasfilm owns Indiana Jones I wish to now get Disney to make more adventures of the Man in the Hat.

No, I'm not talking about a new film.  I'm talking about that animated series that Paul Dini wants to make. And yes, I know, I've mentioned it before.  But now that Disney owns Luke and Leia, it's time to move on to a new obsession.

It's not just me, artist Patrick Schoenmaker, he's the one that did the incredible art that I used for this post has been animating a short to show Lucasfilm that it should go ahead with an animated series.  He's doing it on his own dime and his own time.  Now if he can just get together with Dini, go in and pitch it to Kathleen Kennedy as a great thing for Disney XD or ABC Saturday morning then I'll be a very happy man.

Hey, how many people six months ago were getting tired of me talking about the virtues of Disney owning Lucasfilm because it was never going to happen?  Exactly.  I'd even settle for a CG series if they did it using these type of models, but I'd prefer good ole' fashioned hand drawn.  Imagine each week turning in to see Henry Jones Jr. on another adventure, trying to escape the clutches of death and watching each week as he cheats death, and searches for fortune and glory.  Maybe that's the way we get Iger, Horn and Kennedy to sign off on it?

Fortune and glory...

More Unexpected Journeys...

It's hard to believe that it's only a few weeks before the next adventure to Middle-Earth...

Peter Jackson, as always, knows how to keep the fans excited/interested in the upcoming prequel.  With each video blog, more and more layers of his interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic children's book: "The Hobbit" come to life.

Check out the latest installment in the series of videos to get a better picture of what to expect from the first third of this film.  Waiting three years to see a completed film would be a difficult proposition for most film makers, but Peter Jackson is no simple director.  Like Lucas, Spielberg and Disney himself, Jackson is a builder of worlds.  And worlds we tend be more forgiving while watching them being built, or unfolded in front of us.

A world is a great place to start a new beginning...

Thankful...

No turkey...

 To all of you and your family from all of us here at Blue Sky Disney, have a Happy Thanksgiving...

With all the problems in this world it's important every now and then to reflect on what we have to be appreciative for. So have a turkey leg, watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, sit back and not argue with that relative you only see this once a year. Oh, and after dinner you might want to gather everyone in the car and go see "Wreck-It Ralph" as a great way to cap off the night. Really. It's that good.

See you after the stuffing...

Jedi Mind Tricks...

These are the writers you are looking for...

Whoa, more and more awesomeness keeps leaking from this Bantha track...

Ok, if you don't know Star Wars then that really won't help or make sense.  Let's just say that with each passing moment, everything we hear that the Mouse/Lucasfilm are doing for the third trilogy is very smart.  They appear to be treating this like the property they know fans value so greatly.

If you haven't heard the news, Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: End of Days) have been hired to write the screenplays for Episode VIII and Episode IX.  It's not known if they will collaborate on each as partners or will one will tackle eight and the other nine.  Both will produce the film along with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy.

So from notes by Lucas, Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) created a forty/fifty page treatment, and will write the first film: Episode VII, Kasdan and Kinberg will write the rest and they will produce all three?  Thank the Maker!  Now all we need is a director.  Sadly, Brad Bird won't be the director (maybe he'll be the Irvin Kershner of this batch and direct the second if we're lucky), so who will it be?  I have my own ideas, but that'll be for a later post.

The opening crawl can't come soon enough...

A Study In Plaid...

Oh, tell us great plaid one... 




 

We have another short interview George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy...

It's the third in a series.  Each is about five or so minutes, and there are two more to go over the coming weeks.  Each one adds a little layer of thought, peeling the onion back to see the workings of a private man giving up his baby.

It's going to be interesting seeing what happens in a few years.  I know Kennedy has said that they want to get to a point where Lucasfilm is putting out 2-3 films a year, and I don't if this is a typo.  Did she mean a film every three years?  As in Star War films?  Or did she mean others as well?  Perhaps this is in regard to that magical creatures/fairies animated film that they were working on.

It's interesting times we live in.  Maybe the galaxy up north will be a bit larger than Star Wars and Indiana Jones?


Episode I: Disney and the Future.

Episode II: Getting Started On New Star Wars.

Episode III: An Interesting Proposal.


May the Forth episode of this be with us next week...

A Mouse Is Born...

Happy birthday to you... 

A famous celebrity was born today...


Even though there would be no Mickey with Oswald, there would be no Walt without the Mouse.

Happy Birthday, Mickey...

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...

Down The Yellowbrick Road...

As we get closer to the release of "Oz The Great And Powerful," a world emerges...

Traveling down the Yellowbrick Road, we can see the Oz that director Raimi is building.

 

Follow, follow, follow...

Fifty-Two Casting...

Decisions, decisions, sigh... 

So I take it this mean that Brad Bird may be too busy to film a Star Wars sequel...

George Clooney is apparently in talks to star in Walt Disney Pictures' "1952/Tesla" film project according to Variety.  We don't know how this affects the possibility of Bird being offered Episode VII (please let that happen), but it shows the faith of the Mouse in the project.

It also shows others have a strong belief in the project if actors of Clooney's caliber are willing/wanting to do the project.  The script by Damon Lindelof and Jeff Jensen generated a lot of buzz, and Disney believes this will be a tentpole film for their slate.

Of course, this was all began before the acquisition of Lucasfilm and the possibility of a new Star Wars film.  If the studio decides to go with Bird, and makes him an offer, it could always postpone or just push the shooting date of the film to allow the director to film Episode 7 first.  After all, the project hasn't got the greenlight yet.

And if any project has them seeing green, it's one in another galaxy right now...

The Force Is Strong With This One...

Star Wars films to infinity and beyond... 

Well, we now know who did that extensive treatment that Bob Iger mentioned in the announcement of Lucasfilm marrying the Mouse...

And it's not by George Lucas.

Vulture is reporting (and other sites are confirming) that Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) was/is the person responsible for the treatment for the storyline for the next trilogy of Star Wars films.  It wasn't just a proposal for the first film, Episode VII, it was a 40-50 page explanation/description of all three films.  And the treatment is supposed to go out to directors soon.  Brad Bird, J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg are mentioned, and it may not be just to see if they want to direct, but what they think of the new trilogy.

This is great news, not only because Arndt is a great writer, but he's an avid Star Wars fan, which means we won't see something like Jar Jar Binks, or Medaclorians.  It means that Disney and Kathleen Kennedy are taking this seriously, and don't plan on releasing a film that fans will hate.  It means that they actually care what the fans think, unlike Lucas, who created this universe, and never let anyone question him.  It means there won't be a room of Yes Men that tell George everything he writes is gospel, and nothing is wrong with it, or could be bad about it.  It means now others can play in George's sandbox.

And that is a good thing for Star Wars fans.  It means that we may get adventures in this wonderful universe that are worthy of its creation.  Now, if only Brad Bird were to postpone "1952" until after he finishes "Episode VII" it'd be the greatest news ever.  Well, not ever, but today at least.

This was great news today...

Hat Tip to /Film.

UPDATE:  Lucasfilm has confirmed Arndt will write Episode VII.

The Road To Oz...

Follow, follow, follow... 

A second poster has been released for "Oz: The Great and Powerful" today...

It's in the vein of the first one, albeit with more characters and more detail.  Same hot air balloon.  Is it just me, or does that castle look familiar?

I wonder how this film has changed from the script I read.  It'll be interesting seeing what Sam Raimi does now that his "Spider-Man" days are behind him.  His Oz will be interesting.

And it gets closer as we travel down the Yellow Brick Road...

Box Offic Wreckage...

49 million is a lot of quarters... 

Walt Disney Pictures had a very good weekend...

Walt Disney Animation Studios had its biggest box office opening ever.  The film was positively received, both critically, and financially.  With Rotten Tomatoes giving it 83%, and the public laying out 49.1 million in opening weekend, the Mouse has certainly moved beyond the decade+ of films that marked the downturn in Disney animation.

Ralph shows you that Iger bringing Pixar into the family was a great move.  John Lasseter has turned the ship around and it's headed forward back toward its former glory.  It's finally becoming common again for audiences to plan on going to see the yearly Disney animated feature, and expecting it to be quality entertainment.  Something that was lacking in films like "Chicken Little" and "Home on the Range."

And next year "Frozen" will go along way toward continuing this returning Disney standard...

After IX After Thoughts...

Nine is only the beginning...





 

We all know now that there will be a new trilogy of Star Wars films, but after that...


What comes next?  The Mouse has already said that new film based in the galaxy George Lucas created will happen ever two to three years, even after the trilogy is over.  So it will kind of be like the Bond series, except instead of it being about one character, I think it'll be about various characters in the Star Wars Universe.

Now, I though we'd look at what could be some of the possibilities for stories that could be done after these next three films.  The universe is big, and filled with endless stories waiting to be told.  So what are they?  Or better put, what could they be about?

Boba Fett film - Last year, director Joe Johnston mentioned how he would love to film a film about the infamous/beloved bounty hunter.  Many fans would love to see this happen (myself included).  Imagine a tale of the Star Wars Galaxy told from the perspective of someone who sees it from the shadows.  Not to mention the fact that it would be a film by the man that created the character.

The Old Republic - Image a story, or even a new trilogy, based on what happened before or during the Republic.  How the Sith and those in the Dark Side tried to take over the galaxy, before the Empire.  The early days of the Jedi.

Jedi Tales - Or they could just kick off with a secondary character from the trilogy and follow his battles, trials and triumphs as he hyper spaces through the galaxy.  We know that there will be many new characters introduced in the new films, who knows which ones will catch fire with the fan base, and then develop into a potential new franchise.

The Rebellion -  Imagine a retro tale about the forces of the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire.  Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are important parts of it, but there are/were many others that fought in the resistance.  Imagine if we had a film or trilogy that took place between "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back?"  Or even before "Return of the Jedi."  For that matter, it doesn't have to start around the original trilogy.  It could start a few years before and lead up to the people that found the plans for the Death Star and delivered them to the rebel princess.

Non-Jedi Tales - And who says that every story has to involve someone that carries a light sabre?  They could follow the story of a soldier, or battle weary warriors from distant planets.  Jedi aren't the only ones who populate this galaxy after all.

And these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg in this vast, vast universe...

A California Christmas...

Ho, ho, ho...

When you go to the Disneyland Resort today, if you go...

Christmas has arrived.  And if you head over to Disney California Adventure, you'll see the first examples of what will be the first Christmas holiday layovers.  The tree will be up, and slowly decorations will spread throughout Buena Vista Street, followed by the elaborate display that will come into Cars Land later in the week.  And the holiday entertainment and characters should be starting in a week.

Including a jolly, old man setting up in the park...

A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy...

You can't take it with you... 






 

So there appears to be more to the story of the sale than just wanting to move on...

It seems that there is a tax expiring at the end of the year, and George Lucas would have been paying at a much higher rate had he cashed out his chips at a later date.  By doing so now, he leaves his family with less of a bill, and his money bin will be a little fatter for him to dole out to charity.

The Bearded One doesn't fear fans or critics, but the IRS is another matter...

Many Bothans Died To Bring Us this Information...

If you've been reading this site for a while you know that Lucas was my soapbox...

I've written a lot of articles on George Lucas/Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Lucasfilm over the last four+ years.  And as soon as the news broke, comments started coming in, e-mails started arriving and many people showed up at my doorstep.  Ok, that last one didn't happen because I don't give out my address, but the others, they happened.

So for those of you that aren't long time readers, I figured I would give you a chance to see all those articles (or at least, most of them) that I used to make my case.  I had other signs, and clues, and even a few Bothans with hints, but mostly, it was the common sense of what just seems natural.  So without anymore fanfare, here for your perusal:



Disney Films That Aren't

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far In The Future

The Turn

The Master's Vision

Threequels

Stating The Obvious

Buying An Empire

I Am Empire



And then came the news last Tuesday...