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....

28 Years Versus 28 Months...

Game on, again...




I'm sure you all saw that post over at Ain't It Cool News yesterday...

Now, I have no confirmation of this. In fact, I've been waiting to hear back from several bothans, and I know as of last week the Bothans in Glendale were still waiting to hear if their proposals would be moving forward out of the blue sky phase.

But according Harry and his sources, the Mouse is about to green light a third Tron film. A sequel to Legacy would be the second of a proposed new trilogy that sets the original in a place of its own. Now I know many people didn't expect another Tron film, several have considered this one a bomb. It's not a bomb, but it certainly isn't the "Star Wars" type of blockbuster that Disney was hoping for. That said, it has just crossed the $300 million figure and will likely top out between $350 and $400 million global. Not bad, but for it to have been the hit Burbank Suits were wanting, it would have had to come close to half a billion. Still, the merchandise is selling well, the ElecTRONica event at DCA is a HUGE hit that has been extended to April (at least) and there are still those cable, pay-per-view and DVD/Blu-Ray sales to consider.

When it all comes to a close the film will be profitable, but the question is how popular? And if that will be enough to green light another film. One thing I can tell you is that if another film comes together, John Lasseter and the Brain Trust will have much more say in the story. Rich Ross has been actively involving John in the process far more than Dick Cook ever did. He's been picking apart what the folks at the Lamp feel about much of the upcoming slate. So if we do get to go on the grid, next time you're going to see a more solid script before they start filming. From what I've heard, the animated series is still going ahead. Nothing has been stopped, no plugs have been pulled. So all you haters can hold off on your funeral for Kevin Flynn and his kin.

There may yet be another chance to ride those light cycles...

The Plot Thinkens, Or Didn't...

The way a film comes together is interesting. The way a Pixar film comes together is fascinating...

When animated movies are made they start off in storyboard phase and then sometimes move to animatics (moving storyboards with temp dialog and music). At the Lamp this has been refined to an art based on the final result of their ten films. Lots of preliminary art is done, plot lines are worked, reworked and spit back out. Check out that piece of art by Lou Romano for an early version of Charles Muntz. He also produced an earlier version of the long lost explorer that Carl Fredricksen idolises, holding an egg that held within it the germ of an earlier version of the story.

MTV's Movie Blog has a nice article about that version of the film before it got streamlined. A version that held more layers inside this wonderful story. That's one of the many great things about Pixar: the fact that within the story you can find hidden pages that tell an even deeper tale.

But perhaps one that will never, fully be told...

NOTE: Am I seeing things or does that earlier pic of Charles Muntz look like Walt Disney?