Should You Choose To Except This Assignment...

Brad Bird is a frickin' genius...

I have loved everything he has done. From "The Simpsons" to "Family Dog" to "The Iron Giant" to The Incredibles" to "Ratatouille." Everything he's done is great, well crafted and extremely entertaining. And I was looking forward to him directing his first live-action film, "1906" for 2011/12. But we broke (hear that Hollywood Reporter?) the news that the Suits over at Warner were nervous handing a guy that had never done live action such a large budget production and had gotten cold feet.

And then the news came last month about him being up for the fourth "Mission Impossible" film starring Jerry Maguire. Surprising but not unpleasant news, I must say. I was underwhelmed by the first two of the films, but actually loved J.J. Abrams take on the series. I would think that this third sequel would be my most anticipated were the director to be named Bird. And now that may happen. It's all a matter of money right now. And in Hollywood, that's the bottom line. He and the studio will have to reach an agreement soon because they want the sequel out Memorial Day, 2011. Ok Paramount operatives, hire the Bird and this difficult mission will commence immediately.

This post will self destruct in ten seconds...

Hat Tip to Vulture via /Film.

The Earthquake That Will Never Be...

In 1906 an earthquake hit the city of San Fransisco that absolutely devastated the area beyond all recognition...

And Brad Bird was nowhere to be seen. Remember Brad Bird? He's the amazingly gifted director that has produced genius works like "The Iron Giant," "The Incredibles," and "Ratatouille." Bird's current project, one that he's been actively working on for the last two years is "1906." It's the project he was working on after The Incredibles when John Lasseter asked him to direct a film about a cooking rat. Out of respect for John he set it aside and began trying to rework Jan Pinkava's original concept into something filmable. After it was all over he went back to his passion project and he's been there ever since.

Time has kept ticking and it seems no closer to being made than before. There is no official start date. There is no studio approval from Warner or its Disney-Pixar partnership. Yes, the Mouse is involved, but Warner is the active partner in this. The budget and length of the script are said to be problems for the Suits that weld power over Brad's fate. And there is doubt that they will give it approval. Bird has turned in at least two drafts and is awaiting a decision. Several Bothans that I talked to are starting to express doubt that it'll ever come to pass. Not that it isn't a great script that would make a great film, but the length and size of the budget make some at Warner very nervous. Think of it as a project of "Titanic" proportions and yes I meant the innuendo.

And so Brad Bird waits. The question is how long will he wait if the Suits continue to have cold feet? He's already been away for two years. Will he try and get the studio to release the project if they turn him down? Perhaps he'll go back to Pixar and start working on another film (Incredibles 2, Ray Gunn)? Or move on to another live-action project? We don't know for sure, but if this film isn't in pre-production by the end of 2010, it most likely won't happen. Or at least won't happen anytime soon. And then we'll have to wonder what else Bird has up his sleeve. Does he have something else brewing as a back up? Another passion that awaits to be filmed. Live-action or animation, it doesn't matter to me because Brad Bird is a genius and I await anything he does. I don't care if it's this film about an earthquake or something else.

Either way, it'll be an earthquake to me to hear Brad is working on something...

The Greatest Non-Disney Animated Film. Ever...

Ten years ago today the best animated film ever made without the name Disney on it came out...

Brad Bird is a genius. More so than even Lasseter, but he doesn't want to run a studio. He just wants to make great, entertaining films. He's done so with each and every one of them so far. But his greatest film, is his first film.

"The Iron Giant" came out on this day a decade ago today. It cost upwards of $70 million dollars. It earned $23 million at the box office. At the time the perception by the Suits/Analyst/Bean Counters of Warner Bros. was that it was a flop. And it was, monetarily speaking, but it got glowing reviews. It was victim of timing and circumstance... over the years, the public has grown more love and acceptance for it. It is/was a film ahead of its time.

It is the best animated film that Warner Bros. ever made or likely will ever make. If all their animated fare was as good as or close to this kind of quality then Disney and even Pixar would have serious competition. But the Mouse and Lamp have nothing to worry about. Bird has now gone on to film live action films, I only hope that he hasn't left the animated world totally behind him. It's interesting that his live-action film is being co-produced by Warner and Disney. I'll bet you can tell I'm fond of this film, huh? I'm not the only one.

You can be anything you want, you can be Superman...