At the D23 Expo 2011, held Aug. 19 – 21, John Lasseter and the Pixar team announced two new movie projects as part of the Walt Disney Studios presentation. Information on these two untitled movies – about dinosaurs and the mind, respectively – were released for the first time at the D23 produced event.
John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Executive of Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, made a point of noting the two project, which are just beginning development, are “original” films, meaning not based on previous Pixar films and created universes. Both movies will be released after “Monsters University,” due summer 2013.
At the D23 Expo presentation, Lasseter had members of each movie’s production team introduce their projects.
“The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs”
“The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs,” as the first film is called, will be produced by John Walker (“The Incredibles”) and directed by Bob Peterson (“Finding Nemo,” “Up”). Peterson is also known for his memorable voice works for Pixar, including Roz from “Monsters, Inc.” and Dug from “Up.”
After Peterson did a comic bit introducing himself and welcoming fans to the D23 Expo, the two provided a quick overview of the film.
The movie is based on the idea that dinosaurs still exist:
"What if that life-changing asteroid missed Earth? The hilarious tale depicts a world where dinosaurs never became extinct."
Peterson also talked about attending the New York World’s Fair when he as a child and seeing Walt Disney’s Animatronic dinosaurs. Peterson claimed that early experience has informed the film’s development.
While still in its early stages, a piece of concept art shown at the D23 Expo suggested a world in which humans and dinosaurs co-exist and interact, with a small human figure (a child?) riding on the back of a large dinosaur.
The film is slated for release Nov. 27, 2013, for the holiday season.
“The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind”
“The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind” is the second film, produced by Jonas Rivera (“Up") and directed by Pete Docter (“Up,” with Peterson).
Rivera warmed up the crowd by making fun of himself and his “filler” voice work for Pixar, as compared with Peterson’s memorable and beloved roles. He also said he was “a little terrified but mostly honored to tell [the audience] about the movie” that is Pixar’s furthest out in terms of the production.
The Pixar team described the film concept as
“a world that everyone knows but no one has seen: inside your own mind.”
Docter told the audience the film will focus on “What’s going on in people’s heads?” and address such questions as why songs get stuck in one’s mind.
As Pixar’s last film in development, Rivera and Docter had no footage or concept art to show at the D23 Expo, just a lot of enthusiasm for the project – enthusiasm that was matched by the audience’s reaction.
“The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind” is scheduled for a summer 2014 release.
“The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs” and “The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind” are the latest from Pixar, which just celebrated 25 years of filmmaking. These two original films, based on their descriptions and audience reaction, are a good start to the next 25 years.
As the Pittsburgh Movie Examiner, I attended the D23 Expo to provide first-hand coverage of upcoming Disney and Pixar movies, along with my colleague Danny Cox, the New Orleans Movie Examiner). Look for more coverage to come, including photos and video, now that the event has concluded.
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