Tag Archives: Pixar

Dory swims back to theatres this summer in ‘Finding Nemo’ sequel

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Here’s a first look at Disney & Pixar’s sequel Finding Dory. It picks up six months after the events of 2003’s Finding Nemo and it explores the origin story of everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang fish, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres). Instead of getting lost like Nemo does in the original, in the sequel Dory and friends (including clownfish Nemo and Nemo’s father Marlin) go on an adventure in search of answers about her past. Along the way we’ll discover Dory’s parents (voiced by Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy) and we’ll find out where she learned to speak Whale. The first teaser trailer, embedded above, is a slice of nostalgia as it instantly transports you back to the animated blue ocean we all fell in love with in ’03.

Andrew Stanton returns as director. Filling out the star-studded voice cast are Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, and Ty Burrell.

Finding Dory swims into theatres June 17, 2016. Pop after the break to view the initial theatrical poster. Continue reading Dory swims back to theatres this summer in ‘Finding Nemo’ sequel →

Pixar forgoes dialogue to set the mood in its next adventure ‘The Good Dinosaur’

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Disney and Pixar pick up right where they left off in this first official trailer for the upcoming animated pic The Good Dinosaur. The June teaser ended with a heartwarming glimpse at a green dinosaur and his pet human (more on that in a second), and the new trailer comes to life with an elevated sense of discovery, trepidation, and adventure.

The Good Dinosaur asks this question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? The film follows an Apatosaurus named Arlo and Spot the cave-boy. Director Peter Sohn, a Pixar Story Artist who previously worked on films such as Finding Nemo and Up!, describes Dino as a boy-and-his-dog story, except here the roles are reversed. “Arlo himself is what we would have become, able to articulate and have certain emotions and connection to family,” says Sohn. [The dinosaurs have] become us, essentially… I’m trying to treat Spot in a very kind of animalistic way, where he doesn’t speak very much. He’s very feral.”

You’ll notice the trailer barely includes any dialogue, besides a few grunts and growls. Featured prominently is the song “Crystals” by Of Monsters and Men, a sweet tune that succinctly sets the mood for Pixar’s latest adventure. I say, who needs dialogue in a trailer that so magically brings to life an alternate reality ruled by dinosaurs; the animation here is incredibly life-like at times and pushes CGI to new limits. What say you?

The Good Dinosaur hits theatres November 25.

Pixar imagines a world where dinos rule in next animated pic ‘The Good Dinosaur’

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Inside Out hasn’t even hit theatres yet (June 19 where are you?!) and Pixar is already readying audiences for its next animated flick, The Good Dinosaur. A basic teaser trailer came out today and it begs the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? That’s what Pixar is pitching with The Good Dinosaur, which stars Arlo the Apatosaurus (voiced by Raising Hope‘s Lucas Neff) and his small human cave-boy friend Spot.

In an interview with Yahoo, director Peter Sohn–who last helmed Ponyo and served as a Story Artist on other Pixar films like Up!, Wall-E, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo–describes the film as a boy-and-his-dog story, except here the roles are reversed. “Arlo himself is what we would have become, able to articulate and have certain emotions and connection to family,” says Sohn. [The dinosaurs have] become us, essentially… I’m trying to treat Spot in a very kind of animalistic way, where he doesn’t speak very much. He’s very feral.”

While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. The teaser does little in the way of expanding upon this general logline; it does, however, successfully set up breathtaking landscapes and it leaves you with Pixar’s signature warmth at the end. That heartwarming dino-human print is featured on the first official poster for the movie and it hangs after the break.

The Good Dinosaur roars into theatres November 25.

Update (6/12): The Good Dinosaur‘s voice cast is undergoing major changes. Lucas Neff is out and child actor Raymond Ochoa (Mars Needs Moms) is in to voice Arlo the Apatosaurus. Deadline reports the rest of the new cast: “Jeffrey Wright as Arlo’s dad, Poppa; Steve Zahn as a pterodactyl named Thunderclap; AJ Buckley as Nash, a T-rex; Anna Paquin as Ramsey the T-rex; Sam Elliott as a tough T-rex named Butch and Marcus Scribner as Arlo’s brother Buck.” Continue reading Pixar imagines a world where dinos rule in next animated pic ‘The Good Dinosaur’ →

Frantic emotions star in Pixar’s latest ‘Inside Out’

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The next film from Pixar, the makers of Up, Toy Story 3, and Finding Nemo, is Inside Out and it looks like a ton of fun. The first full trailer that’s embedded above is so much more than the teaser that preceded it. The entirety of it takes place at the dinner table with Riley and her mom and dad. Riley’s first day of school didn’t go so well, and when her parents prod her about it we take a journey inside all three of their minds. It’s an interesting move, creatively speaking, to have people’s emotions star in a movie. But from this early sneak peek I am confident Pixar has another hit on its hands. Also, the voice cast happens to be A+: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) star as Riley’s main emotions.

Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up) directs Inside Out, out June 19, 2015.

‘Toy Story 4’ is in the works

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I’m a bit up in the air about this. Disney and Pixar so eloquently closed out the Toy Story trilogy in 2010 when Andy goes off to college and his toys–including Woody and Buzz–are handed off to a new owner, little Bonnie. What can possibly come next that’s worthy enough to warrant another sequel and potentially the start of a new trilogy? Pixar’s been successful at bringing new life to the toys in animated shorts premiering before other Disney movies and on ABC. But a whole new theatrical release? As much as I adore Woody and the gang, do we want to keep this party going for the sake of keeping it going? Pixar Chief Creative Officer and Toy Story 1 & 2 director John Lasseter attempted to get ahead of fan skepticism with this statement made on the day Disney announced the film’s development:

We love these characters so much; they are like family to us. We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before. ‘Toy Story 3’ ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another ‘Toy Story’ movie. But when Andrew, Pete, Lee and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.

Consider my fears quelled, for now.

Toy Story 4 is coming to theatres June 16, 2017 with Celeste and Jesse Forever writing parters Rashida Jones (yes, of Parks and Recreation) and Will McCormack penning the script.

Movie trailer round-up: Pixar’s ‘Inside Out,’ ‘American Sniper,’ ‘Taken 3’, ‘Interstellar’ & ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’

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Pixar’s latest movie, Inside Out, will take audiences inside the mind. Emotions such as Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness serve as the film’s main characters. The first teaser trailer, embedded above, features mostly a look back at Pixar’s greatest hits but it is tagged with the following synopsis that provides more plot detail:

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Looks like fun! Inside Out hits theatres in 3D on June 19, 2015.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Pixar’s ‘Inside Out,’ ‘American Sniper,’ ‘Taken 3’, ‘Interstellar’ & ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ →

‘Finding Nemo’ sequel ‘Finding Dory’ is official with Andrew Stanton & Ellen DeGeneres on board

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The next Disney-Pixar film in the works is the long-awaited sequel to 2003’s award-winning Finding Nemo. This time, moviegoers are Finding Dory, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Nemo director Andrew Stanton returns with DeGeneres for the sequel. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton in a press release. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In Finding Dory, she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

Finding Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life. The remainder of the voice cast has not been confirmed, but who else except Albert Brooks could bring Marlin back to life?

DeGeneres also commented on the exciting news. “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” the comic and talk show host said. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

And get this: they’ve even set a date so mark your calendars accordingly. Finding Dory swims into theatres November 25, 2015.

[Via Disney]

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Dredd’, ‘Taken 2’, ‘V/H/S’, ‘Monsters University’ & ‘Hotel Transylvania’ [Update: 3 more trailers!]

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Lionsgate is outputting a remake of the critically panned Sylvester Stallone vehicle Judge Dredd. The new one is simply called Dredd and it stars Karl Urban (Star Trek) as the judge, jury, and executioner. He is assigned to rookie Cassandra Anderson (played by Olivia Thirlby) and together they attempt to take down prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma (played by Game of Thrones‘ Lena Headey). The film, directed by Pete Travis (Vantage Point) promises to return “the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.” Will the remake end up being better than the corny original? You be the judge.

Dredd opens in 3D on September 21.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Dredd’, ‘Taken 2’, ‘V/H/S’, ‘Monsters University’ & ‘Hotel Transylvania’ [Update: 3 more trailers!] →

Trailer round-up: ‘Hotel Transylvania’ & ‘Brave’ [Update: ‘This Is 40’ & ‘Prometheus’]

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The next movie from Sony Pictures Animation is Hotel Transylvania, and Adam Sandler is Dracula. Here’s a nice and tidy synopsis:

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world’s most famous monsters — Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more — to celebrate his daughter Mavis’s 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem — but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

The talented voice cast includes Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, David Koechner, Cee Lo Green, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, and David Spade. Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of popular animated TV series like Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and most recently Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is directing. Hotel Transylvania hits theatres in 3D on September 28.

Now jump after the break for another look at Pixar’s Brave. Continue reading Trailer round-up: ‘Hotel Transylvania’ & ‘Brave’ [Update: ‘This Is 40’ & ‘Prometheus’] →

Trailer: Pixar’s ‘Brave’

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Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) stars in this first full-length trailer for Pixar’s upcoming thirteenth animated film, Brave. Though this longer introduction isn’t as breathtaking as the teaser trailer that came before it, the sheer beauty of the animation style still holds up and my anticipation for the June 22, 2012 3D release doesn’t waver. What do you think of this grander look at Pixar’s latest?

Pixar ventures into new territory with upcoming fairy tale ‘Brave’ [Update: teaser trailer]

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Oh, isn’t it beautiful? Take some time to scan the official movie poster for Pixar’s Brave above.

Pixar’s thirteenth animated film Brave is going to shake things up on more than one level. Firstly, go girls: Brenda Chapman is helming the film alongside Mark Andrews; she is the Pixar’s first female director. In addition, the movie stars Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the first female protagonist in a Pixar film. Second, Brave plans to go where no Pixar film has ventured before. “What we want to get across [with the teaser] is that this story has some darker elements,” co-director Mark Andrews spills to EW. “Not to frighten off our Pixar fans — we’ll still have all the comedy and the great characters. But we get a little bit more intense here.”

The animation is spectacular, and the first official poster really does an impressive job getting that idea across. The detail is incredible. See those stones looming behind the letters? “[They] are actually a pretty important set in the film,” producer Katherine Sarafian tells EW. “We can’t say what happens there, but they were inspired by an actual location in Scotland that we visited multiple times during our research. It was a very powerful setting for the kind of things we want to have happen in the story.”

Here’s a brief synopsis of the story: Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters) and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).

Brave is slated to release in 3D on June 22, 2012. After a look at this grand poster, anticipation is high. A teaser trailer is expected to play before Cars 2 (which hits theatres tomorrow, June 24). Once it hits the ‘Net I’ll make sure to embed it after the break.

Update: The teaser trailer has arrived. And it’s just as gorgeous and thrilling as you probably expected it to be. Watch it after the break.

[Via EW-InsideMovies] Continue reading Pixar ventures into new territory with upcoming fairy tale ‘Brave’ [Update: teaser trailer] →