Pete Docter: Celebs Rumors

Jordan Moreau Pixar‘s “Soul,” “Turning Red” and “Luca” are coming to theaters after they originally had streaming-only releases on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three movies will come to theaters nationwide in 2024, with tickets going on sale Jan. 2.

In an intriguing move, yet retro, move for Disney on the 2024 theatrical release calendar which is starving for product, three Pixar movies –2020’s Soul, 2021’s Luca and 2022’s Turning Red –which were sidelined on Disney+ during the pandemic, are getting special engagement theatrical runs. We hear all three will receive moderate to wide theatrical runs. The titles will remain in play on Disney+ during their new theatrical window.

Disney Pixar’s awaited Toy Story 5 could very well see the return of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks.Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Allen – who voices Buzz Lightyear in the beloved Toy Story franchise – revealed to the talkshow host that Disney has reached out to both him and Tom Hanks for a fifth Toy Story film. Tom Hanks famously voices the role of Woody.When asked by Fallon if a fifth Toy Story film was in the works, Allen replied: “Bob Iger, head of Disney, said it was on and actually said it was going to happen.

Disney and Pixar should have nothing to worry about, as far as attendance for Inside Out 2, as the film’s trailer unveiled on Thursday has had the biggest launch of any in the former studio’s history, unseating 2019’s Frozen 2 with an astounding 157 million views in just 24 hours.

Ethan Shanfeld People can’t get enough of Anxiety. Not the emotion, but rather Pixar’s newest animated character played by Maya Hawke, as “Inside Out 2” marks the biggest animated trailer launch in Disney history. The trailer to the animated sequel about personified feelings garnered 157 million views in 24 hours, according to Disney.

Valerie Wu Intern Skybound Entertainment, the company behind animated TV series “Invincible,” has acquired the historic Spike & Mike’s animation events, with plans for a revival. Marge Dean, head of studio at Skybound Entertainment, announced the news at Toronto’s Animation Industry Conference (TAAFI) on Saturday. Spike & Mike began in the 1970s as a curator of animated shorts.

Thomas Schumacher’s longtime reign atop the business operations of Disney Theatrical Group saw the division become a major player on Broadway and in the nation’s regional theaters, with such powerhouse productions as The Lion King and Aladdin becoming longrunning and touring stage staples.

Disney and Pixar announced on Monday that their animated feature Elemental, starring Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, has scored the biggest movie premiere of the year to date on Disney+, earning 26.4 million views in its first five days on the service.

Disney and Pixar’s Elemental is headed to Disney+ next week. The hit animated feature film will begin streaming on the service on September 13. Also hitting the streamer that day are the making-of documentary Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental and Pixar Animation Studios’ short Carl’s Date, featuring everyone’s favorite talking dog, Dug.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney+ customers can start streaming Pixar’s “Elemental” animated adventure next week. “Elemental” will hit Disney+ worldwide on Sept. 13, coming 89 days after the movie’s theatrical open.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Barbie” is a box office smash, along with its acclaim from critics and audiences alike. If you follow the social media chatter and the general feeling from most pundits, it could be a viable awards contender for Warner Bros. One category being debated is where the screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would be able to compete — whether in original or adapted screenplay. The answer lies in how the WGA classifies it and whether the Academy could or would overrule that choice. Variety confirms there are ongoing conversations with strategists and Warner Bros regarding where “Barbie” would compete at next year’s ceremony. On the title cards, it reads “Based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel,” which is, of course, a toy company. At the same time, there have been multiple CGI films and TV series featuring the fashion doll since its debut in the late 1980s (42 to be precise). This would point to an “adapted” run. However, take the case of Pixar’s inaugural feature “Toy Story” (1995), which picked up an original screenplay nom (Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow, John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft). In that case, it offers a pathway for original. The CGI classic features characters such as Mr. Potato Head, a Hasbro product, and other toys such as Etch A Sketch, Magic 8 Ball and even parts of Barbie herself. Part of the Mutant Toys, which are creations of Andy’s sadistic kid neighbor Sid, he has one called “Legs” — which are a pair of Barbie doll legs attached to a green toy fishing rod.

Disney was the final studio to present here at CineEurope in Barcelona, highlighting 17 upcoming films and bringing A Haunting in Venice star/director Kenneth Branagh to town, as well as a live performance of “This Wish” from animated adventure Wish which releases in November.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Pixar’s chief creative officer Pete Docter recently told the press that he doesn’t “think of Pixar as making children’s programming.” By the look of box office returns for the studio’s recent animated offerings, it would appear that kids have taken notice — and haven’t been so inclined to watch those movies in theaters. Over the weekend, “Elemental” collapsed at the domestic box office with a $29.5 million opening, by far the worst debut in Pixar’s 28-year history. Even forgettable Pixar adventures, like 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur” ($39 million), 2020’s “Onward” ($39 million) and last year’s massive money-loser “Lightyear” ($51 million), managed to fill more seats in their opening weekends.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Pete Docter, Pixar’s creative chief officer, is hoping the animation studio’s 27th release, “Elemental,” will draw families to movie theaters this weekend. Peter Sohn‘s film is a story about immigration, families, duty and love. Not only does Docter say the visuals are “a spectacle,” but believes it should be experienced with an audience. Docter, who has been with the studio since the beginning and was upped to CCO in 2018, has come under criticism recently that Pixar has lost its magic touch. Here, Docter sits down with Variety over Zoom to discuss Pixar’s approach to programming, Cannes, “Elemental,” and what’s next for the studio.

K.J. Yossman Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in Disney’s animated feature of the same name, is set to narrate a new documentary titled “Pencils Vs Pixels.” Co-directed by Bay Dariz (“Hypochondriac”) and Phil Earnest, “Pencils Vs Pixels” is a celebration of 2D hand-drawn animation. The documentary, which will have its world premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival next week, will explore the Disney-led 2D animation boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s which was soon eclipsed by the dawn of computer animation. But, as the film shows, a resurgence of 2D animation suggests there is still hope for the medium.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Somehow, the movie is even more ambitious and complex than the original film. Not only is it significantly more complicated on a visual level, but the emotions this time around are even deeper, as we traverse the larger Spider-Verse with Miles and Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), meet the hard-assed Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and ponder the question: can you even be Spider-Man without being saddled with a tragic backstory?TheWrap sat down with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” writers and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with the directors Kemp Powers, Justin K.

seven – years of hard work on his sophomore film and the culmination of a journey that began at the end of his first feature, “The Good Dinosaur.”TheWrap spoke with Sohn and producer Denise Ream at Pixar Animation Studios about the unlikely origins of the film and why it took so long.“So much of the time was figuring out the pipeline,” Sohn explained. “Because none of this had been done before.

Carole Horst For 50 years, it’s been a safe place for storytellers – musicians, animators, directors, writers, artists of all kinds – to learn, grow and thrive. As CalArts celebrates its golden anniversary, it also faces the future head-on.  Broad trustee emeritus Tim Disney, whose great-grandfather, Walt Disney, laid the foundation for what is now a world-class arts school, says that CalArts was founded with very large-scale, utopian ideas by Walt Disney. “Disneyland and CalArts were very grand things,” Disney says, adding that Walt died before the school opened and that his grandfather, Roy Disney, “had the very hard job” seeing the plans through. “His commitment was a very beautiful thing.” 

Pixar’s Elemental will have its world premiere screening at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on May 27.

Elemental.” Positioned as the closing night film of the fest’s 76th edition, “Elemental” marks Pixar’s return to the Croisette, following world premieres of “Up,” “Inside Out” and “Soul.”“For many years, the Cannes Film Festival has welcomed animated films from around the world,” Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s general delegate, said in a statement Wednesday. “Pixar Animation Studios, with ‘Up’—directed by Pete Docter—made Cannes history by opening the 62nd edition of the Festival in 2009.

Pixar Animation Studio title Elemental has been announced as the closing film of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, running from May 16 to 27.

On paper, Pixar was right to think “Lightyear” was going to be a hit. Per usual, the film featured an incredible, star-studded cast.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who during their day job are the minds behind Nine Inch Nails, have announced they’ll be reteaming with director David Fincher for this fall’s “The Killer.” This is their fifth collaboration with Fincher after “The Social Network,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl,” and “Mank.”“The Killer” is currently cloaked in secrecy (this is a David Fincher project, after all), but it is based on the French comic book series by Alexis Nolent (aka Matz). The project stars Michael Fassbender as the title character (his first role since 2019’s regrettable X-Men romp “Dark Phoenix”) along with Charles Parnell, Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard and Sophie Charlotte in supporting roles.

One of the big reveals from last year’s D23 Expo was that Pixar will be returning to the world of Riley and her colorful emotions with “Inside Out 2,” scheduled to come out on June 14, 2024. During the announcement, original “Inside Out” director (and Pixar’s chief creative officer) Pete Docter was joined by Amy Poehler, who voiced Joy.

And the Student Academy Awards go to …

D23 Expo, Pixar bigwig Pete Docter announced a brand new Pixar movie, coming out in spring 2024, called “Elio.”The plot revolves around Elio, a kid who can’t exactly fit in, who accidentally makes first contact with an alien species. He’s beamed up to the “Commutiverse,” a “sparking space-city” that is like the intergalactic UN that is described as “outer space like no one has seen before.” Director Adrian Molina, who was the co-director of Pixar’s charming “Coco,” directs “Elio” solo.

Disney’s Pixar today confirmed its plans for a sequel to its critically acclaimed animated film Inside Out. The studio made the announcement during its D23 showcase, spotlighting projects across its live-action and animated slates, with both the original’s director Pete Docter and its voice actor Amy Poehler in attendance to tout the new project.

In what Criterion is describing as their “first collaboration” with fabled animation studio Pixar, Andrew Stanton’s “WALL•E” will be joining the collection this November (spine #1161). And, typical of Criterion releases, it will be festooned with special features, including a new essay (by Sam Wasson), a pair of audio commentaries and a new documentary called “WALL•E A to Z,” featuring co-writer/director Andrew Stanton and writer Jim Reardon.“WALL•E,” released back in 2008, originated as an idea from “Up” director (and current Pixar chief creative officer) Pete Docter called “Trash Planet.” Soon the idea mutated, as it was passed to Stanton and the focus became squarely on a small, lonely robot inhabiting an abandoned, garbage-covered Earth.

The Visual Effects Society today announced the newest inductees into the VES Hall of Fame, including pioneering animator, producer and director Mary Ellen Bute; the first woman to ever direct a film, Alice Guy-Blaché; American computer scientist Grace Hopper; commercial computer animation visionary Bill Kovacs and Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer George Pal. The Hall of Fame inductees – and other special honorees – will be celebrated at a special event this Fall.

Pam Hogarth will be this year’s recipient of the Visual Effects Society’s Founders Award for her contributions to the art, science and business of visual effects and for her meritorious service to the Society. She and Jeff Barnes, Patricia “Rose” Duignan, Toni Pace Carstensen and David Tanaka will also be presented with lifetime VES memberships, while three-time Oscar-winning director Pete Docter will be made an honorary member.

Toby Emmerich’s exit as chairman of the Warner Bros. Pictures group, and the ascension of former MGM film leaders Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, are just the latest instances of upheaval in what is already shaping up to be a tempestuous new era at the studio behind Harry Potter and Batman.Emmerich’s ouster has been gossiped about for years, dating back well before the company was sold to Discovery. Still, his decision to leave for a production deal stunned executives on the studio’s Burbank lot, many of whom had worked with Emmerich for decades.

“Lightyear” was announced as part of the Disney Investors Day, a presentation meant to drum up interest in upcoming Disney projects while assuring the market that, yes, 2020 was a very lousy year but there’s plenty to get excited about still. Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter explained that “Lightyear” wasn’t a new “Toy Story” film, exactly, but rather the film that inspired the toy that Andy loved so dearly.

Turning Red,” Pixar director Domee Shi has been promoted to a key leadership role alongside the film’s producer, Lindsey Collins. Shi has been named a creative vice president at Pixar, joining a creative leadership team that also includes chief creative officer Pete Docter, “Finding Nemo” director Andrew Stanton, “Onward” director Dan Scanlon and “The Good Dinosaur” director Peter Sohn.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterPixar Animation Studios is promoting “Turning Red” producer Lindsey Collins and director Domee Shi into leadership roles at the company.Collins has been named into a new position, as senior vice president of development.

Bao, a Pixar short in which a woman’s bao bun lunch comes to life and grows from an adorable dumpling into a surly steamed-up teenager. It was an allegory for motherhood. Following the film’s warm reception (it eventually won the Oscar for Best Animated Short), her Pixar colleagues asked her to pitch ideas for a feature.