Monsters, Inc. 3D Now Set For December!

Disney had previously announced that, after the success of The Lion King 3D, it would be re-releasing several more films from its catalogue of animated features, two of these being from the library of beloved Pixar films. Finding Nemo 3D is set to arrive in September this year, and Monsters, Inc. 3D was scheduled for release in January 2013, but has now reportedly been moved up to December of 2012!

The 3D re-release of the original Monsters will help set the stage and excitement for its prequel Monsters University, which will hit theaters six months later. I am excited to relive the experience of watching the original 2001 film in theaters (this time in the third-dimension) as Monsters, Inc. is one of my favorite Pixar films, and one of my all-time favorite movies overall.

Monsters, Inc. 3D hits theaters on December 19, 2012, just in time for this year's holiday season!

Randy Newman Scoring 'Monsters University'

Up until recently, the composer for Pixar's upcoming 2013 prequel, Monsters University, remained unknown. Last month, however, at the world premiere for Brave, Randy Newman, who has previously scored numerous Pixar films including the original Monsters, Inc., confirmed that he would be composing the music for Mike and Sulley's new adventure. He further elaborated saying that he'll be writing an original song for the film, just as he did for the monster duo's film debut in 2001.

Watch the interview here:

Monsters University will mark the seventh time Newman composes for Pixar, after Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Cars, and most recently Toy Story 3. He won Oscars for the original songs he wrote for Monsters and TS3; "If I Didn't Have You" and "We Belong Together", respectively.

I am particularly fond of Newman's score for the original Monsters, Inc., so I am ecstatic to hear that he will be returning for the prequel, as I am sure he will add some delightful music to the franchise.

Finding Nemo Sequel In the Works?

You've probably heard the peculiar news that popped up Tuesday morning regarding a sequel to one of Pixar's most beloved films, Finding Nemo. A story by Deadline claims that Andrew Stanton (director of the original Nemo as well as Pixar's WALL-E and the recent Disney live-action film John Carter) is currently back at Pixar developing a Finding Nemo 2.

According to Deadline, Stanton hopes that by making a sequel to his Oscar-winning animated film to make up for the $200 million loss that his live-action directorial debut John Carter cost Disney (although the film's bad marketing is likely to blame, not Stanton), the company would give him another chance at directing another live-action film.

I, along with many others, find it incredibly hard to believe that Stanton would be agreeing to do a sequel to Nemo (one of the studio's finest films in my opinion) just for the sake of getting to possibly do a, say, John Carter 2. It just doesn't seem right, given that Pixar has stated it will only produce sequels if it has a story just as good as or even better than the original. Deadline does state, however, that Stanton "has a concept the studio loves", but we're still unsure about how much of this story is actually true. If we really are getting a Finding Nemo 2, however, then Andrew must have come up with a heck of a story.

The Hollywood Reporter later stated that Lindsey Collins (co-producer on WALL-E and producer of John Carter) will be producing the Nemo sequel, and that Victoria Strouse is supposedly writing. Again, nothing has been officially confirmed by neither Pixar nor Disney.

I had always somewhat dreaded the idea of a sequel to Finding Nemo, as it is a perfect stand-alone film and even has the words "the end" in its final shot, but when I think about it now, a Nemo 2 might not be quite as bad as I imagined it in the past. I am confident that Pixar has not lost its touch and still has the ability to make films that can be forever cherished by audiences around the globe, so if Andrew Stanton really does have an idea so great that it deserves to be made into a film, so be it. I have no doubt that it would be a great film. Although I would much rather see a sequel to The Incredibles, as I am sure most people would too.

Finding Nemo 2 would no doubt break box office records, possibly even beating Toy Story 3 for the title of highest-grossing animated feature of all time. After all, the original Nemo held that record until the Toy Story threequel came along in 2010.

The news of Stanton working on a Finding Nemo sequel was met with uproar on the Internet when it broke on Tuesday. Most die-hard Pixar fanatics weren't too keen on the idea of a Nemo 2, but many others seemed to be overjoyed at the idea of a sequel. "Finding Nemo 2" quickly rose to the top of the list of worldwide trends on Twitter, and stayed on there for the rest of the day. Of course, many ignorant people quickly jumped to the conclusion that Finding Nemo 2 had been officially announced, and seemed to all of a sudden think the same about a Toy Story 4 and Monsters, Inc. 2. Although we do indeed have another entry into the Monsters franchise coming next year, it's been a while since it was announced that the film would be a prequel titled Monsters University, and a teaser trailer for the upcoming film was even released last month. "Toy Story 4" and "Monsters Inc. 2" soon joined the Twitter trends list. But just to clear things up, contrary to popular belief, Toy Story 4 and Monsters, Inc. 2 are in no way whatsoever being produced at the moment.

Andrew Stanton himself soon tweeted:

"Didn't you all learn from Chicken Little? Everyone calm down. Don't believe everything you read. Nothing to see here now. ‪#skyisnotfalling"

Now this isn't entirely denying the fact that Nemo 2 isn't indeed being worked on at Pixar, but it is implying that some element of the news reported on Tuesday may not be completely true; whether it be that a Finding Nemo 2 is coming our way, or simply that Stanton is doing the film just for the opportunity to do another live-action flick.

I guess we'll have to wait for official confirmation from the studio.

'Time Travel Mater' Now Online!

The latest Cars Toon to come out from Pixar takes Mater back in time, to the very beginning of Radiator Springs, and you can now watch the great new short on the web!

Time Travel Mater premiered on TV a few weeks back with the opening of Cars Land, but now all can enjoy the short film via YouTube.

Check it out below:

This marks the eleventh Cars Toon (as well as the third short film produced at Pixar Canada), and as all the previous ones, is a quick-paced but fun and entertaining adventure with the buck-toothed tow truck and the hotshot racecar Lightning McQueen.

Which of Mater's tall tales has been your favorite?

(via A113Animation)

'Brave' Now Available for Pre-Order

Only three weeks after its release in theaters, Pixar's animated feature Brave is now available for pre-order on the popular online retailer Amazon.

Like previous Disney and Pixar home releases, a 3-disc collector's edition (with two Blu-ray discs and a DVD) and a 5-disc "Ultimate Collector's Edition" (which includes a 3D Blu-ray disc, two regular Blu-rays, a DVD, and a digital copy) will be released.

No release date has been announced just yet, but expect sometime around November or December. There's a possibility that it could arrive on the the same day as the Nemo Blu-ray, but most of the time Pixar releases their films on the home video format in early November, just before the holiday season.

I'm also quite excited to see what bonus features Pixar packs into the Brave home release, but I am sure that whatever they put in will not disappoint fans of the studio.

Will you be pre-ordering Brave, or will you wait until it is available in stores?

Review: 'Brave' Is a Winner!

It's been over two weeks since Pixar's thirteenth animated feature film, Brave, hit theaters, so I think it's about time that I posted my honest opinion on the film. So here it goes.

You may have been hearing a lot of these "Pixar is losing its touch" rumors, but honestly, you should take these rumors with a grain of salt. Sure, Cars 2 wasn't quite as spectacular as other Pixar classics like WALL-E and Up, but it was no piece of junk. Brave is proof that Pixar can still make films worthy of being called masterpieces.

When I first heard that Pixar was doing a fairy tale, I wasn't too keen on the idea, but Brave colors outside the lines and doesn't follow the typical fairy tale formula. Yes, it borrows some familiar elements, like the inclusion of a witch and a magical curse, but it has enough originality to keep you intrigued. And since Brave focuses heavily on the mother-daughter bond between Merida and Elinor, there is no need for any romance in this movie.

Pixar has a history of making audiences tear up during their films, and the talented artists and storytellers at the studio have once again inserted a heartfelt story with a touching moral into their tale. Remember to bring tissues when you watch Brave, just in case. Even if you are not a daughter or a mother, you'll be able to relate to the characters and the story in some way. By the end of the third act, you'll feel like Merida and Elinor are close friends, and you can feel both their joy and pain.

The characters in Brave are phenomenal. Merida, Elinor, Fergus, the triplets, and all these others fit right in with the classic characters that we know and love from past Pixar movies, and they already feel like part of the ever-growing Pixar family.

From a technical standpoint, Pixar continues to improve even more with each film they produce. Brave is the most visually-stunning film to come out from the studio to date, with breathtaking Scottish landscapes that will leave you in awe. And let's not forget Merida's fascinating red hair, which could be considered a  milestone in animation.

Brave is also enriched with composer Patrick Doyle's wonderful score for the film, which captures the feel of Scotland and is overall very pleasant to listen to. The film is also accompanied by three songs, which are all extremely beautiful, and as I have stated before, some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. They make the scenes in which they are played even better.

Pixar is yet to disappoint me, because I am proud to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of every single one of their films to date, and it's not just because I am a faithful fanboy of the studio. In every single movie, I have been captivated by the characters and story, and have discovered something new.

Brave is a beautiful story that will leave you with something meaningful to think about after bringing you along on an exhilarating adventure. In other words, Brave is yet another Pixar classic.

Pixar Corner Welcomes the Summer!

The time of year for sunny days and beach trips has once again arrived, and to celebrate, Pixar Corner has a new header logo honoring the sunny season.

Once again, the artwork is provided by the incredibly talented artist Paul Robin, who has also designed all previous Pixar Corner logos. Be sure to check out Paul's blog, where you can suggest your own adventure for Paul Robin to go on!

In the new logo, the iconic Luxo ball enjoys the summer sunshine while sporting some sweet sunglasses.

Enjoy your summer, and we hope you like the new seasonal logo!

'Brave' Easter Eggs: Where Were They Hidden?

Over the years, fans of Pixar have grown quite fond of the little "Easter eggs" that the studio hides in their films, which can make watching one of their films all the more exciting.

Some of these hidden surprises occur in maybe just one film, but others have grown to become traditional, legendary Pixar Easter eggs. These include some sort of reference to an upcoming film from the studio, and the famed Pizza Planet truck, which made its first appearance in 1995 with Toy Story and has appeared in every Pixar film since (excluding The Incredibles).

Pixar has not forgotten their little traditions in this year's Brave, although that's what you might think during your first time watching the film. After all, how are you supposed to put a pizza delivery truck into a story set in medieval Scotland? The Easter eggs in Brave are hidden very well, so Pixar has released official images and descriptions revealing to us where both the Pizza Planet truck and Sulley from next year's Monsters University appear in the movie.

ANCIENT DELIVERY

The Witch, an eccentric crone disguised as a woodcarver specializing in whittling wooden bear figurines and conjuring haphazard spells, showcases her mysterious and inexplicable knowledge of the future with a carved figurine of the infamous Pizza Planet truck, an iconic delivery vehicle that’s appeared in nearly every full-length feature film from Pixar Animation Studios since 1995’s Toy Story. Disney•Pixar’s Brave is in theaters now.

NO MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET

A carving of Sulley, the lovable blue monster slated to return to the big screen in 2013’s Monsters University, appears on a piece of wood in the home of the Witch, an eccentric crone and woodcarver in Disney•Pixar’s epic action adventure Brave, in theaters now.

Still no word on where A113 shows up in the film, but we know it is there, as director Mark Andrews confirmed so a few months ago. If you found it, let us know in the comments!

Which of the Easter eggs did you catch when you saw Brave?

Gallery of High-Res 'Brave' Stills!

Brave has been playing in theaters for a little over a week now, and audiences seem to be quite enjoying Pixar's latest masterpiece. Here is a group of stills taken from the new film, all in gorgeous high-resolution. Which is your favorite?

I'll have my reviews for both Brave and La Luna up later this week. For now, be sure to catch both films in theaters if you haven't already!