Pixar Announces TWO New Films!!!

Drumroll please...

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for, Pixar announces their two new films scheduled for Fall 2013 and Summer 2014!!!

In 2013, we have Bob Peterson, co-director and writer of Up, stepping up to direct a whole new adventure...

What if that deadly asteroid that presumably vanquished the dinosaurs from existence had missed Earth? In this exciting new tale, Bob Peterson shows us what the world would be like if the dinosaurs had never gone extinct.

Wow. A Pixar movie about dinosaurs in the modern world? Say no more. I'm going to the midnight screening.

Peter Sohn, inspiration for the character of Russell (Up), voice of Emile (Ratatouille), and director of the Pixar short Partly Cloudy, will co-direct, and John Walker (producer, The Incredibles) will serve as producer for this currently untitled dinosaur-centric adventure.

As for the May 2014 movie, this is the highly anticipated Pete Docter (director, Monsters, Inc., Up) directed film that has remained completely top secret until now...

In Pete Docter's next tale, he will take us into a world even more mysterious than the monster world...the human mind.

The human mind...this world opens up thousands...maybe even millions...of possibilities for a Pixar film, it's giving the film makers even more freedom than they had with Monsters, Inc., so I'll bet we're in for a real treat.

Ronnie Del Carmen (director, Dug's Special Mission, story supervisor, Up) will be co-director, and Up producer Jonas Rivera will once again be producer in a film directed by Pete. Also, it is rumoured that Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt will return to write the screenplay.

Although we still don't have much details on these two projects, at least now we know what they'll be about, and by the looks of things, we've got a load of Pixar awesomeness awaiting in the years to come...Brave next year...Monsters University the year after that...the dinosaur movie a few months later...then Peter Docter's "human mind" film...what's next?

Inside the "Up" House Replica

A few weeks back, we heard about a house that was recently built in Utah to replicate Carl and Ellie Fredricksen's home from Pixar's 2009 film, Up. Although we did get quite a few pictures from the outside, we didn't get a very good look at the inside. Check out the video below to get the inside scoop on the amazing replica. Very cool stuff. I love how they even have Carl and Ellie's chairs, and they're mailbox on the outside!

Astounding Replica of 'Up' House

It's amazing what Pixar's films can inspire people to do. In the state of Utah, a life-size replica of Carl Fredricksen's house from Pixar's 2009 hit, Up, has been built. It even includes little details, like the mailbox with Carl and Ellie's hand-prints. Not to mention that the inside is also identical, and features Ellie's painting of Paradise Falls, along with Carl and Ellie's armchairs. Read more about this masterpiece and check out more pictures here. Man, is this house ever cool. Why don't these things ever come near where I live?

Celebrating Pixar's UP: My Essay

Exactly two years ago, on May 29th, 2009, Disney/Pixar's UP was released in theaters. We were introduced to many great new characters, including Carl Fredricksen, Russell, Dug, Kevin, and of course, Ellie. Audiences all over the world loved UP, so I think it's important we take some time today to honour the day that we first saw this true masterpiece.

I have written an essay about UP, and what a marvelous film it was, and have posted it below. Please take the time to read at least one or two paragraphs.

UP, the hit animated film from the summer of 2009, is without a doubt one of the best movies I’ve ever watched. The story grabs your attention from the very start and takes you on a wild ride throughout the course of the film. UP was especially designed to be a movie for people both young and old. Also, this motion picture was embraced worldwide by critics and audiences alike. It’s easy to say that it is quite tough to come up with a valid reason to why UP is not an outstanding movie.

            Many of the greatest films that have ever been created are so astounding because they have strong and intriguing storyline. UP is similar to such classics like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings because it tells a story that clutches you on for the ride the instant you see 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen lift up his house with thousands of balloons. Just when you think that the movie couldn’t get any more bizarre, a chubby 8-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell hitches a ride on Carl’s house, and the two unlikely heroes go on an exotic adventure to the wild jungles of South America. UP takes you on an exhilarating trip through your own emotions. At times of the film, you’ll feel like crying, at others you’ll be laughing insanely, and other scenes will have you at the edge of your seat! This film also introduces the audience to a whole slew of funny, colourful, loveable characters. Carl the grouchy old man really has a heart of gold, Russell the wilderness explorer is endearingly innocent, Dug the dog is dopey but very huggable, and Kevin the giant flightless bird always shows her true colors.

            Out of all the big blockbuster movies out there, only a handful can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and adults alike, but UP intelligently manages to entertain audiences of all ages. When a family watches this film, it will keep the parents from dozing off in the middle of the opening act, and the kids from taking a nap as they try to figure out what the movie is even about. Even though violent fights, car chases, and explosions are often a key element in many films, UP does a good job on its own without all the extreme action. Young children will stay just as engaged as older audience members, because there will be no scenes that will scare them off. This spectacular animated flick teaches the entire family a valuable lesson. In the movie, when the main protagonist, Carl, finally fulfills his and his departed wife’s dream, he realizes that an adventure doesn’t have to be in a wild, mysterious place filled with tons of dangers, but that an adventure is the precious moments you spend with the people you love.

            UP received countless of overwhelmingly positive reviews, and many referred to it as one of the best films of 2009. Internet website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 98% of critics gave the movie a positive review. Critic Ben Mankiewicz states that UP has “the perfect blend of heart and humour.” The film’s success also showed when the awards season came. At the 82^nd Academy Awards, UP took home the award for Best Animated Feature, and even received a nomination for Best Picture. Audiences demonstrated their love for this wonderful picture at the box office, where it earned approximately $731,342,744 worldwide. I am one of the people that loved this film as well, because of its remarkable action, hysterical humour, and the incredibly moving story it tells.

            UP does exactly what movies are supposed to do; it entertains people. The completely unique and imaginative story is a vast part that makes this movie successful. UP doesn’t amuse just kids, but it takes the whole family along for the journey. Judging by the amount of good reviews it received and all the money it grossed, there is no denying that UP was a truly epic film. Therefore, many people agree that Pixar achieved yet another great triumph in 2009 with the miraculously entertaining UP.

I hope you enjoyed my essay, as I really enjoyed writing it! More importantly, I hope it reminded you what a miraculous piece of art UP is! Hopefully a handful of you readers are now rushing to your TVs and watching the movie all over again!

Sneak Peek: New Pixar Short 'La Luna'

On Thursday, an upcoming Pixar short entitled La Luna was announced! It is scheduled to premiere this June at the Annecy International Animation Festival, and is directed by Erico Casarosa. Enrico joined Pixar in 2002, and has worked as a story artist on Cars, Ratatouille, and Up. Right now, he is head of story on an upcoming Pixar film. Seen above is the official logo for the short film. It looks extremely nice, and very classy.

Read the first official synopsis for La Luna below. Sounds very interesting. I can't wait to see another short little Pixar tale.

La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait.

A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions?

Judging by the fact that "la luna" means "the moon" in Spanish and Italian, many people are assuming that the Moon will be key in the short's plot.

The still seen above was also revealed on Thursday, and it looks quite nice. As you can see, the characters have a very simplistic design, but sometimes simple can be the best way to go.

You can hope to see La Luna in 2012, as it is probably the short film that will be attached to Brave.

Pixar By The Numbers

Have you ever wondered how many people currently work at Pixar? Or how long it takes to make a Pixar movie? Or how many toys are in Toy Story 3? Well, I've gone around the Internet and read my Pixarpedia and tried to answer a lot of those curious questions as best as I could. A lot of the answers are estimates, because it would be almost impossible to get the exact answers to everything. So I encourage you to read on, and let all (or at least most) of your questions about Pixar be answered!

• Around 1200 employees...or more...work at Pixar Animation Studios.
• The average Pixar movie usually takes 4 to 5 years to create...or in other words, about 1460.97 to 1826.21 days.
• As many people know, Pixar has made 11 films up to date, and will release their 12th film, Cars 2, on June 24, 2011.
• Pixar's highest grossing film, Toy Story 3, earned an estimated $1,063,171,609 at the box office. It became the 5th highest grossing film of all time, the #1 animated film of all time, and the highest grossing film of 2010.
• John Lasseter has directed 4 of Pixar's films to this day, and is set to make his 5th debut as director this year with Cars 2.
• So far, there are 9 hilarious Cars Toons, and more will be released in the years to come.
• Randy Newman has scored 6 Pixar movies, including all 3 Toy Story films.
• John Ratzenberger, considered Pixar's 'lucky charm', has voiced 9 Pixar characters, including Hamm the piggy bank and Mack the truck.
• Ever since the Best Animated Feature Film award was introduced to the Oscars in 2001, Pixar has been nominated 8 times, and has won 6 times.
• Not only has Pixar made many fantastic feature films, but the company has created 19 ground-breaking short films, their most recent being Day & Night. Their 20th short, Hawaiian Vacation, will be played in front of Cars 2.
• Pixar has received 10 Academy Award nominations for their short films, and has won 3 times.
• Pixar was founded in 1986, so the company has existed for 25 years.
• Russel, the 8 year-old wilderness explorer from Up, has over 40 badges!
• In Pixar's Ratatouille, the word 'rat' is used 51 times!
• Sulley, the big, blue, furry monster from Monsters, Inc., has around 2,137,000 hairs in total!
• Carl Fredricksen from Up uses about 10,000 to 20,000 balloons to lift his house up into the air!
• In Toy Story 3, Andy only has 12 toys left...but at Sunnyside Daycare, there are probably over 100 toys!
• In Pixar's Cars, there are, of course, over 200 cars seen in the film...probably a lot more!
• There are exactly 96 days left until the North American theatrical release of Cars 2!!!

Of course, those are only a few of Pixar-related facts, because well, with numbers, Pixar always goes.........

To Infinity, and Beyond!

Double Post: What is A113? + New Pixar Parade Coming Soon!

There are two things included in this post today (hence the title "Double Post").

First off, I wanted to explain what "A113" is to anyone who doesn't know. A113 was the number of John Lasseter's classroom when he attended CalArts (California Institute of the Arts), a college founded by Walt Disney that specializes in teaching film making, animation, and more. As you may have heard before, John Lasseter is the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Disney. A113 has appeared in every single Pixar movie to date. For example, in the Toy Story films it appears as the licence plate on Andy's mom's van. If you're not so sure, look again. Most of the time, however, the code is quite tricky to find. You can also check out this video, where Chatter Telephone tells you all about this mysterious code.

Second, The Disney Parks Blog tells us that a new Pixar-themed parade is coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World on January 16, 2011. This new parade will include the characters from Up and Ratatouille along with other Pixar favorites and it will replace Block Party Bash.

That's all for today, but Pixar is always up to something new and exciting, so keep coming back here for more cool news on everything Pixar.