John Lasseter

Marvel, Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks Live-Action CinemaCon Recap; Includes First 30 Minutes of BRAVE, WRECK-IT-RALPH, FRANKENWEENIE, More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 12:06 pm

When Disney took the stage for their CinemaCon 2012 presentation yesterday afternoon, they didn’t mess around.  Loaded with footage, movie stars, filmmakers and information, the presentation was definitely aimed at letting exhibitors around the world know that the Disney umbrella (which now includes Pixar, Marvel, Walt Disney films, and distributing DreamWorks live-action films) is loaded with a lot of big properties and they have no intention of slowing down.  While some of the upcoming properties just had the stars and filmmakers talking about the movie (The Lone Ranger), others like Frankenweenie had Tim Burton on stage with Sean Bailey (President of Production at Disney) talking about why he wanted to make a stop-motion black and white movie, followed by the screening of a full scene.

In addition to what I just mentioned, Kevin Fiege from Marvel talked about Iron Man 3, Captain America 2, Thor 2, and The Avengers.  Pixar’s John Lasseter talked about their next four years of movies including director Lee Unkrich‘s untitled Dia de los Muertos movie, Bob Peterson‘s The Good Dinosaur, Pete Docter‘s untitled movie, Monsters University (including world premieriing the teaser trailer) and a clip of Finding Nemo in 3D and the first 30 minutes of Brave.  More after the jump.

CARS 2 Blu-ray Review

by Scott Wampler    Posted: December 7th, 2011 at 7:47 am

John Lasseter—he of the illustrious, awe-inspiring career with Pixar Animation Studios—has produced some truly great films for that studio over the years, not least of which were the Toy Story films.  This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, of course, seeing as how Pixar’s the gold-standard as far as cinematic animation goes these days, but it’s also not to say that Lasseter’s above making missteps.  Prior to seeing Cars 2 (recently out on Blu-ray), I wasn’t convinced that this was a sequel worth making, as the original Cars—beloved as it is by kids and Larry The Cable Guy enthusiasts everywhere—simply wasn’t my cup of tea.  So, is Cars 2 a misstep, or is it another fine addition to the Lasseter canon?  Hit the jump for my review of Cars 2 on Blu-ray.

Pete Docter’s Next Pixar Film Goes Inside a Girl’s Mind to Explore Her Emotions

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 6th, 2011 at 10:03 am

Back in August, we reported that Up and Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter had Pixar’s strangest and possibly most ambitious movie lined-up.  The film’s logline claims Docter “will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.”  In an interview with Charlie Rose last night [via The Pixar Times], Pixar head John Lasseter revealed that the human mind belongs to a girl.  Said Lasseter, the “new film that takes place inside of a girl’s mind and it is about her emotions as characters, and that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”  Lasseter didn’t comment on whether the girl was a child or an adolescent.  Either way, it will be the second Pixar movie featuring a female protagonist (next summer’s Brave will be the first).

I’m even more excited for Docter’s film than I was before, but it’s still a ways off.  The untitled picture isn’t due out until May 14, 2014.  In the interim, we’ll see the Monsters, Inc. prequel Monsters University on June 21, 2013 and an untitled film about dinosaurs from Up co-director/writer Bob Peterson on November 27, 2013.

TOP 5: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, IMMORTALS, CARS 2, THE EXPENDABLES 2, Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer Take on 2012 Oscars

by Jason Barr    Posted: November 12th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

I’m going to bypass my usual opening paragraph musings this week and simply wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day weekend. Given that I don’t have any immediate family or friends who serve, I won’t claim to know the first thing about the sacrifices that each serviceman/woman and their respective families and friends are continually asked to make. I reap all of the benefits of their service without any of the concessions. As a result, I owe a debt of gratitude to each and every one of them.

In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you can find the first trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman, a cornucopia of interviews for Immortals and Cars 2, new set images from the set of The Expendables 2 featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and a look at the road that led Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer to the top of the 2012 Oscars. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

John Lasseter CARS 2 Interview

by Tommy Cook    Posted: November 1st, 2011 at 10:47 am

John Lasseter has a firm handshake. You see a guy in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts and your first thought is this must be one of those free thinking who cares what the world thinks? I’m gonna wear what I want and dance to my own drum type people. But the handshake says differently. It sizes you up, puts you in your place. Tells you it belongs to a man who knows what he wants, who’s in complete and total control. This is what makes John Lasseter such a compelling figure: at once one of the leading creative minds in animation (Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Cars, Luxo Jr.), whilst at the same time the shrewdest of businessmen (Lasseter is the largest shareholder in Disney; Pixar is valued upward of 7.4 billion).

In the third of five interviews running this week (in conjunction with the release of Cars 2 on Blu-ray/DVD today), I speak ever so briefly with the big man himself – John Lasseter (I was only allotted two questions). Click through to watch as Lasseter explicates on the fish-out-of-water dynamics of the Cars series and what he finds so darn fascinating about inanimate talking objects.

D23 Schedule Announced; Will Feature Presentation from Marvel Studios

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 12:55 pm

Disney will forego panels and presentations at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con now that the company has established its own convention with the D23 Expo.  This year’s D23 runs from August 19 – 21st and will include presentations, screenings, celebrity panels, autograph signings, and other fan-friendly activities.  The major ramification for Comic-Con isn’t the loss of films from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar (although that certainly stings), but from the loss of Marvel Studios.  While Marvel will certainly have a presence at Comic-Con, its panels will be reserved for D23.

The schedule for D23 has been released and on Saturday, August 20th from 11am to 12:30 pm, the presentation for Walt Disney Studios will be hosted by Disney chairman Rich Ross, President of Production Sean Bailey, Chief Creative Officer of Disney and Pixar John Lasseter, and Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige.  Hit the jump for the full schedule.

Schedule D23 Expo’s official website.

Disney Sets HORRIBLE BOSSES Scribe to Pen KING OF THE ELVES

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 29th, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Disney is still moving forward with their long-in-gestation animated film King of the Elves. Variety reports that the studio has tapped Horrible Bosses scribe Michael Markowitz to write the latest version of the screenplay. Based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick, the film tells the story of a group of elves and one dwarf living in the Mississippi Delta. After a human saves their life from an evil troll, they name him their king.

The film was initially under the guidance of Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker (Brother Bear), but when Pixar guru John Lasseter became chief creative officer of the animation department, the film was put back into development. Chris Williams (Bolt) is sheparding the project, with Lasseter producing. The plan is now to set King of the Elves for a holiday 2013 release as a companion to that summer’s Monsters University from Pixar.

CARS 2 Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: June 24th, 2011 at 12:32 am

Cars 2 is the rare Pixar film that feels like a mess. So many times, you wonder how they are going to balance the different aspects of their next summer hit, but by the time the credits roll you no longer question it. With Pixar’s latest, I still had trouble deciding why they would go in so many various directions all at once. The core audience is going to have a blast, there is little doubt. If you have a young boy, and you collect those little cars, you have a lot more to deal with and it will be shoved down your throat starting with this gorgeous, often funny package. But these days, I expect more from Pixar. My review after the jump.

Exclusive: Director John Lasseter Talks CARS 2, Easter Eggs, His Favorite Pixar Collectible, More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: June 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 pm

With Cars 2 hitting theaters this weekend, Disney held a press junket in Hollywood a few days ago and I spoke with the cast and director John Lasseter.  Since Adam recently interviewed Lasseter at Pixar, I made sure to ask all new questions.

During the five minute interview (which could have been thirty minutes with how many questions I’d prepared), Lasseter talked about the Easter Eggs in Cars 2, what is his favorite Pixar collectible, reveals that he voiced a character, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Michael Caine Interview CARS 2

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: June 21st, 2011 at 7:11 am

Cars 2 takes us on an exciting new adventure to exotic lands across the globe as star racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) teams up with his best friend, tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), and heads overseas to compete against the world’s fastest cars in the first-ever World Grand Prix. But the road to the finish line is filled with unexpected potholes, detours and bombshells when Mater, in a case of mistaken identity, is ensnared in a top secret mission orchestrated by master British spy Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Caine).

At a virtual press conference with Michael Caine via London, we talked with one of the film industry’s most esteemed actors about his starring role in Pixar’s newest full-length animated feature. Caine explained why it was a brand new experience for him, as an actor used to playing iconic spies, to return to the world of espionage cast as a car. He shared with us how much fun it was playing the coolest car in the movie, what it meant to have his voice immortalized in an animated film, and how much he enjoyed working with director John Lasseter, who joined the press conference briefly to thank him for his impressive performance.  He also discussed what it was like returning to play Alfred in The Dark Knight Rises and revealed the unique back story he created for the character.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Teaser Trailer for Disney’s Direct-to-DVD CARS Spin-Off, PLANES

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 13th, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Last year, we reported that Disney was developing Planes, a direct-to-DVD spin-off to their hit franchise Cars.  However, Pixar would not be creating the film and instead Disney would be using Disney Toon Studios, the folks behind films like The Lion King 1½ and other direct-to-DVD sequels.  John Lasseter, in his capacity as Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer, said in 2007 that he was stopping the direct-to-DVD animated sequels after viewing a work-in-progress version of a Tinkerbell movie.  But apparently that policy didn’t last because there have been five Tinkerbell movies since 2008 and now a teaser trailer for Planes has gone online.  I like how the teaser uses the intro to White Zombie’s “More Human Than Human” when the actual song starts with the track being overlayed with the sounds of a woman having an orgasm.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Planes is set to arrive on DVD and Blu-ray in spring 2013.

Collider Visits Pixar for the CARS 2 Press Day

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 12th, 2011 at 11:05 am

A couple of months ago, Collider was invited to travel out to Emeryville, California to Pixar Animation Studios in order to take part in the Cars 2 press day. As one would expect, it was a pretty fantastic experience. We were privy to a number of presentations regarding all things Cars 2, given by the very people responsible for making the Pixar films we know and love.

In addition, we got the chance to sit down and interview quite a few of the people involved with the film including director John Lasseter, composer Michael Giacchino and actress Emily Mortimer, and we were given a tour of the Pixar building itself. Hit the jump to check out a full rundown of our visit. Cars 2 hits theaters June 24^th.

John Lasseter Talks CARS 2, BRAVE and the Future of Pixar

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 29th, 2011 at 10:03 am

In anticipation of the release of Cars 2 on June 24^th, we were invited to the press day for the film at Pixar a while ago. During our time at the studio, we got the chance to sit down with director/Pixar guru John Lasseter. Currently the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, as well as the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, Lasseter was one of the founding talents behind Pixar. He personally directed the studio’s first three films (Toy Story, A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2), as well as 2006’s Cars.

During our interview, Lasseter talked about his approach to the sequel, what influences they had on the film, what challenges they encountered throughout production, what to expect from the next Pixar film Brave, and the future of the studio. Hit the jump to check it out.

Exclusive: Composer Michael Giacchino Talks CARS 2, SUPER 8, JOHN CARTER, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 1st, 2011 at 9:07 am

Continuing our coverage from our visit to Pixar in anticipation of the release of Cars 2, we have our exclusive interview with Michael Giacchino.  One of the most in-demand composers at the moment (and rightly so), Giacchino has been a bit of a mainstay at Pixar having scored The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and most recently Up, for which he won the Academy Award.  His versatile work is undeniably brilliant, from the sweeping tones of Lost to the bombastic panache of Star Trek.

In our interview, Giacchino talked about his approach to the score for Cars 2, what influences he used in creating the music, what the process of a composer at Pixar is like, and also gave an update on his scores for some highly anticipated upcoming films (Super 8, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and John Carter of Mars).  Hit the jump to check it out.

Director Tom McCarthy Talks WIN WIN, THE MILLION DOLLAR ARM, Working for Pixar & Making UP, More

by Ron Messer    Posted: April 11th, 2011 at 9:31 am

After three weeks of rave reviews in selected cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas and Phoenix, Win Win expanded to a host of new cities this weekend.  It paid off with $5,398 per theater, (in the top 5 averages over the past 3 days) and $1.22 million overall.  We’ve spread out our interviews with the film’s Oscar-nominated stars Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and newcomer Alex Shaffer through the platform release because highly praised independent films which actually exceed that hype are rare and deserve all the extended support that sites like the one you’re reading can provide.

That brings us to our fourth installment: an interview with the film’s Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor and Up).  For a writer, director and actor who is so meticulous about his work on both sides of the camera, he was surprisingly open about his process in all three disciplines.  Hit the jump for the interview’s audio and transcript, including a look inside Pixar, the latest on The Million Dollar Arm, how Patricia Clarkson one-upped him on The Station Agent and his memories of an indie film trailblazer.  Continued after the jump.

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