Pixar

Two New TV Spots for Pixar’s BRAVE; Plus Compilation CD Parody Video for “Freedom Broch!”

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 2:23 pm

With exactly one month to go before the film’s release, the marketing campaign for Disney-Pixar’s Brave is ramping up.  Two new TV spots have been unveiled, and they show off a few looks at some new footage.  Both spots play up the comedy aspect of the film, with the 60-second spot throwing in a bit more action to attract male viewers.  My ticket is already automatically sold for any Pixar movie that doesn’t have “Cars” in the title, but I wonder how many undecideds will be won over by these goofy spots.  They appeal more to kids than grown-ups, but the brief dramatic aspects we’ve seen in the theatrical trailers look truly promising.  I hope a great deal of the heart that we’ve come to expect from Pixar is included in the finished film.

Additionally, Pixar has also released a tie-in video done in the style of those ads for compilation CDs that play late at night on TV.  This one touts the release of “Freedom Broch!” which includes all your favorite rockin’ bagpipe hits.  Watch the TV spots and “Freedom Broch!” video after the jump.

New Trailer for FINDING NEMO 3D

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:31 pm

3D has become almost a dirty word in the current moviegoing environment, but it’s a useful tool when done with purpose and precision (see: Hugo).  One of the genres in which 3D really shines is animation, and with Disney’s announcement that they’ll be releasing a number of classics back into theaters we’ll get the chance to see some excellent 3D put to good use.  First up on Disney-Pixar’s theatrical re-release slate is Finding Nemo, and a full trailer for the 3D release is now online.  The trailer plays up the 3D aspect, and I’m assuming it’s more effective when seen in three dimensions.  While 3D seems like a perfect fit for Pixar’s gorgeous ocean-set pic, I’m also just eager to see Andrew Stanton’s incredibly sweet, funny, and heartfelt film on the big screen once again.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer for Finding Nemo 3D, and brace for the 3D re-releases of Monster’s Inc. and The Little Mermaid which will follow.  Finding Nemo returns to theaters on September 14th.

New Clip from BRAVE; Pixar’s WALL-E, UP, RATATOUILLE and TOY STORY 3 Return to Theaters Memorial Day Weekend

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 1:20 pm

It’s a Pixar extravaganza!  We’ve got some exciting news to share regarding everyone’s favorite animation studio.  First up, a new clip from the excellent-looking Brave has gone online.  It skews towards the comedic side of the film, and I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that the triplets may or may not steal the show when the film hits theaters.  Additionally—and excitingly—Pixar will be re-releasing a few of their classics exclusively in AMC theaters this Memorial Day weekend.  Wall-E, Up, Ratatouille, and Toy Story 3 will return for a limited engagement from May 25 – 28th.  Moreover, tickets will run at the family friendly and affordable price of $6.

Each screening will be accompanied by a behind-the-scenes look at Brave, and Toy Story 3 and Up will be running in 3D (the 3D in the latter is gorgeous).  This is excellent news, and I’ll most definitely be taking advantage of the chance to see Andrew Stanton’s masterwork Wall-E on the big screen once more.  Hit the jump to watch the new Brave clip and to watch the trailers for the aforementioned Pixar films set for re-release.

Two New Images from Pixar’s BRAVE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 2nd, 2012 at 2:05 pm

Disney-Pixar has released two new images from Brave.  While the trailers have played up heroine Merida’s prowess with a bow, these images show she’s got nothing against swinging a sword.  Also, if you’ve been wondering the significance of the bear in this image, keep in mind that the original title for Brave was The Bear and the Bow.  I don’t know how the bear factors into the plot (the trailers haven’t given it away), but I look forward to finding out.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film features the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters.  Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

New BRAVE TV Spot Capitalizes on NFL Draft

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 26th, 2012 at 12:14 pm

The first round of the NFL Draft kicks off tonight, and while fans across the country are busy prognosticating/praying, Disney is capitalizing on the excitement with an NFL Draft-inspired TV spot for the upcoming Pixar flick Brave.  It’s actually a pretty smart product integration, as it’s been obvious from the previous trailers that the Mouse House has been trying hard to lure the male crowd to the female-centered movie.  It’s a bit ridiculous to think that young males won’t go to a movie just because a female is the main character, and we’ve learned from The Hunger Games that strong, independent female protagonists are an enormous draw when done well.

Nevertheless, this spot does have some fun jokes and is packed with NFL-related references.  Also, somewhat surprisingly, there’s a pretty racy gag involving a certain female body part.  I guess we can expect a scandalous PG rating for the latest Pixar pic.  Hit the jump to watch the spot.  The film features the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters.  Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

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.

Pixar Announces Animated Picture Based on Dia de los Muertos for 2015 with TOY STORY 3 Director Lee Unkrich Attached; More Release Dates Announced

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 7:24 pm

At CinemaCon today, Disney/Pixar chief creative officer, John Lasseter, announced a few of the animated projects in the studio’s pipeline. Here they are at a glance:

• An animated project based on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (as of yet untitled) is slated for a 2015 release.  Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich is reportedly attached to direct with Darla Anderson producing. If Pixar decides to keep the decidedly dark-sounding title, perhaps it will be the studio’s first foray into something a bit more sinister. (And if Unkrich is involved, there are sure to be some references to The Shining.)
• The upcoming project directed by Bob Peterson is now called The Good Dinosaur; the picture is scheduled for a May 30th, 2014 release.
• The untitled feature directed by Pete Docter that will take a trip into the human mind has been pushed back until June 19th, 2015.

Hit the jump for more from Pixar.

New Trailer and Clip for Pixar’s BRAVE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 7:25 am

The full trailer for Pixar’s Brave has gone online along with a new clip.  The past trailers have tried to blend the comic and dramatic sides of the film, and done so with varying levels of success.  The latest trailer puts up a clear wall between the two, showing off the amusing antics of the protagonist Princess Merida’s family (I love her father’s impression of his daughter) and then making a jarring, abrupt cut to the dramatic, mystical side of the adventure where Merida makes a wish to change her fate of being married off to another clan and losing her freedom.  The first half of the trailer made laugh, and the second half gave me chills (I love the use of Julie Fowlis‘ “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A’ Chuain”), but I’m still looking for the connective tissue that will bring the two tones together.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer along with the clip (which falls on the comic side of Brave‘s schizophrenic advertising).  The film features the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters.  Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

New Images from THE AVENGERS, BRAVE, and THE APPARITION

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 18th, 2012 at 8:15 am

New images have gone online for The Avengers, Brave, and The Apparition.  Hit the jump to check out the images and synopsis for each film, and then add the images to your Movie Flip Book to see how much of the movie you’ve already seen via the advertising.

New BRAVE Featurette Focuses on the Heroine, Merida

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 10th, 2012 at 11:17 am

A French featurette for Brave has gone online.  The featurette focuses on Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the film’s heroine and protagonist, who accidentally sets loose an evil curse when she wishes for the freedom to escape her restrictive life.  Once again, we see how Disney is trying to show off the film’s humorous side while still showing the daring adventure, but not quite bringing the two into a cohesive picture.  However, getting a better sense of the lead character does make some headway into easing the schizophrenic tone of the advertising.

Hit the jump to check out the featurette.  The movie also features the voices of Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters.  Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

Four Character Posters from Pixar’s BRAVE [Updated with Hi-Res Images and a New International Poster]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 2nd, 2012 at 8:23 am

Coming off the rare misfire of last year’s Cars 2, Pixar looks to be back in fine form with their next feature, Brave. While the first trailer was a tad too goofy, my apprehension was placated with the release of the latest trailer. It showed a full scene from the film and was at once gorgeous, funny, sweet, and intriguing. Now four character posters from the studio’s first fairy tale have gone online, giving us a look at what to expect from the pic this summer. Moreover, director Mark Andrews talked a bit about the film and its characters, providing some insight into the film’s central themes.

Hit the jump to check out the posters (which include some ginger devil triplets) and to see what Andrews had to say. The film features the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters. Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

New Character Wallpapers from BRAVE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: March 13th, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Cars 2 was the inevitable letdown from Pixar after 11 good-to-amazing movies in a row.  But we’ve spent the last few months watching these guys demonstrate the ability to tell great stories in any form (Brad Bird‘s Mission: Impossible 4, Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter).  All the promotional material suggests this is Pixar on the grandest scale yet.  And the animation studio cast a predictably reliable group of Brits as the main voices: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters.

Honestly, I should probably manage my expectations better.  Because in my current state, if Brave isn’t a return to form, I’ll be crushed.  But I see the detail in these character wallpapers that Disney has released, and I cherish them.  Check out the wallpapers for yourself after the jump.  Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave opens in 3D on June 22.

Pixar Memorabilia Auction on EBAY Lets You Lend a Hand to Japanese Rebuilding Efforts

by Matt Currie    Posted: March 12th, 2012 at 1:27 pm

Yesterday, Sunday March 11, marked the one-year anniversary of “311”, the now-infamous date on which a massive, 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an accompanying tsunami took the lives of over 20,000 people in Japan, leaving the country in ruins. Even a year later, the rebuilding process continues; to help facilitate it, Pixar Art Director Daisuke Tsutsumi has revived the “Artists Help Japan” fundraiser. Starting this past Saturday and continuing through April 3, the group is auctioning off some tantalizing collector’s items via eBay, with all funds going to support relief efforts.

There will be 60 lots available in total, with 15 being auctioned off each week of the fundraiser. Items currently available include an official Brave hat autographed by that film’s director Mark Andrews and a number of original sketches from Pixar artists. Hit the jump to find out more.

Fantastic First TV Spot for BRAVE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 27th, 2012 at 4:00 pm

The first couple of trailers for Pixar’s Brave weren’t terrible, but they left something to be desired. The tone seemed a bit scattershot and the reliance on jokes and action over story and character felt uncharacteristic of a Pixar trailer. It made sense that Disney would be targeting young boys with the first trailers who otherwise might blow off “that fairy tale cartoon with a girl,” and I felt confident that the first peeks weren’t telling the whole story. A few days ago Disney released a full clip that I really enjoyed, and last night during the Oscars they debuted the film’s first TV spot. Both the clip and the TV spot are fantastic, and they hint at the kind of movie I was expecting when I first read the logline for Brave: “a young princess in the Scottish Highlands defies an age-old custom, inadvertently unleashing chaos and fury in the kingdom.” I really, really love the tone and the atmosphere of this TV spot and I can’t wait to see the full film this summer.

Hit the jump to watch the spot. The film features the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters. Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

New Trailer for Pixar’s BRAVE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 23rd, 2012 at 6:57 am

A new trailer for Pixar’s Brave has gone online.  Rather than show off a bunch of scenes from the movie or even give an overview of the plot.  The movie follows Merida, young princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) in the Scottish Highlands who defies an age-old custom, inadvertently unleashing chaos and fury in the kingdom.  This trailer doesn’t explain any of that and instead ops to show one scene.  The scene has three less-than-desirable men trying to win an archery contest for Merida’s hand in marriage.  Merida, none-too-happy with the situation, eventually has to show everyone what an utter bad-ass she is.  I still want to see more of the film’s scope, but the new trailer does a good job showing the movie’s comic and dramatic sides.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer, and click here to see the poster that was released yesterday. The film also features the voices of Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters. Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd.

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