News Lasseter taking leave of absence

Gitson Shiggles

There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
Would be interesting if they delayed it and brought back Rahida Jones to write it as she was going to do in the first place. Assuming her initial vision was a good one...

According to Annie Potts, she said three quarters of the script [just Bo Peep & Woody’s lines?] were rewritten, after not hearing from Pixar for a year and a half.
 

Rodan75

Well-Known Member
According to Annie Potts, she said three quarters of the script [just Bo Peep & Woody’s lines?] were rewritten, after not hearing from Pixar for a year and a half.

Which aligns with the original delay. But this new rumor is that it is still a mess.

Based on various news stories and social media posts. Looks like two factions have emerged at Pixar; #LoseLasseter and Forgive Lasseter. It will be interesting to see if Catmull can heal the divide, or if this will break Pixar.
 

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
Would be interesting if they delayed it and brought back Rahida Jones to write it as she was going to do in the first place. Assuming her initial vision was a good one...
I'd rather they let Toy Story go. Doesn't really matter who is writing it, it ended so perfectly and I don't even care to see anything after. It not only doesn't need another sequel, but anything further would just feel forced. Like a corporate decision to keep pushing it for money, instead of asking whether it feels natural and right to continue it. And I think the former reason is really why they announced a fourth one.

And from the reaction i've seen from Toy Story fans, most fans seemed very satisfied and accepting that TS3 was the end of the series. There was a common desire to see a second Toy Story after the original, and a desire for a third as well. But this strong public desire for sequels seemed to end with TS3. It's conclusion felt so satisfying and "right", that I just don't see anywhere to go from here. It's hard for me to imagine an attempt to continue the story not feel like it would cheapen the trilogy. Even if the story to 4 IS good in and of itself.

Some franchises can keep churning out new releases time and time and time again as long as the story is still good and there are interesting new ideas. But I just don't think this applies to Toy Story. I feel like it had a perfect 3-movie arc and should end there.

Anyways, sorry to derail this thread.
 

Rodan75

Well-Known Member
Because Pixar has never released a bad film *cough cough* Cars3 *cough cough*

The film should only be cancelled if it cannot rise to the quality of Pixar films, not because of Lasseter. However, I agree with @MerlinTheGoat, TS3 was the perfect ending to the story.

I agree.

Toy Story is too important a franchise for Pixar to mess up. But it will never get cancelled. Likely just another delay if it really still is a mess.

And I agree. Pixar has had some misses. Cars 2&3, The Good Dinosaur. You could argue that Coco is the best Pixar movie in a while.
 

JessieLightyear

Active Member
Which aligns with the original delay. But this new rumor is that it is still a mess.

Can you give me a link to the source that says Toy Story 4 is a "mess"? I saw nothing on that guy's Twitter. I'm one who is actually looking forward to it, and I've been following news about the movie since the beginning. From what I understand, the new writer has cleaned up the mess the script was in and actors (more than just Annie Potts and Tom Hanks) have been recording.
 

Rodan75

Well-Known Member
Can you give me a link to the source that says Toy Story 4 is a "mess"? I saw nothing on that guy's Twitter. I'm one who is actually looking forward to it, and I've been following news about the movie since the beginning. From what I understand, the new writer has cleaned up the mess the script was in and actors (more than just Annie Potts and Tom Hanks) have been recording.

I hope his sources are wrong too. I'm assuming this is updated info, since he had previously reported on Annie Potts' feedback.



His info generally seems to be pretty legit though...
 

JessieLightyear

Active Member
I hope his sources are wrong too. I'm assuming this is updated info, since he had previously reported on Annie Potts' feedback.



His info generally seems to be pretty legit though...


Thanks. :) I listened to a podcast interview with Stephany Folsom (the screenwriter) last week, and she's been working on the film for over a year now - as opposed to the popular rumors that she's only just started with the rewrites in the past couple months. That's what I assume was going on during Annie Potts' waiting to hear from Pixar, before she went back to recording.
 

Tavernacle12

Well-Known Member
The Disney film facts guy on twitter said his Pixar animation contacts said that Pixar is in chaos right now. And that TS4 is in really bad shape. But that WDAS was coping fine.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lasseter loyalists were making life difficult at Pixar.

Nice to hear WDAS is doing well, they’ve seemed healthier and happier in their new little renaissance, and have (to me) been doing far better the last five or so years than Pixar has. They have some pretty strong people there with recent hits (Rich Moore is on his third film now with them after two hits, and Jennifer Lee is rumoured to be the new head of the division, for example). Pixar feels like they’ve been in trouble since TS3 released. Inside Out and Coco have been their only big critical commercial hits in, like, seven years. It makes sense this is another hit to them (I’m assuming Incredibles will be fine, but that’s based on faith in Brad Bird).

I’d like to think it’s not Lassetar loyalists screwing things up. If they care about Pixar they’d move on. There’s nothing (literally nothing) to gain by defending him anymore.

Would it be so bad if Disney up and canceled TS4? That'd be acceptable IMO. Or encouraged. lol

Cancelling it would be a bad move (for publicity, stock prices, etc. It’s basically a guaranteed billion dollars). Quietly putting it on the back burner would be better. It might be good for Pixar to take some time off and reassess their future, get some new blood in, get some new ideas. Is TS4 their only film in active development?
 

crxbrett

Well-Known Member
I agree.

Toy Story is too important a franchise for Pixar to mess up. But it will never get cancelled. Likely just another delay if it really still is a mess.

And I agree. Pixar has had some misses. Cars 2&3, The Good Dinosaur. You could argue that Coco is the best Pixar movie in a while.

Don't forget about Inside Out, which was only 18 months before Coco and regarded just as highly, if not, more than Coco (combining IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores, it does score higher).

I agree with you though, Pixar's run from 2011-2018 has had way more misses or just okay movies compared to what they released their first 15 years. From 1995-2010, they really only had a few just okay movies and none were considered misses.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
Don't forget about Inside Out, which was only 18 months before Coco and regarded just as highly, if not, more than Coco (combining IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores, it does score higher).

I agree with you though, Pixar's run from 2011-2018 has had way more misses or just okay movies compared to what they released their first 15 years. From 1995-2010, they really only had a few just okay movies and none were considered misses.
Yes, this is where I find it hard to imagine that Lasseter will be a huge loss creatively to Pixar. In recent years the studio already seemed to have lost its way, churning out mostly forgettable sequels to their earlier, far better films. The only signs that any of the old Pixar excellence was still there were Inside Out and Coco. Both of them were up there with the best of Pixar, but that level of quality had become the exception rather than the rule in the past decade or so.
 
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Phil12

Well-Known Member
woody-toy-story.jpg
Early concept art of Woody by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.

Perhaps the early workup of Woody was a more accurate depiction of John Lasseter.

 
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larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Yes, this is where I find it hard to imagine that Lasseter will be a huge loss creatively to Pixar. In recent years the studio already seemed to have lost its way, churning out mostly forgettable sequels to their earlier, far better films. The only signs that any of the old Pixar excellence was still there were Inside Out and Coco. Both of them were up there with the best of Pixar, but that level of quality had become the exception rather than the rule in the past decade or so.
I wonder what they'll call the sequel to Up...
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Saw this on another site, allegedly posted by a Pixar employee.

Just went to the I2 Wrap party last weekend, and as is tradition, we sit through the credits until the end. Everyone claps typically when the directors, producers, etc. names appear on screen, but the claps immediately stopped when JL’s name showed up. Just in case anyone wanted to know how most Pixarians feel about this whole ordeal. Everyone was uproarious a month or so ago when The Hollywood Reporter speculated that he would physically return to Pixar to continue working. I’m not into conspiracy theories, but I feel like they let HR run that story to gauge the employees’ and public’s reaction of that scenario.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
Saw this on another site, allegedly posted by a Pixar employee.

Just went to the I2 Wrap party last weekend, and as is tradition, we sit through the credits until the end. Everyone claps typically when the directors, producers, etc. names appear on screen, but the claps immediately stopped when JL’s name showed up. Just in case anyone wanted to know how most Pixarians feel about this whole ordeal. Everyone was uproarious a month or so ago when The Hollywood Reporter speculated that he would physically return to Pixar to continue working. I’m not into conspiracy theories, but I feel like they let HR run that story to gauge the employees’ and public’s reaction of that scenario.
"Uproarious?" could be with joy or outrage.
 

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