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Toy Story 3 a Go
2009 release date planned.
by IGN Staff
February 9, 2007 - Disney animation bosses John Lasseter and Ed Catmull gave a rundown to investors yesterday on their upcoming slate, and the biggest news to come from that conference call was the revelation that the on again, off again Toy Story 3 is on again.
The CGI sequel will likely arrive in 2009, but Lasseter -- the director of the first two films and the Pixar chief who is now running Disney's animation division -- will not helm the film. That task will fall to Lee Unkrich, who has co-directed Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo. Michael Arndt, recently nominated for an Academy Award for his Little Miss Sunshine script, is writing the film.
"The greatest thing about the merger of the two companies is that the creators of Toy Story 1 and 2 can make 3 with the story that we wanted," said Lasseter, according to Variety, during the call, an obvious reference to Disney's previous plans to make the third film without the assistance of Pixar. Of course, that was before Pixar and Disney merged, and Lasseter became the boss of Walt Disney's ghost.
A change also seems to be underway at Walt Disney Feature Animation, the traditional non-Pixar arm of the operation, with Lasseter announcing that Chris Williams, a company veteran, is now directing 2008's American Dog. Williams has replaced Lilo & Stitch director Chris Sanders on the project, who left the company recently.
Catmull, meanwhile, says that reports that Walt Disney Feature Animation might be returning to 2-D animation are accurate -- that arm of the company does plan on focusing on classically hand-drawn films again.
"We're really excited about that and have brought back some great directors to work on that," says Catmull. One such film in development is The Frog Princess from Ron Clements and John Musker, the men behind The Little Mermaid and several other Disney hits who returned to Disney last year at Lasseter's request.
Toy Story 3 a Go
2009 release date planned.
by IGN Staff
February 9, 2007 - Disney animation bosses John Lasseter and Ed Catmull gave a rundown to investors yesterday on their upcoming slate, and the biggest news to come from that conference call was the revelation that the on again, off again Toy Story 3 is on again.
The CGI sequel will likely arrive in 2009, but Lasseter -- the director of the first two films and the Pixar chief who is now running Disney's animation division -- will not helm the film. That task will fall to Lee Unkrich, who has co-directed Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo. Michael Arndt, recently nominated for an Academy Award for his Little Miss Sunshine script, is writing the film.
"The greatest thing about the merger of the two companies is that the creators of Toy Story 1 and 2 can make 3 with the story that we wanted," said Lasseter, according to Variety, during the call, an obvious reference to Disney's previous plans to make the third film without the assistance of Pixar. Of course, that was before Pixar and Disney merged, and Lasseter became the boss of Walt Disney's ghost.
A change also seems to be underway at Walt Disney Feature Animation, the traditional non-Pixar arm of the operation, with Lasseter announcing that Chris Williams, a company veteran, is now directing 2008's American Dog. Williams has replaced Lilo & Stitch director Chris Sanders on the project, who left the company recently.
Catmull, meanwhile, says that reports that Walt Disney Feature Animation might be returning to 2-D animation are accurate -- that arm of the company does plan on focusing on classically hand-drawn films again.
"We're really excited about that and have brought back some great directors to work on that," says Catmull. One such film in development is The Frog Princess from Ron Clements and John Musker, the men behind The Little Mermaid and several other Disney hits who returned to Disney last year at Lasseter's request.
