Twenty Fourteen

And so in a matter of hours, a new year comes… Another batch of assorted animated entertainments will be making the waves from the cold January to the equally cold December. Our big studios, minus three, are ready to roll their work to the cinemas.

Disney Animation will take us to the action-packed streets of San Fransokyo in their first Marvel film, Big Hero 6. DreamWorks will take us back in time with two classic characters that were seen on the small screens in the late 1950s with Mr. Peabody & Sherman, revisit Berk for more fiery action with How To Train Your Dragon 2 and then introduce us to the alien Boov of distant planet Smekland in Home. Blue Sky will head on over to the Amazon with their fun feathered friends for Rio 2.

Pixar, Illumination and Sony Pictures Animation don't have any trips to take us on in 2014. Pixar pushed their prehistoric epic The Good Dinosaur back to late 2015, Sony Animation shuffled Genndy Tartakovsky's cool-sounding take on Popeye to the "to be determined" section of their slate, Illumination moved the Minions to summer 2015.

It's a shame in some ways, but given many circumstances, it's easy for me to swallow. Again, I'm used to waiting for Pixar films and I know that the "one a year" thing may be detrimental to the development of their productions. I'd rather them take their time than rush out a film, so we don't get a not-so-great film and hear more doomsday naysayers crying. Minions does not really intrigue me, so I could care less that it's been moved. (I'm more interested in Illumination's upcoming original film that they have slated for 2016!) Sony has two films I am not interested in coming in 2015; The Smurfs 3 and Hotel Transylvania 2.

Thankfully, others will be there to fill the void.

Reel FX, makers of Free Birds, are going to do a complete 180 from their goofy turkey movie and give us the potentially awesome The Book of Life. A fantasy-adventure about a young man who must face his fears while traveling through three fantasy worlds that's told through a plethora of songs, it's said to be unlike any computer animated film we've seen over the years. Warner Bros. finally makes a return to feature animation after years of duds, bad decisions and one-trick ponies, thanks to the hilarious-looking The Lego Movie, which offers a lot of promise thanks to its fun trailers, the fact that Phil Lord and Chris Miller are directing and the fact that it's… Well… Lego! Then LAIKA also comes to save the day with another stop-motion masterpiece in the making, The BoxTrolls, which will plunge us into a Victorian setting and take us to a world beneath ours, a world full of quirky little trolls.

We also have the North American releases of Hayao Miyazaki's swan song The Wind Rises and the French traditionally-animated charmer Ernest & Celestine arriving soon. Hopefully these two films are modestly successful, and help motivate studios to invest in unique smaller-scale animation and animation from all around the world.

No Pixar? No Sony? No Illumination? No problem. We have others to make up for that, and they'll return in 2015. Other than these mainstream releases, there's The Nut Job, which looks derivative as hell. Planes: Fire & Rescue, I can do without. Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return? Eh.

That's only the theatrical front… Hopefully a majority of the films have good writing and character work, and are at least unique. Of course, this passing year is teaching a lesson. Diversity wins, and you need to give audiences something new if you want to get ahead. Copying Pixar or Disney or the family-friendly formula can only get you so far, so hopefully a good amount of people take note!

Television animation should more or less be the same; Cartoon Network will probably continue investing in weird, surreal shows while Nickelodeon will continue to try following in their footsteps. Disney seems to be on-and-off with television animation, but they'll keep their successful entries going whilst trying to launch new ones. Maybe we'll see more Wander Over Yanders next year, and see them do well. Adult Swim will give us the usual that they've been giving us for nearly a decade, Fox will continue with Seth McFarlane derivatives and "throw 'em against the wall and see if they stick" experiments. Netflix and other venues will expand television animation, as DreamWorks' TV unit already jumped in with their Turbo F.A.S.T. and tons of other content that'll soon arrive.

Pixar will still be around throughout the year. Even though they don't have a feature film for the big screen coming, they'll have a short film out in Party Central, a Monsters University-based film that oddly doesn't have a release date for some reason. Another Toy Story television special is definitely coming, it was announced back in 2012 that a second special would show up sometime around springtime 2014. An Easter special, perhaps? Or will we wait till late 2014 and end up getting a Christmas special? In addition to these productions, we'll see more Toy Story Toons and Cars Toons.

But of course, what was going on this year - with more independent animation slowly rising and things like Kickstarter helping projects get off the ground - should make this year even better. Glen Keane's Motorola project should be out, too. We'll see a lot of unique things make the waves as well, alongside the big stuff.

I think this year will be a pretty good one. What do you think? Does what 2014 have in store excite you? Or are you disappointed? Sound off below!

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 16)

Illumination Entertainment pretty much proved to the animation industry that they could be fierce competition. With the unexpected success of their debut Despicable Me and the success of Hop, they are now one of the big competitors. Universal is also very confident in them. Their next animated film comes out next month (Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax), which is a guaranteed success, followed by Despicable Me 2 in 2013. They’re all set. It seems like most of their upcoming projects will animated comedies, much like most of DreamWorks' upcoming films along with some of Sony Animation's upcoming films.

I’ve left out two of their upcoming projects, the untitled Dr. Seuss biopic starring Johnny Depp and Gospel for Teens, since they are both live-action films.

The Addams Family

Tim Burton will direct this stop-motion animation take (yay!) on the classic show, which has been adapted into an animated series twice, first in 1973 and again in 1992. (Pictured above) This project is perfect for him. Enough said. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter will probably provide the voices of Gomez and Morticia.

Curious George

Back in 2006, a hand-drawn Curious George film was done by Universal and Imagine. Now Illumination is going to give it a shot. This will probably be a computer animated film, and nothing like the 2006 film. Expect this one to be a fun romp.

Emily the Strange

Rob Reger has been trying to make a film adaptation of his character, Emily the Strange, for years. Chloe Moretz will provide the voice of the title character, and Mirror Mirror scribe will write. (Shudder) Not sure how this will turn out.

Flanimals

This project is based on Ricky Gervais’ children’s books of the same name. The designs of the characters are well-suited for an animated film. I expect this one will be a lot of fun.

Pluto

Pluto is a classic manga by Osamu Tezuka, but here’s hoping Illumination’s computer animated film adaptation won’t turn out like Summitt’s Astro Boy did back in 2009.

Uglydolls

The creators of the Uglydoll line, David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, will produce this film adaptation. Like Flanimals, the designs of the Uglydoll characters seem perfect for an animated feature. This could work as a fun comedy.

Untitled Cryptozoology Project

Not much is known about this project. Jack Black is involved with it. I’m assuming this is going to be about bigfoot, yetis, the Loch Ness monster and all kinds of interesting creatures. Again, this is perfect for animation.

Woody Woodpecker

Another retro cartoon/comic revival. Woody Woodpecker could turn out to be a fun romp if done right. It’ll probably be computer animated. Two King of the Hill writers will handle the script.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 15)

More Sony Pictures Animation projects...

Make My Own Monster

Another Gotham Group co-production. Not much is known about this one.

Muncle Trogg

This project is based on Janet Foxley’s children’s book of the same name. It’s about a “small” giant living in a community of giants that pick on him for his size. A community of giants? Sounds like it could work. Apparently there’s a “solar-powered dragon” in this story, also interesting.

Pooch Cafe

Based on Paul Gilligan’s comic strip. Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo & Juliet) will write the script.

Popeye

Another retro cartoon/comic/show revival, but this one could work. The original short films (which are of course based on the Thimble Theater comic, pictured above) are pure brilliance, but the same can’t be said about the cartoon series versions of Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Smurfs. It should be hand-drawn though, a computer animated Popeye would just look awkward. (A CGI Popeye was already made for some forgotten direct-to-video movie a few years ago)

Rollercoaster Tycoon

I used to love playing Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 when I was young. I can only imagine what a film adaptation would be like. Guess what? It’s another live action/CGI hybrid. I guess we’re going to get a couple rollercoaster ride scenes in 3D.

Secret Histories

Another Gotham Group co-production, and there’s not much info on this project.

Untitled David Sussman Project

An untitled hybrid that’s being produced by Kevin Lima and written by David Sussman. There are no details on the plot or anything else.

With Aardman and The Gotham Group as collaborators, Sony Pictures Animation is trying to broaden their scope. Aardman can supply their usual brilliance, but under Sony’s name. Their own original projects have potential, and the ones under the Gotham Group could also work. Sony usually doesn’t use big budgets, unlike Pixar and DreamWorks. Perhaps in the future, they can go all out and do something that will require a big budget. But then again, you can still make an animated classic on a budget.

Next up is Illumination Entertainment, and that will be the end of this series of posts. Whenever a new animated film is announced or anything having to do with an upcoming release, I'll basically make a whole post dedicated to this news, or a weekly animation news round-up sort of thing. Which ever works.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 14)

Sony Pictures Animation, like DreamWorks, has quite a few films in development that don’t have any exact release dates. I include The Familiars on this list because it’s scheduled for 2014, but with no month or day.

Since Sony is now partners with Aardman Animations, I’ll cover any upcoming Aardman films in this list.

The Familiars

This is Doug Sweetland’s directorial debut. He recently left Pixar, but while he was there, he directed the brilliant short film Presto. Fergal Reilly is the co-director of the project and Sam Raimi is the producer of all people. It’s based on the books of the same name, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. The plot involves three young wizards and their animals companions trying to escape from an evil kingdom. Sounds good already. This certainly sounds more ambitious than something like The Smurfs, obviously, but it seems like Sweetland is aiming high for his directorial debut.

Chickenhare

Chickenhare is based on three graphic novels by Chris Grine. It’s about a half chicken/half hare, hence the title. Seems perfect for an animated film. Not much has been revealed about this project, so who knows what it’ll be like.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Since the first one did so well, the sequel was inevitable. The sequel will not be based on the sequel to the original book, Pickles to Pittsburgh. This could be another franchise for Sony if they have enough good ideas to keep it fresh.

Futuropolis

Finding Nemo screenwriter David Reynolds (little Davie Reynolds!) is scripting this co-production with The Gotham Group, which used to be a firm that was a talent agency for animated films in the early 1990s. Not much is known about this project.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

This project is based on a series of children’s novels by Crockett Johnson, and the novels have adapted before into animated short films. It’s also been adapted into an HBO TV series a couple years ago. It’s about a kid with a crayon that creates his own world, it could work. The film is co-production with Overlook Entertainment and Maurice Sendak is producing it along with Will Smith.

How to Live Forever

Another co-production with The Gotham Group. Not much is known about this one, though the title makes it sound interesting.

How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack

The title alone already has me hooked. Robert Zemeckis is producing this film, and it’s another co-production with the Gotham Group. Apparently this one is going to be a little more adult-oriented. It’ll be a live action/CGI hybrid. It’s based on a book by Chuck Sambuchino. Hey, at least Zemeckis is doing something like this and not a motion capture remake of Yellow Submarine.

Instant Karma

This film is about a New Orleans safecracker who is reincarnated as a fly. Learning from his mistakes, he becomes different animals before he can be a human again and win back his love. This idea is great, and it certainly is a bit risky. Apparently the director, Paul Hernandez, has been trying to get this project off the ground for a while. It will be a live-action/CGI hybrid.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 13)

Blue Sky Studios has a few projects in the works, slated to be released after 2013. (When Leaf Men comes out)

Spore

Based on the popular creature creator computer game, this film could go either way. All kinds of different creature designs seem perfect for the animated medium, so there is a good amount of potential in this project that seems more ambitious than Blue Sky’s previous efforts. Chris Wedge will direct this film, another plus.

The Story of Ferdinand

This is a classic story, and Blue Sky could pull it off. Walt Disney once did with a short film, so I can only imagine how a feature film would work. Carlos Saldanha is going to direct the film, as he co-directed Ice Age and Robots and directed every other Blue Sky production.

Mutts

This project is based on Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip of the same name. This could be a fun film, and it’ll work unlike some other recent comic strip adaptations. (Garfield, Marmaduke)

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I can’t say much about those three projects. Not much has been revealed, all we know is that Blue Sky is planning on turning these ideas into animated features. Could they work? Probably. Blue Sky is a very consistent studio, aside from the two Ice Age sequels, which received mixed reviews.

The sequels exist to fund original projects. Let’s say Ice Age: Continental Drift tops $900 million at the worldwide box office. Maybe Leaf Men’s budget will be big, around $150 million, because Blue Sky usually stays below $100 million when it comes to production budgets. Maybe they’re waiting to take a huge risk. Maybe Spore could be that risk, or something else.

I’d say give Blue Sky some time. They were one of the very few non-Pixar/Disney/DreamWorks studios to survive the CGI glut of 2006 since Ice Age and Robots satisfied audiences and critics. (Robots to a lesser extent) Their films always do well, and maybe if they start taking some real risks, their films will start making Pixar numbers (i.e, more than $200 million) domestically and worldwide. Rio might’ve underperformed in theaters in the states, but it’s doing extremely well on Blu-ray and DVD and it was a smash hit all around the world. This is good for Blue Sky, and maybe they'll try something new with their next original project.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 12)

Pixar, DreamWorks, and now... Walt Disney Animation Studios...

A while ago, we often heard about several upcoming Disney animated films. We would hear about projects that were never realized: Wild Life, My Peoples, Fraidy Cat, Aida, The Emperor and the Nightingale, Antonius, Uncle Stiltskin, Don Quixote, a third Fantasia... Nowadays, you only hear about a couple. So far, the only post-2012 Disney film that has a release date is Frozen. Only two films are confirmed to be in development, the third film listed here is something that was announced a while back but not much has been said about it since. It seems like Disney is taking it easy, not working on too many projects, while Pixar is okay with announcing 3-5 upcoming projects and DreamWorks is announcing over 15 upcoming projects. It seems like Walt Disney Animation Studios is still searching for a new direction. You'd think with John Lasseter running things, they would do an ambitious film that echoes the ambition of the Golden Age animated films. Why haven't they tried? Perhaps Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen may prove me wrong (and I hope they do), but with only two films in development and no announcements for other ideas being considered, Disney just might be lost right now.

King of the Elves

Like Frozen, this one was always on and off. When Disney first announced it in 2008, it was originally going to come out in December 2012. It was canceled and then it was announced for a December 2013 release not too long ago. Right now, it’s said to be in development. This one is based on a Phillip K. Dick story about a man living in Mississippi, who is named king by a band of elves. According to some source, it’s going to computer animated, and not hand-drawn. Chris Williams, the director of Bolt, is at the helm of the project.

Untitled Mickey Mouse Film

Disney veteran Burny Mattinson confirmed that this film is in development. Technically, this is Mickey Mouse’s first full-length animated film but it’s not his first feature film appearance. (Fantasia, Fun & Fancy Free) Anyways, what could this film be about? Will it be a hand-drawn animated film? I sure hope so, because CGI Mickey just wouldn’t work. Mickey was always a traditional animation icon, and he remains a traditional animation icon. (with the exception of that dreadful Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show, Walt wouldn’t be happy if he saw that) If the whole film is computer animated, then it just won’t work in my eyes. I think a lot of people might think the same. This project actually reminds me of a scrapped Disney crossover film called In Search of Mickey Mouse, a project brought up during the Michael Eisner era where all the Disney characters team up to find a missing Mickey Mouse. Yeah, let’s be glad that never happened. Also, what would the title be? While a Mickey Mouse film could work, I just think it’s a little too safe for Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s not a big risk, and it’s guaranteed to be a smash hit. Now what if the film was an Epic Mickey movie? That would be something to look forward to. I doubt that Disney would turn it into a film, but anything's possible. If they did, then it would be right in line with Wreck-It Ralph. It would be experimental, ambitious and bold. That could really work, but since they only said it's a Mickey Mouse film, I can't see it being an Epic Mickey movie.

Mort

It was announced back in 2010 that Disney would adapt Mort, which is the fourth novel in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Apparently this project will be directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. This story seems very dark and something that Walt Disney would’ve considered adapting back in the 1940s. It reminds me of The Black Cauldron in some ways, which could’ve been an epic fantasy film if it weren’t for the directionless atmosphere of the Disney studios in the 1970s. By the time the studio ramped up their ambitions in the early 1980s, it was too late. Since the studio is a lot different from what it was back then, maybe Mort  could be the dark Disney fantasy film we’ve been waiting for, if it enters production. With a PG-rated fantasy epic like this, Disney could prove their naysayers wrong and put an end to the belief that Disney animation is only for children. This could be that very film, and while Disney has gotten better in the storytelling department, their films lack that risky punch. Walt Disney’s first five films were groundbreaking, why can’t Walt Disney Animation Studios continue that tradition and break new ground? Pixar does it, why can’t they do the same? Perhaps they’re waiting to see how Wreck-It Ralph will do, maybe? If Frozen follows the risky, ambitious route and goes over well, maybe Mort will be reconsidered. Like I said earlier, Disney needs to take some real risks in order to climb back to the top of the animation ladder. Sure, Tangled was a smash hit, but it was lucky. The Princess and the Frog should've done well like that. If Disney takes a big risk and pulls it off, people will go see it. I could go on and on about how Disney can really get back on top (as in getting near-universal praise for their films and crashing the $800 million barrier at the worldwide box office), but I'll save that for another post.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 11)

Here are the rest of the DreamWorks Animation projects that are currently in development...

The Grimm Legacy

This one is based on Polly Shulman’s book of the same name, a story about a girl working at library that trades valuables. Among the valuables in the library are The Grimm Brothers’ magical objects, which disappear. The girl goes on a journey to find them. Sounds like it could work.

Imaginary Enemies

Apparently this project is about angry imaginary friends who are sick of their creators blaming everything on them. That sounds hilarious, but I can’t help but think of the Cartoon Network series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Still this could be a fun idea, but who knows if it will go anywhere. Maybe the story would suit a short film better, not a roughly 90-minute film. I could be dead wrong, though.

InterWorld

Based on a story by Neil Gaiman, there hasn’t been much said about this one, but Henry Selick’s adaptation of Gaiman’s Coraline was wonderful, this could be wonderful too.

Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 2 might've underperformed domestically, but worldwide it did very well, so 3 is a go. I remember back in 2010 when DreamWorks announced that they would go up to a sixth Kung Fu Panda. (As well as finishing Madagascar with a fourth movie) I don’t know if they’re going to go that far. Kung Fu Panda is incredibly popular overseas, but it’s not as big as Ice Age. Again, since the first two were good, this should be as well. With Shrek, they couldn’t make a third film work, but with this story and these characters, they can.

Lidsville

A film based on the Sid and Marty Krofft show from the 1970s. Apparently Shrek 2 director Conrad Vernon grew up on this show and considered it the best Sid and Marty Krofft show. Their shows were always zany and off-the-wall, so this idea seems perfect for an animated film.

Maintenance

This project is based on a comic book series by Jim Massey (illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez), a series about two janitors working for a massive science think tank. Originally, this was going to be adapted by Warner Bros., but DreamWorks now has the rights. Not much can be said about this, but it could work because the story sounds interesting and creative.

Monkeys of Mumbai

Kevin Lima, the director of Disney’s Tarzan and Enchanted, is at the helm of this project, which sounds very exciting. What’s this film about? It’s a Bollywood musical about monkeys! What could be more creative and awesome than that? Also, who besides Disney is giving us animated musicals in this day and age? Not only is DreamWorks attempting to re-popularize hand-drawn animation (Me and My Shadow), but they’re also trying to bring back musicals. (Even though Disney's Tangled was a big success, but Frog and Winnie the Pooh weren't, those three films were their first musicals since Home on the Range, not counting Enchanted) Kevin Lima is an incredibly talented director, and he’s working with some incredibly talented people on this project, so there’s a lot to look forward to here. Here’s hoping it comes out sooner than later.

Pig Scrolls

Based on Paul Shipton’s The Pig Scrolls, the story about who has to save the world, all based in Greek mythology. (The Ancient Greek Gods are characters in this story) Sounds like fun, a pig for the main character and a “save the world” plot. This could be interesting. No doubt DreamWorks is eying down the book’s sequel, where the pig is supposed to save the universe.

Rumblewick

Another fairy tale-style film based on Hiawyn Oram and Sarah Warburton’s book My Unwilling Witch (The Rumblewick Letters), Rumblewick takes place in a world of witches. It’s about a magician’s rabbit who is being trained to become a witch’s familiar, but he finds out that he’s just being used for a duel with rival witches. The idea, and the setting, is certainly creative. Like a few other upcoming projects in DreamWorks’ canon, this one has a lot going for it.

Trollhunters

Guillermo del Toro is the writer and director of this film, and maybe with this film, DreamWorks can successfully make animated films that contain pures of pure nightmare fuel like the old Disney films.

Truckers

This is based on the first book in a trilogy by Terry Pratchett, Bromeliad. It’s about the Nomes, a race of tiny people from another world living in our world. Not sure why the title is Truckers, since I’ve never read the books. Speaking of which, Disney was going to adapt Pratchett’s Discworld, but I guess that didn’t go over very well. There’s a lot of potential in this one, as DreamWorks proved they could do good fantasy with How to Train Your Dragon. At one time, this film was scheduled for release this year, but that was back when it was announced in 2008. Who knows when it will be finished.

The True Meaning of Smekday

Based on a science fiction novel by Adam Rex, The True Meaning of Smekday has been in DreamWorks’ hands since 2008. Who knows when they will get to producing it, but the plot is about an 11-year-old learning to survive after her mother is abducted by aliens. Sounds like it could be a more emotional film from DreamWorks, if the writers choose to go that route with the story.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 10)

Now that I've gone over the unscheduled Pixar dinosaur project, the cancelled Newt and the possible Incredibles sequel, let’s look at all the films DreamWorks has in the works but without any release date set...

One thing about DreamWorks is that they announce a boatload of projects, and some of them don’t make it over the years. Examples include Punk Farm, Rex Havoc and Route 66. A couple of these projects actually had been projected for release in 2012 and 2013, Truckers and Boo U for example. So let’s jump in and see what the boy on the moon might have in store for us.

Alma

This project is based on Rodrigo Blaas’ animated short film of the same name. (He’ll also direct the film, Guillermo del Toro is producing the film) According to the LA Times Blog, the plot involves children and dark creatures. There hasn’t been much revealed about this project. It reminds me of Shane Acker’s 9, which was an adaptation of his 2005 short film of the same. The film turned out to be a bust. Also, the subject matter of this short seems dark, far away from the irreverant comedies DreamWorks has produced in the last five years. Guillermo del Toro being there might be a good thing for the studio, and he might thrust them into a different direction. Goodbye endless comedies, hello ambitious works of storytelling!

Boo U

This one sounds like fun. A ghost is awful at scaring people, so he goes back to ghost school. The director, Tony Leondis, doesn’t have such a hot track record. (He directed the forgotten 2008 animated film, Igor) Seth Rogen is the voice of the main character. Not sure if I’m fine with that, but I have a feeling this will be one of DreamWorks’ fun films. Here’s hoping the film isn’t relentlessly compared to Monsters University, because there are Pixar fans who are probably ready to scream “murder” when the first trailer will eventually pop up.

Captain Underpants

The books were popular when I was in elementary school, they were a staple at book fairs. I've never really read any of them, but a movie could be fun. I can’t see this one working, unless DreamWorks just does it as a comedy and nothing more.

Flawed Dogs

This film is based on a story by Berkeley Breathed. After being topped by show dog, a dachshund aims to get the love and affection of his family back. Sounds like it could be a more heartfelt film, much like How to Train Your Dragon.

Dinotrux

Based on Chris Gall’s children’s book of the same name, this film will probably have some “interesting” character designs. I mean, Dinotrux, dinosaurs and trucks put together. That ought to be something else.

Gil’s All Fright Diner

Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfield is at the helm of this adaptation of A. Lee Martinez’s science fiction novel about a 24-hour restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The characters are werewolves, vampires and ghosts. I except this one to have a Halloween release, whenever it comes out.

Good Luck Trolls

I might be proven wrong, but this one sounds like a disaster and it probably might be scrapped. It’s based on the toy dolls of the same name. They plan on creating a whole mythology and backstory for these trolls.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 9)

The following animated features don’t have a release date yet. I’ll be going by studio instead of the films themselves. Some of the films listed here could also be mere rumors. (i.e. The Incredibles 2) First up, the hopping lamp:

Untitled Dinosaur Project

This project was originally scheduled for release on November 27, 2013. If that had went through, it would be the first time two Pixar films were released in one year. Disney’s 53rd animated feature, Frozen, has taken that date instead. This film remains unscheduled, so I’m assuming that we’re going to get the film in either the fall of 2014 or the summer of 2015. One thing I’ve noticed about Pixar is that when two of their films are scheduled to come out the same year, it never happens. Back in 2008, Brave (back then titled The Bear and the Bow) and Newt were supposed to be released in 2011. Brave was moved to summer 2012 and Newt was cancelled. Then Monsters University (back then, it was just called Monsters, Inc. 2, no one announced that it was going to be a prequel) was scheduled for November 2, 2012, right after Brave. It got moved, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph took its place. Now this film and Monsters University. It just looks like two Pixar films coming out the same year just won’t happen.

Okay, so enough rambling about release dates, what’s this project all about it? Well, it takes place in an alternate timeline where the meteor never hit Earth and dinosaurs evolved from there, and are living among the human race. Prior to being announced, concept art of a boy and a brontosaurus was seen in a photo of Pixar sculptor Greg Dykstra, so this proves that dinosaurs and humans are co-existing in this world. Bob Peterson is directing the film. He was the co-director of Monsters, Inc., so this is the first time he’s actually at the helm of a project at Pixar. I always like it when new directors are announced, because it’s nice to see them take a shot at directing a feature film rather John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird and Pete Docter on indefinite loop. Don’t get me wrong, these men are the very definition of brilliance, but it’s nice to see someone else give it a shot. There is mountains of potential in this project, that’s all I’m going to say. It sounds incredibly creative, and the stars are dinosaurs. What more could you ask for? No, this probably won’t be a debacle of prehistoric proportions like Disney’s Dinosaur, this’ll be probably be the best animated film about dinosaurs yet.

Newt

Just because Gary Rydstrom’s love story about two blue-footed newts was canceled doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. Remember, Pixar first conceived WALL-E in 1994 as Trash Planet. That didn’t go anywhere, until 2003, when it was revamped. Production began in 2006 and there you go, WALL-E hits the big screen in the summer of 2008. A similar situation was Cars. In 1996, Pixar conceived The Yellow Car, an Ugly Duckling story of an electric car living in a world of gas guzzlers who reject him. It didn’t work out, and it was scrapped. After John Lasseter went on a vacation to reconnect with his family in 2000, Cars was born and six years later, it hit the big screen. Give the folks at Pixar some time, Newt will definitely come back. A lot of concept art was created a couple years back. They wouldn’t waste all of that work, one day, they’re going to bring Rydstrom’s idea back. Maybe it’ll be their 2016 release after the dinosaur project. Who knows? Pixar had something really ambitious on their hands, but Pixar knows when something isn’t working.

Now the easy answer would be, “Newt was scrapped because Cars 2 was safer and could sell more toys!” If so, then why did they announce two new original projects, one with a very risky concept? Cars 2 was a mere gap filler, it was scheduled for release in 2012 and then something happened and it moved up to summer 2011. If it was released in the summer of 2012, chances are it could’ve been better. There’s no clear answer on why the film was green-lit, but apparently it’s just something to keep Disney happy while Pixar can go on and keep making risky, ambitious films. Remember, Ratatouille and Up weren’t merchandising monsters. Brave doesn’t really seem like a merchandising monster either, although Princess Merida is supposed to be included in the Disney Princesses line. Cars just happens to be a behemoth in merchandising, and Disney is keeping that gravy train going with the direct-to-video sequel, Planes. (This is a good thing, because Pixar won't have to make sequels and spin-offs that will stain their "quality" track record)

I think it was scrapped for two obvious reasons. First of all, the story wasn’t working. There is a time when Pixar films’ stories aren’t working. This is nothing new. What's strange is that they outright cancelled it, rather than just delaying it. If it is cancelled for good, then that will be the first time that this has ever happened to a Pixar film. Most Pixar films that are scrapped come back and are reworked. The same just might happen to Newt. Second of all, we all know this, Newt’s plot was similar to Blue Sky’s Rio, and John Lasseter heavily implied that recently. It’s an idea that's already been done to death, so maybe the writers felt that it wasn’t fresh. I’m sure the story crew at Pixar can come up with something and make it much more than just a love story about two [insert animal species here] that are the last of their species. Rio, while it was a fun flick, didn’t really have much of a fresh take on that story. Still, the film did well and was a smash hit on home video. (Blu-ray sales were beyond impressive) Who knows, by 2016 or so, if people will bring it up if a trailer for Newt shows up? Who knows.

The Incredibles sequel

Several fans have begged for an Incredibles sequel, but Brad Bird keeps saying that it will only happen if he has a good story. Power to him, Bird can do a sequel whenever he wants. Or not. Anyways, what would the sequel be about anyway? The Underminer tears up Municiberg in the film’s closing seconds, but that was turned into a video game in 2005, The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer. Who knows what they will do with a sequel, if they even want to do a sequel. If it does happen, I’d say 2017 is when we’re getting it. Bird is probably going back to his 1906 after finishing Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which went on to become the series’ highest grossing and best received installment. That film should hit theaters in 2014 or 2015, if he gets to make it. Again, The Incredibles sequel will only come if Bird wants to make one.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 8)

Very few films are slated for release in 2014, as movie studios are really focusing on this year and next year. Among the films scheduled for release in 2014 are mostly Disney and DreamWorks releases, along with one Columbia Pictures release and one from Relativity Media. After I discuss the 2014 releases, I’ll discuss unscheduled projects. (i.e. Disney’s King of the Elves, Pixar’s untitled dinosaur project)

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Distributor: To be announced

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Release Date: March 21, 2014

• Mr. Peabody & Sherman, for those who don’t know, was a segment on Rocky and Friends and The Bullwinkle Show. It seems like DreamWorks is following the retro cartoon/comic revival route and making a film based on these characters. With The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff at the helm, this should be a rather interesting release from DreamWorks. Coming off of the ambitious Me and My Shadow, it seems like another safety net. If it’s huge, expect a franchise a la Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Smurfs. Robert Downey Jr. is also doing the voice of Mr. Peabody. That should be very interesting, to say the least. I can’t say much about this one because, who knows what we’re going to get. There is one thing that makes this project exciting. There wasn't much one could do with Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Smurfs, but this film has potential because of the adventures the title characters went on. Think about it. Christopher Columbus, Ancient Egypt, the middle ages, 18th century America, Ancient Greece. This film could have tons of different settings. To me, that's miles ahead of the antics of three singing chipmunks or the adventures of little blue men in an enchanted forest. The people at DreamWorks can turn this into a very fun time travel adventure film. It could work.

Untitled Disney/Pixar Inside The Mind Project

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

Release Date: May 30, 2014

• The whole concept of this film screams “ambitious”. Not only does the story sound incredible, but it’s guaranteed that Pixar hasn’t lost their touch. Pete Docter returns to the director’s chair for this film, so I expect something emotional along the lines of his last film, Up. Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) is writing the screenplay, another plus. The concept? Risky. Another plus. This is Pixar 2007-2009 all over again, taking gigantic risks and creating masterpieces in return. Here’s hoping this untitled “Inside the Mind” project continues this tradition.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Distributor: To be announced

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Release Date: June 20, 2014

• Of course, since How to Train Your Dragon became DreamWorks’ highest grossing non-Shrek film, a sequel was inevitable. Since the first film was very good, this sequel should expand upon the story and flesh out the characters even more. One problem I had with the first film was that the minor characters were a little underdeveloped and seemed like background fodder, while Hiccup and Toothless were essentially the most developed characters, and Astrid to some extent. Many will disagree with me on this, but this sequel should add some character development while also telling a very good story. There is a boatload of potential in this one.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 7)

Part seven, all about two November releases from Disney and DreamWorks. These two projects have a ton of potential, which is why I’m dissecting them rather than having a spot for two more upcoming animated features.

Me and My Shadow

Distributor: To be announced

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Release Date: November 8, 2013

• What’s this? DreamWorks doing a hand-drawn animated film? Actually, this film is a hybrid of both hand-drawn animation and computer animation. This combo could prove to be groundbreaking. Disney is trying their hardest to bring back hand-drawn animation, but they keep killing it with terrible marketing and their lack of confidence. The Princess and the Frog could’ve been a Pixar-sized blockbuster if they didn’t throw it into an arena that contained a James Cameron 3D epic, an action-packed blockbuster and a sequel to a children’s film based on old cartoon characters. Me and My Shadow has so much potential. If the film is a How to Train Your Dragon-sized success, both at the box office and with the critics, then DreamWorks can help bring back hand-drawn animation. There’s so much potential in this project, it’s just exciting. The film is also being directed by Mark Dindal, who directed Disney’s wonderful irreverant comedy The Emperor’s New Groove and Warner Bros.’ Cats Don’t Dance, and Disney’s first fully computer animated film Chicken Little. (His only weak film, but we can thank executives for that debacle) Writers of Coraline, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Ren & Stimpy are handling the project. Pixar did a fine job combining hand-drawn animation and computer animation with their brilliant short film Day & Night, this should be an extension of that while also trying several other new things. This is shaping up to be one of DreamWorks’ most ambitious projects to date, shall it follow the route How to Train Your Dragon and the Kung Fu Panda films took.

Frozen

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Release Date: November 27, 2013

• For many years, Disney always wanted to adapt Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, but it was always on and off at the studio. For a while, it seemed like it would be Disney’s 2012 animated release after Winnie the Pooh, but it disappeared yet again. Now it’s back, and it’s slated for a fall 2013 release, but with the title Frozen. Apparently Disney is taking the Tangled route with the title, since they blindly assume that young boys will avoid a “girly princess movie”. Disney should NOT be aiming for young boys, or young girls. Like Walt himself, they should aim for mature adults while also appealing to the younger set. Walt Disney’s films were blockbusters because of this, but modern Disney has catered only to kids in the last ten years or so, alienating their fans and true audiences: Everyone. The title shouldn’t mean a thing, but it’s just another marketing move from the studio. In order for Frozen to succeed, it needs to be ambitious. It can’t just be another safe attempt to recreate the Disney Renaissance, it needs to be something completely different. Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid, the two films that made the Renaissance happen, were something new and not an attempt to recreate something from the past. The Princess and the Frog was like a hybrid between a pre-1960s Walt Disney film and the Disney Renaissance films, while Tangled was more of a sweet, fun, irreverant comedy. Bolt had a good story, but it was a bit restrained. Winnie the Pooh, while it was brilliant, was simply Winnie the Pooh, nothing new. This isn’t intended as a slam on those films, they're all very good and an improvement over what we've seen in the last ten years. I believe those four films are an indication that Disney is getting back to their roots. With the rather risky Wreck-It Ralph debuting this fall, Frozen should be something different and not the same thing we’d come to expect from the Mouse House.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 6)

Part six.

The Little Mermaid 3D

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Release Date: September 13, 2013

• Another 3D re-release from Disney. The Little Mermaid is certainly one of Disney’s more popular films, so a re-release seemed logical. The last time the film was re-released was in the fall of 1997, followed by what would be its second home video release. The Little Mermaid might be difficult, because this film was the last Disney animated feature done with cels. The next feature, The Rescuers Down Under, would be the first film done entirely on CAPS. Also, the film suffers from rushed animation, as did Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Still, the story and the characters are what the draw is. I’ve never seen the film on the big screen, so I’ll definitely check it out in theaters. Again, like I said, it DOES NOT have to be in 3D. If Disney gets around to re-releasing their other animated classics, will they convert them to 3D as well? Lastly, what Disney animated classics do you want to see in theaters? As for my thoughts on Disney re-releasing their classics in 3D, I’ll save that for a special post.

Untitled Henry Selick Film

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: TBA

Release Date: October 4, 2013

• I can’t say much about this one. No title, no stills, no info on the plot. This is Henry Selick’s first animated film for Disney since James and the Giant Peach in 1996. There were rumors that he was going to direct a Pixar film, but apparently this is the film he’s working on at the moment.

Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Studio: Animal Logic / BBC Earth / BBC Worldwide / Evergreen Films / Reliance Big Entertainment

Release Date: October 11, 2013

• Based on the six-part television series, this live action/animation film will probably be more of a documentary film than anything. I can’t say much about this one, but IMDb lists this as an animated film.

Anyways, just a heads up, there will be a new "episode" of sorts on this blog, tentatively titled "Animation Rewind". It'll be a look at older animated films with in-depth reviews. This will start when I receive my copy of Lady and the Tramp on Blu-ray.

Upcoming Animated Films - My Thoughts (Part 5)

Alrighty, part five. Summer 2013 is packed with animated films. It's going to be one big battle at the box office.

Monsters University

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

Release Date: June 21, 2013

• Since Pixar surprised audiences with Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, proving that you can make a great sequel or three-quel that lives up to the original, it was possible that they would do it again with last year’s Cars 2. Unfortunately, when Cars 2 turned out to be a disappointment, it somewhat cost Pixar their reputation. There seems to be more passion going into this prequel than there was for Cars 2. The film is being directed by Dan Scanlon, making this his first time directing an animated feature at Pixar. I just hope it doesn’t end up like Cars 2. That film’s original director, Brad Lewis, had trouble with the project and John Lasseter had to come in and save the sinking ship. Look how it turned out, it was a mess. Aside from those issues, Monsters University has a lot going for it. I was hoping that we could see more of the monster world, because we only saw Monstropolis in the first film. Back when I was young, I wondered what the rest of the monster world would look like. Perhaps Monsters University might explore more of the monster world. The best thing about this film is that it’s a prequel, because to me, how could you make a second one? Monsters, Inc.’s ending is just wonderful. A sequel would ruin it, so I’m glad they’re taking the prequel route with this project.

Despicable Me 2

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Studio: Illumination Entertainment

Release Date: July 3, 2013

• Despicable Me was a pleasant surprise, being Illumination’s first animated feature. There are so many fun opportunities with a sequel, but the film can’t be a mere rehash of the first film. Hopefully the folks at Illumination come up with something different for this sequel.

Turbo

Distributor: TBA

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Release Date: July 19, 2013

• I’m going to be completely honest here, the plot to this film sounds ridiculous. Yet, there are several ideas for films that make you say “That’s not going to work” and then it ends up working. Turbo is about a garden snail who acquires super speed after a freak accident. Now that sounds like something a kid would come up with, but maybe this will be one of DreamWorks’ “fun” films as opposed to more serious films like How to Train Your Dragon.

Phineas and Ferb

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: DisneyToon Studios / Mandeville Productions

Release Date: July 26, 2013

• I’ve never seen an episode of the Disney Channel series of the same name, but I’m told it’s brilliant and one of the few good things on the Disney Channel. The show itself was created by Dan Povenmire (along with Jeff Marsh), who I think is an incredibly talented writer. (He’s written several episodes of The Simpsons, various Nickelodeon shows and Family Guy episodes) The movie is going to be a live-action and animation hybrid, so it could this decade’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The film could be a whole lot of fun, since the show is such a success for Disney. Again, I can’t say too much because I’ve never seen an episode of the show. (I guess I don’t know what I’m missing)

The Smurfs 2

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation

Release Date: August 2, 2013

• I remember back when The Smurfs was announced back in 2005 for a 2008 release, the announcement said that it was the first film in a planned trilogy. When the film finally opened last summer, it was a smash hit worldwide. This is the new Alvin and the Chipmunks, little kids will eat this sequel up like candy. If one takes a look at Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming slate, it seems like these films will be mere safety nets in case any of their original projects don’t go over well.