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Much can be said about Pixar's reputation after the release of "Toy Story 3." The threequel capped off the animation studio's unprecedented hot streak of critical success from 1995 to 2010, which came to a definitive end thanks to the widely-blasted "Cars 2" a year later. "Brave" was the follow-up to the black sheep of Pixar's filmography at the time, and although it was definitely an improvement, critics and audiences still felt the film fell short of Pixar's previous work ... though that didn't stop it from winning Best Animated Feature at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013.

Much of the lukewarm critical reception to "Brave" can be attributed to the film's production. The movie was originally conceived by co-writer/director Brenda Chapman, who was influenced by fairy tales in the vein of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. The project, originally titled "The Bear and the Bow," was also inspired by...

In under a week of release in theaters worldwide, DreamWorks' first-ever live-action remake, How to Train Your Dragon, has made more than $200 million at the worldwide box office. The movie has now surpassed the lifetime global haul of another hit film produced by the legendary animation house, as it hurtles towards the $300 million milestone this weekend. Directed by Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon is a remake of the original 2010 animated hit; the movie is set to get a sequel, which will be based on 2014's How to Train Your Dragon 2.

With $218 million at the worldwide box office so far, the movie has surpassed the lifetime global haul of 1998's The Prince of Egypt, the Biblical musical featuring a stacked voice cast and based on the Book of Exodus. Directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, and Steve Hickner, The Prince of Egypt featured Val Kilmer as the voice of Moses,...

Val Kilmer’s career was defined by transformative performances in films like Top Gun and Tombstone. However, the genius of the late Hollywood star extended beyond live-action roles to remarkable voice roles, most notably as Moses in one of the greatest animation films of all time, The Prince of Egypt.

Dreamworks’ epic musical drama needed an actor who could convey strength, vulnerability, and divine purpose, and Kilmer delivered on all fronts. His performance, praised for its depth and emotional nuance, became one of the standout aspects of the movie that pushed the boundaries of animated storytelling.

The Prince of Egypt | Credit: DreamWorks The Prince of Egypt directors praised Val Kilmer’s performance

The 1998 classic animated film The Prince of Egypt stands as a testament to the power of creative collaboration, pushing the boundaries of what animated films could achieve.

DreamWorks set out to elevate the medium beyond established norms, assembling...

Quick LinksBrave Was Pixar’s First Princess MoviePixar’s Brave Original Director Was Fired Mid-ProductionReese Witherspoon Was Originally Slated to Voice Merida in Brave

Pixar's Brave(2012) was a departure for Pixar in many ways and felt much more like a true Disney film than the usual Pixar fare. It featured a fairy-tale-like setting that was more in line with Disney Princess movies, past and present, and it centered on a female protagonist. The film's production was plagued by massive changes, and even a director was bumped from the coveted seat despite being the writer. Amidst all the drama, Disney also disapproved of the movie's original title, forcing Pixar once again to make a major change. It's a small wonder the movie turned out as well as it did.

And while Brave is far from a perfect film, it's a sweeping adventure and heartwarming mother-daughter story not often depicted in Disney films.

The Academy Awards have been honoring animation since 1932 when Walt Disney began a near decade-long reign over the then-newly minted best cartoon short subject category. However, in 2001, the ceremony inaugurated the best animated feature category, beginning a now-storied tradition that has helped the medium skyrocket in popularity and prestige. Sure, some folks still sideline it as children's entertainment -- including at the ceremony itself -- but so long as based god Guillermo Del Toro proclaims it as cinema, animation will live on as such.

Thanks to the category's relative infancy, not to mention its smaller pool of competitors, the majority of the now over 100 nominees are some of the best the medium has to offer. However, not every winner is a winner, if you know what we mean. Here is our definitive ranking of every best animated feature at the Oscars, from the times the Academy got it wrong to...

Disney has acquired a reputation for crafting beautiful narratives from beginning to end. Known for their effective unfolding of events, Disney films have impeccable strength in writing and executing cohesive stories. Some Disney films, however, employ not-so-subtle foreshadowing that indicates to audiences where they might be headed, even in the face of an unexpected journey.

Whether it's a line of dialogue, the use of recurring imagery, or even what might be thought to be a one-off joke, Disney has had their fair share of heavy-handed hints as to where the film will conclude. This isn't always a negative reflection on the story. Sometimes, the inferences audiences make based on what's presented in the film make the ending even more impactful.

Monsters University Illustrates the Events Leading Up to Monsters Inc. This Film References Many Moments and Character Developments Seen in Its sequel Film

Being a prequel, Monsters University is expected...

When it comes to The Oscars, it's fair to say that it's one of the most anticipated celebrations in the film industry. For many filmmakers, winning an Oscar is the finest achievement possible, mostly because it's tied with a lot of recognition. Thus, movies like Gone with The Wind and Parasite remain with the audience because they have such a coveted position in the film business.

However, certain critics turn their noses up at animated movies. Although these films secure awards in their own right, they're typically undervalued because they are mostly associated with children. In turn, a lot of film buffs are missing out on the best Oscar-winning films of a generation.

A Little Girl Must Complete Forced Labor to Save Her Parents Spirited Away

Chihiro and her family are excited to start again in their new home. During their journey to the house, her parents stop off at an abandoned amusement park.

The Gold Standard is a Gold Derby series where we speak to legendary figures in Hollywood who take us through their award-worthy greatest hits. Below, four-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders talks about his incredible animation career, including current Best Animated Feature nominee The Wild Robot.

The Early Years

Sanders started working at Disney in 1987 in the visual development department but got his big break when he was asked to work on storyboards for the 1990s animated film Rescuers Down Under. From there, He worked on some of the greatest Disney animated movies ever, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan, which he cowrote.

As a kid watching these Disney specials, they would show how animation worked. The part that was always the most mysterious was when they passed the door that said “Story.” So when I got to Disney Animation, the only job available was with the visual development.

Chris Sanders is a one-of-a-kind artist.

As a kid, looking through various “art of” books for the 1990s Disney classics, you could always pick out a Chris Sanders illustration or a Chris Sanders storyboard, even without a little note explaining that it was him. It was just obvious. It wasn’t just the style of his illustrations or drawings; it was how much story and emotion was conveyed, breathlessly, with every line.

His latest film as a writer/director, “The Wild Robot,” contains all that we have come to expect (and love) from Sanders – an art style that boldly pushes the medium forward, characters that are so easy to love and root for, and a truthfulness to the occasionally harsh realities of life that are never dwelled on but are instead depicted with frank objectivity.

It’s incredible to see his vision so fully realized, and it was enough to...

When it comes to Japanese animation, few names command the same respect as universally as Hayao Miyazaki. The co-founder of Studio Ghibli has consistently delivered cinematic masterpieces that transcend the animation genre. However, what’s Miyazaki’s opinion on Western Animation giants such as Disney or DreamWorks? In answer, he illustrated the signature styles and strong suits of each of these studios.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle | Credit: Studio Ghibli

Steven Spielberg, while primarily known for live-action films, has left an indelible mark on animation through his involvement with DreamWorks; the studio he co-founded. In an interview, Miyazaki provided rare praise for DreamWorks; emphasizing the unique storytelling, character depth, and visually striking animation.

Hayao Miyazaki on Disney vs. DreamWorks

In an interview conducted by Xin Jin Bao in 2004, the legendary filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki was asked about his view on Western animation studios such as Disney and DreamWorks. In answer,...

DreamWorks Animation often goes toe-to-toe with Walt Disney Studios to produce spectacular films. The former holds an appeal for producing more mature and out-of-the-box characters along with political and pop-cultural jokes in their storylines.

The Prince of Egypt is considered to be a classic, featuring a star cast of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, and more. Based on the Book of Exodus, the story closely follows the journey of the heroic messiah Moses as he learns of his ultimate destiny. However, most fans don’t know that Steven Spielberg had a huge role in the early draft of the plot, though he went uncredited.

The inspiration: Focus on brotherhood, not divinity Still from The Prince of Egypt | Credits: DreamWorks Pictures

The Prince of Egypt premiered in 1998 and blew away the critics due to its incredible visuals, musical scores, and performance by the voice actors. The movie featured well-known stars like Val Kilmer,...

The legendary Val Kilmer is known for his roles in the ‘80s and ‘90s, where he starred in a string of dramas and action films. Best known for his work on Top Gun and the biopic The Doors, Kilmer became one of the biggest stars at the time. Despite his throat cancer diagnosis in 2015, he has been featured in a bunch of films.

Kilmer gave his voice to an underrated animated masterpiece in 1998. The actor played Moses in DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt, which also starred prominent stars like Sandra Bullock, Patrick Stewart, and Ralph Fiennes. The film has been regarded as one of the best animated films of all time and the makers were all praises for Kilmer.

Directors Of The Prince of Egypt Praised Val Kilmer To the Heavens Val Kilmer in Top Gun | Credits: Paramount

Val Kilmer is one of the most recognized stars in...

12 years after Brave was released, Kelly Macdonald is considering the reality of a sequel or a live-action remake. Macdonald originally starred as the voice actor for Princess Meredith, a Scottish Princess attempting to avoid her betrothal. While Brave 2 was never confirmed, the original was a critical and financial success, securing a 79% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75% audience-led Popcornmeter score. Macdonald also starred in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Operation Mincemeat (2021).

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about her new movie, The Radleys, the star also discussed her history with Brave. While she still looks back on the movie fondly, she admits that she has not thought about a sequel at all. She also has good reasons to avoid appearing in any live-action remakes. Check out her full quote below:

Oh, I wouldn't get anywhere near a live-action remake,...

Hot off of the recording-breaking run of Inside Out 2, Pixar has revealed some behind-the-scenes changes for their next film, Elio. Elio follows an eleven-year-old boy who is mistaken by aliens as Earth's ambassador. The film's teaser debuted back in June 2023 ahead of Elemental's theatrical run when it was still planned to be Pixar's next release. In October 2023, the movie was delayed to March 2025. Now, some details about changes behind the scenes on the movie have been revealed.

Speaking with The Wrap, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Doctor revealed some of the behind-the-scenes changes for Elio. The movie will now be directed by Turning Red's Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who directed the Pixar short Burrow. The project was originally set to be directed by Adrian Molina, the co-director of Coco, but Doctor says Molina has been moved off Elio and "was taken on to a priority project...

On October 16, 2023, Disney celebrated 100 years of magic, from movies, television shows, theme parks, and an improbable corporate identity that has become beloved all on its own. Disney's most significant impact is the cinematic canon that defined the company, and as is to be expected from such an iconic company, it has gone through a lot of changes in its century-long history.

Disney has had eight distinct eras that shaped the company and altered the course of its vaunted animation. Each generation has had highs and lows some more than others but each has had its clear place in the Disney timeline. Despite facing various hardships, Disney has continued to delight fans of all ages with its timeless takes on classic fairy tales and original stories that resonate just as deeply. Every Disney fan has their favorite film and era, but some rank better than others in performance and quality.

Updated...

Disney Hits celebrates three decades of the 1994 animated classic “The Lion King” during “The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration” special, featuring exclusive, never-before-heard stories from the filmmakers paired with iconic music from the original soundtrack.

The Lion King30th Anniversary CelebrationListen on the App

Listen on the App

The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration How to listen

Stream “The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration” special anytime, anywhere, on the SiriusXM app, or catch it on-air on Disney Hits (Ch. 133) this weekend at the times below with more airings throughout the month.

Broadcast Schedule Saturday, June 8 1pm, 7pm, and 11pm Et Sunday, June 9 9am, 3pm, and 8pm Et Monday, June 10 12am, 8am, and 5pm Et

What you’ll hear

Exclusive interviews and never-before-heard stories from songwriters Sir Elton John and Sir Tim Rice, producers Don Hahn and Thomas Schumacher, directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers, story supervisor Brenda Chapman, screenwriter Irene Mecchi,...

Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella revealed their experience working on Disney's The Lion King to be chaotic, fun, and memorable. The characters of Timon and Pumbaa were born out of Lane and Sabella's chemistry, providing comic relief in the Shakespearean tale. Elton John was against Timon and Pumbaa singing Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

The Lion King reaches its 30th anniversary in June, and as one of Disneys biggest and most successful movies of all time, that means there is a lot to be celebrated. Ahead of the milestone, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, who voiced the comical pairing of Timon and Pumbaa, have been recalling their time working on the movie, including delivering Disneys first - and only - on-screen farting character, and having Elton John shut down the idea of them singing one of the movies pivotal songs.

Disney's The Lion King (1994) GAnimationAdventureDrama Release DateJune 23, 1994DirectorRoger Allers,...

A strong-willed young woman fighting for her life against a motherfricking dragon, that’s all you need to know about Netflix’s Damsel. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Damsel follows the story of a young woman who marries a handsome prince but realizes that it is all a trap when she is thrown into a cave. Now, she must fight and win against the dragon living in the cave to get back to her family and exact her revenge on her soon-to-be ex-in-laws. If you love the fantasy action film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Ready or Not (Rent on Prime Video & Fubo) Credit – 20th Century Studios

Evil in-laws and a deadly ceremony, that’s what is common in Netflix’s fantasy thriller Damsel and Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin directed horror thriller Ready or Not. The 2019 film follows the story of Grace, who couldn’t...

Room to Read, a global education nonprofit tackling illiteracy and gender inequality, announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery for the premiere of She Creates Change, the first nonprofit-led animation and live-action film project to promote gender equality through the stories of young women around the world.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the film series will premiere on Friday March 8, 15 and 22 to audiences in Asia. Episodes will air on the Discovery Asia channel in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and on the TLC and Discovery+ India channels in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Presented in a series of six animated shorts with accompanying live-action mini documentaries, She Creates Change features the narratives of six young women from historically low-income communities in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam. Episodes portray how each girl confronts challenges unique to her life — such as harassment,...

Warner Bros. Discovery and Room to Read have partnered on “She Creates Change,” an animation and live-action film project to promote gender equality through the stories of young women around the world.

Room to Read is a global education nonprofit aiming to creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. Presented in a series of six animated shorts with accompanying live-action mini-documentaries, “She Creates Change” features the narratives of six young women from historically low-income communities in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam. Episodes portray how each girl confronts challenges unique to her life — such as harassment, food scarcity or early marriage — by advocating for herself and her future.

Episodes feature voice performances by Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Charithra Chandran (“Bridgerton”), Prajakta Koli (“Mismatched”), Dilshad Vadsaria (“Cloak & Dagger”), Adhir Kalyan (“United States of AI”), Amita Suman (“Shadow and Bone”), Amrita Acharia (“Game of Thrones”) and Quyen Ngo...

The Prince of Egypt was conceived as a "brother story" idea by Steven Spielberg, focusing on the relationship between Moses and Rameses as they grow up together and eventually become antagonists. Despite not receiving a story credit, Spielberg's influence was still extremely important in the creation of the film, given his role as one of the founders of DreamWorks Animation. The Prince of Egypt successfully managed to tell a religious tale on a grand scale while remaining entertaining, personal, accessible to children, and a musical, making it a classic animated film.

The Prince of Egypt songwriter Stephen Schwartz explains Steven Spielberg’s role in the film’s production. Released in 1998, The Prince of Egypt is a DreamWorks animated musical surrounding the story of Egyptian Prince Moses on his journey to become the leader of his people. The film was co-directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells and...

Brave 2 is unlikely to happen due to Pixar's lack of interest in sequels and the absence of a compelling new direction for the franchise. The self-contained story of Brave, with its focus on mother-daughter relationships, would be difficult to expand upon without ruining the original film's impact. Disney's shift towards princess stories that prioritize themes of self-empowerment and non-romantic love further diminishes the chances of Brave 2, especially considering the mixed success of some of these films.

While Brave might be a well-liked Pixar hit, Brave 2 is unlikely to happen any time soon. 2012’s Brave was a huge financial success for Pixar upon release in 2012. Brave earned over $540 million at the box office and garnered superb reviews, with critics calling the surreal body-swap comedy a successful update on the traditional Disney princess narrative. However, the decade since Brave’s release saw Disney release numerous princess movies that were even more successful,...

The majority of the movie industry is male-dominated, and animation is no exception. Studio heads that found success in early films were continuously given the opportunity to keep writing more stories, often leaving women out of equal opportunities. However, when given the chance, women writers have contributed to creating some of the best animated films to date.

With so many animated movies featuring women leads, it makes sense that having a woman writer only helps to bring a more authentic story to life. From tall tales of heroines to coming-of-age stories and fantasy, women writers are capable of building incredible worlds and writing even better stories.

Related: 10 Best R-Rated Animated Films

Persepolis

Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, Persepolis centers around the life of a young girl growing up amid the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi's graphic novel is an incredibly touching story. Her ability to...

Freida Pinto is lending her voice to a new animated film project in honor of International Women’s Day.

She Creates Change is a new nonprofit-led animation and live action film project from global education organization Room to Read produced by Nexus Studios. The multi-media initiative, which spans a six-episode film series as well as books and audio stories, aims to promote gender equality through telling the stories of young women across the planet. It will initially be available in English, Hindi and Spanish with plans to translate it into dozens more languages and will be distributed across the world via Room to Read and educational partnerships. The project will also be released to general audiences in October.

The film series will be comprised of six animated shorts accompanied by live action mini documentaries. They will feature young women from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam who are...

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Disney's "Enchanted," and between that and the Adam Shankman-directed sequel debuting on Disney+ later this week, original "Enchanted" director Kevin Lima thought it was the right time to do a proper deep dive into the original film. "I've been thinking about this for 10 years, doing something like this," he told me in a recent interview. "They never did a commentary for the DVD, so I thought it's time to talk about it."

Instead of releasing a simple audio track, Lima has published a feature-length watch-along video on YouTube so viewers can get the two screen experience of syncing up their Blu-ray, DVD, or streaming version of "Enchanted" with this video and hearing the filmmaker's insights into the making of the beloved Amy Adams fairytale film.

Lima reunited with his longtime editor, Greg Perler, and a small crew to put this video together,...

Family friendly fantasy movies have a long history of big business in Hollywood, and whether the one currently in theaters soars or flops, audiences can be sure there will soon be another to give it a shot. Netflix is trying their hand at the genre with The School For Good And Evil, directed by Paul Feig and based on a series of young adult novels.

One thing fans might have noticed is that The School For Good And Evil, from an aesthetic, tonal, and content perspective, seems similar to a Disney film, and it would be far from the first film to make fans do a double take. Disney is such an influential and recognizable studio that even movies they had no part in will evoke their style perfectly.

Anastasia (1997)

A fairy tale based on the legendary Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia, Anastasia was a critical and commercial success, but Fox...

Puberty is a monster — or more aptly, an adorable, uncontrollable giant panda — in Pixar’s “Turning Red.” An Oscar winner for her imaginative smothering-mother short “Bao,” helmer Domee Shi makes a worthy addition to the boys-club studio’s relatively small circle of feature directors, exploring another complicated Asian American parent-child dynamic, this time between a perfectionist tiger mom and the high-achieving yet deeply repressed teenage daughter who’s dying to let out her inner freak just a little.

For decades, boys could look to werewolves and the Incredible Hulk as colorful metaphors for mood swings and aggro outbursts, while girls have had considerably fewer models to draw on for the changes they face in adolescence — which is where Shi’s perky puberty allegory proves such a welcome innovation. One morning, after the most humiliating incident of her young life, 13-year-old Meilin Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) wakes up as a giant red panda — the reddish-brown,...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the psychological thriller Measure of Revenge, starring Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Bella Thorne and Jake Weary, slating it for a day-and-date release on March 18.

In the debut feature of Malaysian helmer Peyfa, Broadway actress Lillian Cooper (Leo) is making her final on-stage appearance when her famous son, Curtis (Weary), is found dead. When his death is ruled as an accidental overdose, a suspicious Lillian decides to take matters into her own hands. On a quest for answers, she strikes up an unlikely alliance with her son’s drug dealer, Taz (Thorne), setting in motion a bloody warpath to uncover the truth, inspired by the characters she portrayed on stage.

Measure of Revenge also stars Roma Maffia (Disclosure), Adrian Martinez and Benedict Samuel (The Walk). Jen Gatien produced with Peter Wong and Timur Bekbosunov for Ace Pictures Entertainment. Johnny Chang, Bronwyn Cornelius and Emma Lee exec produced, with Jay Cannold co-producing.

“Melissa steps into this role of a grieving and relentless mother seeking justice for her son with such ease that it draws the viewer deeply into her journey and keeps you captivated and rooting for her every step of the way,” said Vertical Entertainment Partner Peter Jarowey.

“We are excited to partner up with Vertical Entertainment on Measure of Revenge to release a film that is an emotional and thrilling experience filled with mystery and surprise,” added Gatien, Wong and Bekbosunov in a joint statement. “Melissa Leo delivers a powerful and energetic performance in the role of a mother hellbent on revenge, forming great screen chemistry with the immensely talented Bella Thorne. We can’t wait for audiences to discover the film.”

Ace Pictures Entertainment is a film production and investment company, with a focus on genre fare. Chang leads its team as CEO, with Wong as President, Lee as VP of Business Affairs and Bekbosunov as VP of Creative Affairs. Since its 2017 launch, the company has provided full financing and production services for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard, which was released by Neon and Focus Features; the dark Sundance comedy Blush, starring Wendi McLendon-Covey; the documentary M for Magic about the world-renowned Magic Castle; the supernatural thriller Daniel Isn’t Real, starring Patrick Schwarzenegger and Miles Robbins, released by Samuel Goldwyn and sold internationally by Voltage; and the horror cult hit Color Out of Space, directed by Richard Stanley and starring Nicolas Cage, which was released by Rlj Entertainment and sold internationally by XYZ. Ace Pictures also provided partial financing for the fantastical drama Come Away, directed by Brenda Chapman and starring Angelina Jolie, which was released by Relativity Media, and James Wan’s horror film Malignant.

Vertical Entertainment is a global independent distributor, which was founded in 2012. Other upcoming releases from the company include the SXSW & Venice prize winner Topside; the Sundance thriller Emily the Criminal, starring Aubrey Plaza, which it co-acquired with Roadside Attractions; Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.’s Independent Spirit Award-nominated Wild Indian, starring Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer; Krystin Ver Linden’s Alice, starring Keke Palmer, Common, Gaius Charles and Jonny Lee Miller, which premiered at Sundance 2022; and romantic comedy The Hating Game, starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell.

Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal for Measure of Revenge on behalf of Vertical Entertainment, with Bekbosunov and CAA on behalf of Ace Pictures. Leo is represented by APA and The Initiative Group; Thorne by CAA, Thirty Three Management and Strategic Public Relations; and Weary by Gersh, Management 360 and Shafran PR.

“Luck,” the debut feature from Skydance Animation and AppleTV+, finally has a release date. The animated original, which was previously scheduled for a February 18 bow, has a new date: August 5. (It will be released globally on AppleTV+.) Additionally, new details about the movie’s story and cast (including a role for a Pixar favorite) have been revealed.

According to the new synopsis, the film centers around Sam Greenfield, “the unluckiest person in the world.” “When she discovers the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around.” Eva Noblezada voices Sam, alongside Simon Pegg (as lucky black cat Bob), Whoopi Goldberg, Flula Borg, Jane Fonda, and Lil Rel Howery (as a flower shop owner where Sam gets her first job). Additional cast members include Colin O’Donoghue, and Adelynn Spoon.

Perhaps most notable is the inclusion of John Ratzenberger as Rootie, the mayor of Bad Luck,...

To infinity and beyond! Disney and Pixar have debuted the action-packed first trailer for “Lightyear,” the upcoming “Toy Story” prequel that tells the origin story of the real Buzz Lightyear. Tim Allen famously voiced Buzz in the four “Toy Story” movies, but it’s Captain America himself, Chris Evans, that’s taking on the role of Buzz in “Lightyear.”

The official synopsis from Disney reads: “The sci-fi action-adventure presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear — the hero who inspired the toy — introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans.”

“The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life,” Evans said in a statement accompanying the first trailer release. “Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the...

(Welcome to Will There Be a Sequel?, a series where we answer that question and explore what comes next.)

"Brave" was released in 2012. Disney and Pixar's animated ode to Scotland was a big hit, as is often the case with their output. Unlike many other Pixar movies that have been successful over the years, we've yet to see a sequel happen. Now, nearly a decade later, we're going to have a look at the prospects of picking up with Merida again in "Brave 2."

"Brave" represents Pixar's first fairytale. It was conceived by Brenda Chapman, who started out as the movie's director, but...

The post Will There Be a Brave Sequel? Here's What We Know appeared first on /Film.

The filmmakers behind “Luca,” Pixar’s latest animated adventure, will discuss the film in a free PreVIEW event on Monday, June 21, at 10 a.m. Pt. The movie, which opened Friday, June 18, at theaters and on Disney Plus, follows best friends Luca and Alberto, who are sea creatures masquerading as human boys as they explore an idyllic Italian resort town.

The virtual event, presented by the View Conference in association with Pixar, features director Enrico Casarosa, producer Andrea Warren, production designer Daniela Strijileva, character art director Deanna Marsigliese, visual effects supervisor David Ryu and director of photography Kim White.

The “Luca” creative team will discuss the challenges they faced making the film during the Covid-19 pandemic, with everyone working from home and offer details about the production.

“’Luca’ is going to be the feel-good animated feature of the summer,” says View Conference Director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “I am thrilled to welcome...

Exclusive: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Brenda Chapman has signed with Range Media Partners.

She most recently directed the live-action fantasy film, Come Away starring Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo which premiered at Sundance in 2020 and was released later that winter. She was the first woman to ever direct an animated feature for a major studio with DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt . She then went on to write and direct the Disney/Pixar film, Brave, which was inspired by her relationship with her daughter and became the first woman to ever win the Academy Award (BAFTA and Golden Globe) for Best Animated Feature. Earlier on in her career, Brenda served as head of story at Disney – the first woman to do so – for the classic animated film The Lion King, for which she won the Annie Award for Best Individual Achievement for Story Contribution in the Field of Animation. She...

It’s a studio ritual almost as old as Hollywood: announce a production deal right before the release of a filmmaker’s new movie. For David and Jessica Oyelowo’s Yoruba/Saxon, the twinning of “The Water Man” and a two-year first-look Disney deal is more than industry rite. After seven years and six films, it means that the industry has started to catch up to them.

Like many actors, the Oyelowos created a company to improve their own opportunities. In their case, the struggles they faced mirrored a much larger one. “One of the main reasons we wanted to start the company was to have a voice and to provide a place for voices that weren’t being heard,” Jessica said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “For Hollywood to finance certain projects, they required a certain perspective on someone else’s story. We were looking at this as actors thinking,...

Stars: Angelina Jolie, David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jordan A.Nash, Keira Chansa | Written by Marissa Kate Goodhill | Directed by Brenda Chapman

Peter Pan, Alice In Wonderland, Angelina Jolie and Kallus from Star Wars: Rebels sounds like a cracking Sunday afternoon to me… It has been a while since I got to see a decent movie based around the whole Peter Pan tale. I always thought 2003s Peter Pan with Jason Isaacs as Hook was far and away the best version, well outside of Hook obviously. Whenever a new film comes round, be it animated or live action, I am always keen to see how this one is going to play out and how they are going to make it fresh, original and different enough to warrant my attention.

I wouldn’t say I had the loftiest aspirations for Come Away to be honest; after all on the surface it kinda...

Exclusive: Paramount Players prevailed in an auction for Quinceanerx, an original pitch for a musical that Kevin Lima will direct with script by Alvaro Garcia Lecuona, who is writing What If for Billy Porter to direct at Orion.

Here’s the logline for a musical that sounds as original as it is inclusive. Xavier is gender fluid and uses they/them pronouns. In a world where everyone sees them as male, including their mom, a traditional celebration of femininity like quinceanera means everything to this 14 year old and a female cousin enlisted to help. Planning in secret, they hatch a roguish plot to switch places and give Xavier the celebration they deserve. The plan is complicated by fretting Latina mothers, teen crushes and the arrival of a famous father, and Xavier must decide who they want to be, whether or not the world is ready to accept that answer.

As Disney prepares to bring Pixar’s “Soul” straight to Disney+ on Christmas Day, the animation house is beginning to roll out its new slate of film projects, all hoping for a theatrical release whenever exhibition gets going. During Disney Investor Day 2020, “Soul” director and Pixar Cco Pete Docter laid out what’s to come from the animators, including upcoming Spark short “Burrow,” releasing alongside “Soul” and straight to Disney+. Docter also unveiled a lineup of shorts featuring beloved Pixar characters, coming in January.

Also announced is a spinoff from Pixar’s “Up,” “Dug Days,” featuring Bob Peterson. It’ll premiere in fall 2021. Other series coming up include a “Cars” franchise spinoff show, and Pixar’s first official long-form animated series, “Win or Lose,” about a coed middle school softball team. That debuts in fall 2023.

Coming up on the features side is director Enrico Casarosa’s “Luca,” announced for a...

Stars: Angelina Jolie, David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jordan A.Nash, Keira Chansa | Written by Marissa Kate Goodhill | Directed by Brenda Chapman

Peter Pan, Alice In Wonderland, Angelina Jolie and Kallus from Star Wars: Rebels sounds like a cracking Sunday afternoon to me… It has been a while since I got to see a decent movie based around the whole Peter Pan tale. I always thought 2003s Peter Pan with Jason Isaacs as Hook was far and away the best version, well outside of Hook obviously. Whenever a new film comes round, be it animated or live action, I am always keen to see how this one is going to play out and how they are going to make it fresh, original and different enough to warrant my attention.

I wouldn’t say I had the loftiest aspirations for Come Away to be honest; after all on the surface it kinda...

Four VOD titles reached #1 in a week with scattershot results across the board. “Mortal” (Saban), a contemporary action film with Nordic mythology roots, took first place at Apple TV. Meanwhile, the PVOD prison drama “The Informer” (Vertical) repeated at #1 at FandangoNow, Paramount’s horror entry “Spell” is first at Spectrum, and romance “After We Collided” from Briarcliff bested at Google Play. “Mortal” is a standard price entry, while “The Informer” is at $19.99 premium, with “Spell” at $9.99 finding a middle ground.

But the highest showing for a new release is #2 at Apple TV for Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” (MPI). Its VOD showing comes three weeks after a token theatrical run, more than a year after it opened in most of the world, and after his latest, “Rifkin’s Festival,” premiered overseas.

Right now is something of an intermission period before a slew of studio releases, including several...

It’s no secret that the box office space has been struggling to find life during the pandemic — and it seems to be even more difficult for the specialty box office space. As specialty films try to navigate the space by shifting to PVOD, digital, and virtual openings, some distributors continue to brave the landscape of shuttered theaters and strategize theatrical releases to keep the specialty box office afloat.

Neon’s buzzy Oscar offering Ammonite is the the most noticeable specialty box office title that was released in theaters this weekend. The period romance, written and directed by Francis Lee and starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, debuted on 280 screens this weekend, earning an estimated cume of $85,000, with a per-screen average of $304.

The film sits at a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned the most on Saturday, with an estimated $32,000. Considering Covid-19 cases are spiking across the country, cinephiles are probably...

With her first live-action feature film under her belt, Oscar winner Brenda Chapman is setting her sights on the next big step: a possible return to the animation world in which she first made a name for herself and broke major barriers while doing it. In 1998, Chapman became the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio, thanks to DreamWorks Animation’s “The Prince of Egypt,” which followed her work writing such animated Disney classics as “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Fresh off bowing her “Come Away” at Sundance, it was reported that Chapman was already teeing up her next project: a live-action hybrid feature based on Claribel Ortega’s YA novel “Ghost Squad,” but in a recent interview, the filmmaker told IndieWire she’s “kind of stepped away” from that project during the pandemic. “I decided to take...

For some, the prospect of former Pixar director Brenda Chapman (“Brave”) making her live-action debut will make “Come Away” seem exciting. For others, it’s the film’s literary conceit that appeals: What if Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan had been siblings? And then there’s the casting of Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo as the parents, which suggests certain possibilities in terms of how the story might deal with certain seldom-examined social dynamics within its period setting — possibilities that internet trolls have targeted with racist comments.

Alas, “Come Away” squanders all of these opportunities on a ponderous family drama that even Netflix (where concept is everything and quality is often beside the point) wasn’t interested in acquiring when it premiered at Sundance back in January. At the festival, the film was overshadowed by “Wendy,” but even in the straight-to-streaming doldrums of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s hard...

Brenda Chapman always loved fairy tales. “My older brother, who is sixteen years older than me, would always read Del Comics, the westerns, all the time, but he would always buy me these Junior Classics,” Chapman told me during an interview recently. “Even before I could really read I would look at the pictures. Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid were my favorites.” Years later, after she graduated from California Institute of the Arts, a private college in Santa Clarita, California, that was co-founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney (along with Pasadena artist Nelbert Chouinard), …...

For her first live-action feature, Oscar-winning filmmaker Brenda Chapman was determined to play the hits, but with the kind of personal twist she’s put on animated classics like “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Brave” throughout her career. A fairy tale obsessive from the jump — she literally grew up reading Classics Illustrated Junior comic books featuring stories like “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” — Chapman’s “Come Away” is a perfect fit for her talents and interests, plotting an inventive mash-up of both “Peter Pan” and “Alice in Wonderland” in a family-centric package.

The film, written by Marissa Kate Goodhill, serves as something of a prequel to the beloved stories involving the boy who wouldn’t grow up and the girl who falls into a wacky world through a rabbit hole. “Come Away” supposes, what if they were siblings? From there, the film weaves a...

Neon will bring some passionate romance in Ammonite this weekend. The period pic starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan opened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September where it immediately garnered buzz as an Oscar favorite.

Written and directed by Francis Lee, Ammonite is set in the 1840s and follows once-acclaimed paleontologist Mary Anning (Winslet), who works alone on the Southern English coastline of Lyme Regis. With the days of her fame behind her, she’s stern and doesn’t exactly like the company of others. She spends her time digging up common fossils to sell to rich tourists to support herself and her ailing widowed mother (Gemma Jones).

Enter geologist James McArdle (Roderick Murchison) who arrives in Lyme with his wife Charlotte (Ronan). He asks Mary to keep his wife company who is recuperating from a personal tragedy. The two are from totally different worlds Mary struggles while...

Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland form the basis of Brenda Chapman’s fantastical children’s film Come Away. I say “children’s,” not “family,” because it’s unlikely anyone older than 12 will find much magic in this supremely surface-level story. It’s strange then that Chapman and scribe Marissa Kate Goodhill spend so much time lingering on the dark world of adults: gambling, debt collection, alcoholism, even child death. It’s unlikely kids will understand these issues, though they aren’t treated with enough complexity to engage adults. I’m struggling to work out for whom Come Away appeals.

Its premise—what if Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland were brother and sister?—is a bit contrived but leaves room for plenty of visual wonder, being that both stories concern imagination. Chapman (making her live-action debut after The Prince of Egypt and Brave) visualizes the imagination of her child protagonists,...

A new trailer for Angelina Jolie's next feature, Come Away, has now been released, and shows the Oscar-winning actress raising her two children, who just so happen to be Alice from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Peter from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. The movie will be centered around the classic literary characters, who in Come Away are depicted as siblings.

As the trailer shows, the plot of Come Away focuses on how the family's life is disrupted after the death of the eldest son. This leads to both Alice and Peter attempting to remedy the tragedy in their own way, and help their parents overcome their grief. As the story progresses, the two children begin to descend into worlds made of their own imagination, with both of them embarking on individual adventures, Alice entering Wonderland and Peter, Neverland.

As the voiceover in the trailer explains, Come Away is about Alice,...

Planned theatrical release in December 2020.

Independent distributor Signature Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to family adventure Come Away starring David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie.

It is planning a wide theatrical release for December although the exact date is yet to be confirmed.

Signature acquired the title from US sales agent Capstone Group.

Come Away premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January. Directed by Brenda Chapman (director and co-writer of Pixar’s Brave), it follows siblings Alice and Peter who transform into Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in a bid to help their parents overcome the tragedy of losing their eldest son.

Come Away Trailer — Brenda Chapman‘s Come Away (2020) movie trailer has been released by Relativity Media and stars Angelina Jolie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Caine, Derek Jacobi, Anna Chancellor, David Oyelowo, Clarke Peters, David Gyasi, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Damian O’Hare, Keira Chansa, Jordan A. Nash, Jack Veal, and Reece Yates. Crew Marissa Kate [...]

Continue reading: Come Away (2020) Movie Trailer: Angelina Jolie stars in the Re-imagined Origin Story for Peter Pan & Alice In Wonderland...

'Come Away' trailer has been released and it does seemingly look like a typical fairytale.

Relativity Media has unveiled the official trailer for the forthcoming fantasy drama film and is now planning to release the film in theaters and on VOD.

'Come Away' features a unique take on the origin stories of popular fictional characters Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.

The film, penned by Marissa Kate Goodhill, looks like a typical Disney fairy-tale movie showing magic and exotic locations. The difference is, the film features black actors playing important characters and it is not a Disney movie.

'Come Away' follows the story of iconic fairy tale characters Peter and Alice, as a sibling pair who escape into a world of fantasy after their parents are struck by tragedy as their oldest sibling dies. Now, is up to Alice and Peter to help their parents overcome the tragedy.