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Having produced 27 feature films over nearly three decades, Pixar has firmly established itself as a beloved purveyor of high-quality entertainment. Kicking off as a subdivision of Lucasfilm in the 1970s, the cinematic powerhouse is synonymous with animation, perhaps making it difficult to imagine the company trying its hand at live-action filmmaking. But that's what happened in the mid-aughts when Pixar announced plans to partner with Disney and Warner Bros. in adapting James Dalessandro's historical novel, 1906.

The late Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment is getting Restless. The company is teaming with Starlings Television and Atalaya Productions to develop a TV series about a Native American homicide detective.

Lee created the character, begins to inherit the mystical powers of his American Indian ancestors after his father’s death. Oscar winner Wes Studi will play the protagonist’s grandfather.

Grimm alum David Greenwalt is set as showrunner and will write the series with James Dalessandro (1906). Chris Philip, Pow! Entertainment president Gill Champion, Giovanni Orlando, Larry Jacobson and Karine Martin are the executive producers.

Restless centers on homicide detective Adam Chaco. When his estranged father dies, Adam begins to inherit the mystical powers of his American Indian ancestors, particularly his grandfather Mohe (Studi), a powerful, revered shaman. Adam is forced to come to terms with a heritage he has long sought to escape, while facing down supernatural criminals he could never have imagined.

It’s not the first time that a sequel has arrived more than a decade after it’s predecessor, and in such situations, it’s always daunting for a studio, because you never know if moviegoers are still going to care, or if they’re too precious about the original movie.

However, Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2, like Finding Dory before it, delivered the same type of electricity as its original movie 14 years ago (arguably more), hooking both legacy audiences and a new generation to fuel what became the highest grossing animated film stateside ever with $608.5M and the second-highest worldwide behind Disney’s own Frozen with $1.24B.

But still why did we have to wait 14 years for Incredibles 2? For Director-writer Brad Bird, who collected a 2005 Best Animated Film Oscar on the original, it wasn’t really ever about writer’s block; it was the other movies on his plate,...

Director Brad Bird has been working on trying to develop a film project based around the great San Fransisco earthquake. It’s called 1906 and it was supposed to be Bird's fist live-action feature film. Instead, he got sidetracked and went on to direct Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland.

The filmmaker, who recently helmed Incredibles 2, gave an update on the project which he’s been trying to get into production since 2007. Now he’s looking at developing the project as a film and a TV series because there’s so much story to tell.

While talking about 1906 on the Variety podcast Playback, Bird explains his big ideas for the project, saying:

“It wants to be a longer story. It’s a really fascinating moment in history. Prior to the earthquake, San Francisco is this really happening city that’s somewhere between the Old West and the 20th Century.

Brad Bird is primarily known for his work in animation, but he does dabble in live-action from time to time, helming live-action flicks like Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland. But for a time, 1906, based on James Dalessandro‘s novel about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, was going to be Bird’s first live-action film. The project has been […]

The post Brad Bird Wants To Turn ‘1906’ Into Both A Film and TV Series appeared first on /Film.

Though Brad Bird's live-action directorial debut Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol only came out in December of last year, there have long been talks about the filmmaker crafting an adaptation of James Dalessandro's 1906. The story follows a young man who discovers why San Francisco was so vulnerable to the fires that were caused during the earthquake of 1906. It's still unknown if Bird will ever actually get to make that film, but at the very least his next movie could have a year as its title. Deadline reports that Bird is now attached to direct 1952, a new tent pole film being produced by Disney. The studio already has a script written by Damon Lindelof and Jeff Jensen. As with seemingly ever Lindelof project, however, (Prometheus, the Star Trek sequel, Lost, etc.) plot details are not being given at this time. The project is expected to be huge for Disney...

Brad Bird, director of my favourite Pixar film to date (The Incredibles), switched gears last year to make his live-action debut with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, taking just shy of $700m. at the box office for his efforts.

Deadline are now reporting that Bird has signed on to direct 1952, a project Disney has been developing for some time now with Damon Lindelof – the award-winning writer (and co-creator) of Lost, Cowboys & Aliens, and the upcoming Prometheus and Star Trek sequel – writing the script with Jeff Jensen.

Very little is known about the project as yet, with Disney naturally keeping its secrets closely guarded, but the very fact that they hired Lindelof to write the script is very promising in itself, and that’s only compounded with Bird now signing on to direct.

What is known is that it’s a big-scale tent pole project, and that it’s an original sci-fi...

Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, San Francisco Brad Bird's film adaptation of James Dalessandro's novel 1906, about San Francisco at the time of the 1906 earthquake, will definitely not be coming out this year. It's not that the editing or the score isn't ready. The screenplay is yet to be written, according to an interview with Bird posted at ifc.com. Bird explains: “I mean, in a movie like Titanic, there’s a certain amount of healthy limitation in the fact that it’s one ship in the middle of the ocean. With 1906, it’s a city, and it becomes exponentially harder to sort of reign in the storylines and take advantage of all the amazing things that were happening in this place at that particular moment in time. The script and the story is what’s elusive on 1906 more than it is any hesitations with me as a filmmaker.” Starring Tom Cruise,...

Brad Bird has made a bold, fascinating leap from animation to live action with this week's glorious popcorn epic "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." But we were curious as to what kind of connection he still has with Pixar, his former home base, as well as what else he is working on. In the second part of our lengthy interview with the filmmaker (you can read the first part here), he fills us in on Pixar, his live action historical epic "1906," the status of his animated film noir "Ray Gunn," what former Pixar owner Steve Jobs meant to him, and why Wall Street is so scared of Pixar. We asked what was next for the filmmaker – live action, animation, or something in-between – and Bird replied that the plan is to return to "1906," the historical epic based on the novel by James Dalessandro, that he has been working on for the past few years.

By the time earthquake movie “1906” gets approved for production, California may experience another massive earthquake. “Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol” director Brad Bird updated the status for the ambitious film with MTV News. He stated the problem with the possible film is with the script, and not with budgetary problems as reported by previous Internet web sites. The project has been in development since 2009. “It’s all script. The Internet is not a very reliable place for information,” he said to MTV News. “There have been reports as budget, but it never got that far because you have to solve story problems first.” Bird described that it is a “challenging story” to get together. The film “1906” will be an adaptation of James Dalessandro’s 2004 novel. The book is set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, which addresses the tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance, rescue and murder. Dalessandro is...

One of my most anticipated film projects that hasn't even been greenlit yet is Brad Bird (The Incredibles) live action film project 1906, which is based around the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. This earthquake absolutely demolished the city beyond all recognition. The film is supposed to be based on the novel by James Dalessandro, and was originally going to be Bird first live action film until Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol came along. 

Bird recently gave an update on the film project saying that it hasn't even got bast the story a scripting phase. It's still very early on in development even though he's been working on it for over two years. The guy wants to make, he's just trying get the right epic story together. He once again talked about trying to take on the challenge of taking this miniseries kind of story, and condensing it into a movie length...

While making the press rounds for his forthcoming spy sequel "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (out this Friday in IMAX, next Wednesday in regular theaters), director Brad Bird, who had previously helmed animated films "The Iron Giant," "The Incredibles," and "Ratatouille," got quizzed by MTV's Rough Cut about the status of an 'Incredibles' sequel as well as his long-delayed earthquake drama "1906" (based on the historical novel by James Dalessandro). When asked how far along he is in "The Incredibles" sequel process, it seems like he is working on it here and there. "I haven't got it all figured out yet," Bird said. A lot of the material he does have seems to have been stuff he wanted to include in the first film, which charted the personal growth of a family of superheroes and remains Pixar's richest, most sophisticated production to date. "I have a lot of ideas that I originally.

Meat Loaf confers with Ally Sheedy in Citizen Jane.

Green Apple Entertainment will release the crime mystery TV film Citizen Jane, starring Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club) and Sean Patrick Flanery (Deadly Impact), on DVD on Aug. 23 for a list price of $26.98.

Based on a true story that dominated the headlines in the 1990s and the subsequent best-selling book by James Dalessandro, the movie tells the tale of Jane Alexander (Sheedy), who lives an enviable life in San Francisco with the handsome and slyly charismatic Tom O’Donnell (Flanery). But Jane’s idyllic life is shattered when her beloved, elderly aunt is brutally murdered.

Embarking on an epic, 13-year journey to track down the killer, Jane stuns authorities with her shrewdness and intelligence and ultimately brings her aunt’s killer to justice. In the process, she starts up the activist group Citizens Against Homicide, which supports families looking for justice.

I've been following Brad Bird's live-action 1906 film project since it was first announced, but it seems like one of those films that unfortunately may never going to happen. He's been talking about it for years, but it's never gone beyond anything but talk. At one point the movie was said to be dead. But, if you recall, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln film project was in the pipeline for several years, and now it's finally actually being made which is great! So there's still hope for 1906.

The film will tell the story about the great earthquake that hit the city of San Francisco in 1906 and absolutely demolished the city beyond all recognition. The film is based on the novel by James Dalessandro. This was supposed to have been his first live-action film, but now that he's directing Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, 1906 could potentially be his second.

In a recently...

[1] It's been four years since we first heard [2] that Incredibles director Brad Bird was set to make his live-action debut with 1906, based on James Dalessandro's novel about the historic San Francisco earthquake. Since then, however, progress on the film has been slow-going, to say the least. A year ago, it was rumored that the project was all but dead [3]. Bird selected [4] another project, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, to be his first live-action feature, and we all accepted that 1906 would likely never happen. Now a new interview with Bird has revealed that 1906 might not be as dead as we thought it was -- but it'll probably still be a long time before we get to see it. Read more after the jump. Entertainment Weekly [5] recently sat down with Bird to talk about the Incredibles Blu-ray release and Mission: Impossible. At one point, the interviewer asked whether 1906 might be Bird's next project,...

We take a look at 11 directors who made the jump from animated to live action features, and how their attempts fared…

You hear quite a few live action directors, Guillermo del Toro, for starters, talking about a desire to make animated films. To control every aspect of the frame, and what goes in it.

Yet, the journey the other way around is increasingly common. It's hard not to see the appeal, too. For directing an animated film is a two year job at the very least, and three years more likely. Live action is generally a quicker way to get a film on the screen.

Also, given how CG dependent many movies are becoming, there's a general assumption that an animation director will have a better handle on computer effects.

However, great films from animation directors aren't that common. Here are eleven directors who took the chance, and how they got on.

What do "The Incredibles," "Shaun of the Dead" and "Zombieland" have in common? Since there are no undead in the Pixar flick, it must be... "Mission: Impossible 4"!!! Wait, what?

The word is that producer J.J. Abrams and star/producer Tom Cruise have met with the directors of those three films as possible candidate to helm Imf agent Ethan Hunt's next big screen adventure. THR's Heat Vision Blog broke the news, putting much of the shock value on "Incredibles" helmer Brad Bird, as this would be his first non-animated effort. And while Bird is certainly an odd man out compared to the other two possibilities, all three are compelling choices.

Bird previously wrote and directed "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" for Pixar, as well as "The Iron Giant" for Warner Bros Animation. He also served as an executive consultant for "The Simpsons" through the series' first eight years on TV and wrote the classic 1987 family flick,...

Brad Bird.s plan to make his live-action debut is crumbling. The Oscar winning animation director responsible for films like The Incredibles and Ratatouille, planned to bring James Dalessandro.s book about the infamous 1906 San Francisco earthquake to life. Sadly, Warner Bros. isn.t convinced 1906 will be groundbreaking enough to justify its massive budget. As reported by Blue Sky Disney, Bird has been working on 1906 for over two years, but there.s no sign of having made any progress. Bird has already submitted at least two drafts but has yet to receive a decision. The project still lacks a start date and studio approval thanks to a lengthy script and potentially massive budget. The film is a joint project between Warner Bros. and Disney-Pixar, but the film.s future rests primarily in the hands of the former. The worst part of it all is that .Several Bothans that I talked...

News that Brad Bird might direct his first live-action film started to bubble up three years ago. The movie is 1906, an account of the San Francisco earthquake as recounted in James Dalessandro’s novel of the same name. It's been quite some time since we heard anything at all about the film. Last update from Bird, director of The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille, was that he was still working on the script, possibly trying to scale it down from $200m status after suits at Warner Bros. balked at the Titanic-style scale of the film. It's been a year since we heard anything at all, and now there are distressing rumors that the film may never happen at all. Blue Sky Disney has a long post about the film this week. The bottom line, as the site reports, is the script length and consequent budget: Time has kept ticking...

The air date for the Hallmark Channel's Ally Sheedy-headlining tale "Citizen Jane" has been changed to Saturday, September 12. Marketed as "the true story of a devious killer and the average woman who did what the police couldn't do", the Hallmark Channel Original Movie was originally set to premier August 5.

Accompanying the former 80s 'It girl' of Brat Pack fame are acting talents Sean Patrick Flanery, Nia Peeples and Meat Loaf.

Based on the book of the same name penned by James Dalessandro, "Citizen Jane" follows one ordinary citizen's plight for justice in the wake of a gruesome family tragedy. Ally Sheedy leads the cast as a wronged woman pitted against a remorseless murderer.

"Citizen Jane" premiers Saturday, August 12 (9/8c) on the Hallmark Channel.

Brat Pack alumna Ally Sheedy and hit making rocker Meat Loaf are among the headliners of Hallmark's upcoming true-crime drama "Citizen Jane." Slated for a September showing, the television movie also stars Sean Patrick Flanery ("The Dead Zone") and Nia Peeples ("The Young and the Restless").

Based on a true story, "Citizen Jane" follows the empowering tale of one ordinary citizen's extraordinary efforts to counter injustice and hunt for a killer. Sheedy ("The Breakfast Club," "St. Elmo's Fire") plays an average woman unwittingly caught in the knotted aftermath of a ghastly murder.

Meat Loaf (née Marvin Lee Aday) is best known for his "Bat out of Hell" hard rock album trilogy. The musician's acting credits include "Rocky Horror Show," "Fight Club" and "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny."

"Citizen Jane", a Hallmark Channel Original Movie culled from a James Dalessandro book, premiers Saturday, September 5 (9/8c).