Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Dazzling New Images from Pixar's 'Lava'

With 2015 fast approaching, the flow of Pixar news is gradually returning to the norm. Last week Collider debuted two magnificent stills from the studio's upcoming short Lava, as well as an interview with director James Ford Murphy. Check them all out below.



The new images just go to show how Pixar's artists are able to flawlessly merge realism and fantasy. Here, Uku the volcano, the hunchback whales, and the sea turtles all obviously have some cartoonish qualities to them but still feel very true to life.

Be sure to also watch Collider's interview with Lava director James Ford Murphy, as he talks about how he came to work at Pixar, the process of pitching a short film at the studio, and more.



And in case you missed it, Pixar also released a clip from the short a couple of months ago. Personally I have refrained from watching it as I like to walk into unspoiled, but feel free to do so yourself...


Lava arrives in theaters June 19th, 2015 alongside Inside Out.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

New Poster for 'Toy Story That Time Forgot'


As the one-year anniversary of Pixar's first ever television special Toy Story of Terror approaches, the studio is beginning to promote its latest half-hour special, Toy Story That Time Forgot, which airs December 2nd on ABC. This awesome poster for the new special was released yesterday by EW.

The poster features some familiar faces, as well as some new ones. Woody, Buzz, Rex, and Trixie, who appears to be sporting some sort of armor, are joined by newcomers Angel Kitty and Reptillus Maximus, and a multitude of the wickedly cool Battlesaurs fills the background. Visually, it looks like the upcoming special will take the Toy Story universe to exciting new places as the gang ventures into "uncharted territory", where they encounter the delusional Battlesaurs.

This Sky Broadband commercial also dropped in late August and, strangely enough, serves as our first real look at Pixar's second TV special. It's pretty funny; check it out below if you haven't already. 



Someone also spotted this promo for the new special on the Disney Channel and uploaded it to YouTube. It's low-quality, but it's our first look at actual footage from the special.



Toy Story That Time Forgot is directed by Brave co-director Steve Purcell and the original Toy Story cast members return to lend their voices to Woody, Buzz, and company. Last year's Toy Story of Terror was a blast and received acclaim from audiences and critics alike, and That Time Forgot should be no different, so be sure to tune in to ABC on December 2nd!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Pixar Debuts Teaser for 'Inside Out'


Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's finally here. After what seems like an eternity of patiently waiting, Pixar has finally released a teaser trailer for their fifteenth feature film, Inside Out. So without further ado, here it is:


By intelligently reminding us of how great their past successes have been, Pixar amps up the excitement for what looks set to be another winner for them. Only a fraction of the minute-and-a-half teaser has footage from the film itself (or of the film's characters, anyway), but it's put together so flawlessly that nothing else is necessary to get the point across: this film will be something special.

Judging by the teaser, Inside Out will fit right in with with the Emeryville studio's fourteen other features. The trailer promises everything we've come to expect from a Pixar film; gorgeous visuals, unique character designs, a top-notch voice cast, intriguing new worlds, and a heartfelt story.

The film is directed by the brilliant Pete Docter, who has built quite the reputation for himself over the course of his career at Pixar. He made his directorial debut in 2001 with Monsters, Inc. and later directed fan-favorite Up (2009), which went on to become the second animated film in history to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, following Walt Disney Animation's Beauty and the Beast (1991). The Pixar name already means the audience will have high expectations, but Docter's pristine track record raises the bar even higher for next summer's Inside Out.

Additionally, the studio also released an image (top) of the film's main characters, Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith), as well as a teaser poster for the new movie (below).


Pixar's "major emotion picture" Inside Out hits theaters June 19th, 2015.