Nothing says “Happy New Year” like a slew of preview material for Pixar’s release slate leading into 2016! Coming Soon had the good fortune to receive a fold-out card from the animation studio this past Monday, which contained concept art from each of their four pending endeavors– Monsters University, which hits theaters this June, The Good Dinosaur, and their two untitled projects– one that takes place inside the human mind and one which occurs on Día de los Muertos.
To no one’s surprise, Pixar sprung a Monsters University promo clip on us yesterday as well, and while it’s pretty short it also completely nails the intended tone. If you’re a college grad or if you’ve only recently gone through the process of shopping around for higher education, the footage should ring amusingly true in the corniest, tritest ways possible:
(Source: First Showing)
More compelling, though, are the images for Pixar’s further-off projects. It’s tough to say which among them I’m most excited for, but I’ll always favor original Pixar work over sequels– and the idea of a world in which asteroids didn’t wipe out the dinosaurs speaks directly to my inner child. So for now, let’s just say that I’m figuratively already waiting in the theater for 2014’s The Good Dinosaur to begin:
Of course, 2015’s release– Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind (potentially titled The Inside Out)– could be infinitely more arresting and eye-opening just because its very nature lends it layers of abstraction. I may be excited for The Good Dinosaur, but I’m far more curious about what occurs within our own heads (at least, according to Pixar). Plus, Pete Docter has the helm for this one, which I can only consider good news:
And finally, we have a shot from 2016’s* Untitled Movie About Día de los Muertos, to be directed by Lee Unkrich. Consider the variety of images and motifs that have come to represent the Day of the Dead in popular consciousness, and I think the colorful and macabre elements of the festival could produce a film of incredible vibrancy:
(Source: Coming Soon)
I generally am on-board for Pixar’s movies as a soft but reliable rule, so it stands to reason that all of this piques my interest. The fact that three of these four films will be original, though, makes me extremely happy, since I find Pixar to be at their best when dealing with new, uncharted waters. How about the rest of you? Any of these titles immediately strike your fancy?
*Though the movie’s release year isn’t clear to me. It sounds like the Día de los Muertos could either hit in 2015 or 2016. Seems like 2016 is more likely since Inside Out appears to have the 2015 slot, and Pixar doesn’t typically release more than one movie a year.
