Brad Bird Talks To Latinoreview About 1906, Toy Story 3, Iron Giant Re-Release And More.
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By George 'El Guapo' Roush on
February 06, 2009
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At tonight's premiere of Coraline, one of the celebrities on the red carpet was Brad Bird, director of my favorite movie of 2007, Ratatouille and the also excellent Iron Giant. Brad's next project isn't an animated feature but a live action one called 1906, about the enormous earthquake that hit the city of San Fran on April 18th, 1906.
Myself, my buddy Silas and the guy whose name I can't remember because I've had waaay too many glasses of wine tonight had a chance to talk to Brad about 1906, Toy Story 3 and other projects. I tried to really probe him about Toy Story 3 but he was starting to get ushered away by publicists at that point.
So what's going on with 1906?
Bird: We're looking at places to shoot it. The script I'm still working. it's a really hard script to write. And mostly because there are so many interesting things going on in that place and that particular period of time that anytime you're going towards something, you're going away from 5 other cool things. So it's been really hard for me to write. but I think it's going to great. and we'll see IF they have the courage to make.
What is the story about?
Bird: The simple way to sum it up would be to say it's a romantic, epic mystery with lots of action in it, based around events leading up to and through the earthquake of San Francisco of 1906.
Do you have casting in mind?
Bird: I do, but I can't say because it'll jinx it. There are some wonderful people who are interested and I hope they're still interested when I finish the script.
It's all going to be live action?
Bird: It's live action. But obviously San Francisco doesn't exist anymore the way that it was so that would all be special effects, much like New York was special effects in Kong.
Are you anxious about going from animation to live action?
Bird: I've been wanting to do it a long time. When I was in development hell, which was a really long period of time, half the projects I had in development were live action and half were animated, and animation they gave me an opportunity and once I had that opportunity, I got more opportunities so I'm taking advantage of the chance to do live action, but I'm interested in both. To me it's all film making.
Are you involved at all or do you talk to Andrew about John Carter of Mars?
Bird: Well, I haven't talked with him about John Carter yet. I had some questions about 1906 and he and John Lasseter gave me some feedback on that. These films are Pixar adjacent, I mean, we're still at Pixar while we're working on them, but they're done in a slightly different way. John Carter is with Disney proper, it is not a Pixar film. And 1906 is with Warner Brothers and Disney has some involvement with it. So we're both still engaged heavily with Pixar but we're also some things that are not quite what Pixar does. So I don't think either of us have lost any interest in Pixar, it's just that Pixar does certain kinds of films and we have other films that we'd like to make that are Pixar films and some that aren't.
So do you see a lot of the other stuff that Pixar is working on, like Toy Story 3?
Bird: Oh, absolutely. Michael Arndt, who wrote Little Miss Sunshine, wrote the script to it, so it's going to be really great.
How far along is it?
Bird: It's about ready to go into production. They're just about finished with Up, and the animators will regain their sense for a few weeks...
You don't want it to be like Toy Story 2 where it was a nightmare for these guys...
Bird: Well, they've learned how to pace themselves, people actually got injured on Toy Story 2, with RSI, Repetitive Stress Injuries, and they've learned a lot about how to keep people in the game and they realize that if they burn people out there's no more movies, so people get a little time off then they'll plunge into Toy Story 3 and i think it's gonna be great.
That's going to be in 3-D, correct?
Bird: That is. And so is Up.
Are there any new toys in Toy Story 3?
Bird: Uh...ah, ya....
I know Ken is in it...
Bird: Ya, you're trying to trick me! There are some new characters, and it will be funny.
Did you say there was an outside chance of an Iron Giant theatrical re-release?
Bird: An outside chance, yes. This year will mark its tenth anniversary, so there might be a small release.
Why play with toys when you can  |
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Tags: News |
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Commented By: Scott Dally on 2009-02-06 11:36:50
I'm the guy you can't remember, but not to worry, I had way too many vodka sodas as well. Nice chatting with you last night man, I hope you enjoyed our lovely city of Portland
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Commented By: Scott on 2009-02-06 12:32:40
I really hope they re-release Iron Giant. It's an amazing movie and I've only seen it on DVD (& VHS before that).
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Commented By: matt on 2009-02-06 21:13:08
Heh, were you still sozzled when you posted this George?
"If they have the courage to make", and "They're just about they're just about" ;P
Seriously though those were some cool tidbits, thanks man.
My question is (or would have been) does this mean by the time Pixar really get started on this one they'll only have about a year go-to-whoa? I know they release a film every year now, but that's only because they overlap the development/production. The things still take 2 or 3 or 4 years to make. Sure the main characters are the same but even they generally get re-jigged. I guess the script and pre-development must already be in great shape...
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yep
Commented By: El Guapo on 2009-02-06 22:45:20
Posting articles and transcribing while on the sauce is hard to do at 2 a.m. But I'm dedicated to you, my reader!!!! I shall fix the other error now that I'm sober. Drinking jack and coke right now, so I should fix it quick...
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thanks el guapo!
Commented By: matt on 2009-02-08 07:27:47
I appreciate it mate. I mean, it's not like there were a PLETHORA of mistakes, just 2!
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Iron Giant Re-release
Commented By: haley on 2009-02-19 21:31:30
I'd love for Brad to re-release The Iron Giant! It was an absolutly OUTSTANDING movie! Also, it would be a good idea. I've been looking around the internet and people EVERYWHERE say it was one of the best movies ever made. If he re-released it, it would make SO much more money since people would know about. :)
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