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Pixar’s “Elio” is almost here.

The beloved animation studio’s latest sci-fi adventure, after “Wall-e” and “Lightyear,” follows the title character (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a lonely little boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens. He finally gets his wish, when a group of aliens (residing in a glittery space station known as the Communiverse) mistake him for the ambassador from Earth.

TheWrap previewed 25 minutes of the movie, which debuts on June 20 (tickets are on sale now), during a recent visit to Pixar’s Emeryville, California campus and can attest that Elio’s abduction is just the beginning of a wild, wooly romp. It features all of the mind-boggling character designs and environments you would expect from a Pixar feature, with an underlying tenderness and message about loneliness that felt genuinely new (and deeply impactful). You can watch some of the magic yourself in the trailer below.

Just...

“Elio” (opening theatrically June 20), Pixar’s first intergalactic buddy comedy, takes an animated leap into space with imaginative design and visual splendor, utilizing a mixture of old and new techniques. The footage screened at Pixar was funny and, in one tender scene, very moving.

It’s about 11-year-old orphan Elio (Yonas Kibreab), who’s obsessed with getting abducted by aliens and finally gets his wish when he’s mistaken for Earth’s leader. Elio beams up to the candy-colored interplanetary space station of peace and security called the Communiverse, where he bonds with worm-like alien Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who’s just as lost and friendless. That is, until Elio’s found out and sent back home to the Air Force base where he lives with his stressed-out aunt Olga (Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña).

“Elio” is very much a post-covid film about loneliness and the search for belonging that afflicts many children.

Toy Story 5 won't hit theaters until 2026. But the film is already rounding out its all-star voice cast.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the latest addition to the Toy Story franchise is five-time Emmy-winner Conan O'Brien. He is most well-known for hosting Conan, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and (briefly) The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. His most recent projects include the HBO Max series Conan O'Brien Must Go and his podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.

Toy Story 5 won’t be the first time O'Brien’s voice will be heard in an animated movie. He voiced the iconic DC villain, The Riddler, in 2017’s The Lego Batman Movie.O'Brien will be voicing a new character named Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5, alongside Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear and Tom Hanks' Woody. The actor confirmed his casting news in a post on Instagram.

"These films are amazing," O'Brien said in the video clip.

Move over Woody and Buzz — Toy Story 5 is adding a brand-new toy to the chest, and this one comes with impeccable comic timing and a some very tall, very recognizable red hair. Disney and Pixar have officially announced that Conan O’Brien is joining the voice cast of the next chapter in the iconic animated franchise, voicing a brand-new character named Smarty Pants. Seems about right. The reveal was made Monday during Disney’s Consumer Products presentation at the Licensing Expo, with O’Brien later celebrating the casting news in a trademark self-deprecating Instagram video. O’Brien joked that he initially lobbied for the role of Woody, only to be reminded that Tom Hanks sort of has that locked down.

“Isn’t that crazy? Legendary franchise. These films are amazing. I can’t believe this! I was like, ‘Uh, you kinda been there and done that. You’re in a bit of a rut,...

Conan O’Brien is set for the role of Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5, Disney and Pixar announced on Monday, during the Consumer Products section of Disney’s Licensing Expo presentation.

“Isn’t that crazy? Legendary franchise,” said O’Brien in a video Instagram message celebrating the news. “These films are amazing. I can’t believe this!”

Admittedly, O’Brien said, he asked initially for the role of Woody and was told it was promised to Tom Hanks. “And I was like, ‘Uh, you kinda been there and done that. You know? You’e in a bit of a rut, don’t you think?’ And they said, ‘No, Tom Hanks, it’s his role,'” Conan shared.

He joked that he then went after the role of Buzz Lightyear, only to be told he lost it to Tim Allen. “And I went, ‘Guys, you gotta think outside the box,'” O’Brien deadpanned.

Richard Kind, the voice of Bing Bong in the Inside Out franchise, has explained why his character wasn't present in the recent sequel. He spoke about the character, playing the role, and why Bing Bong didn't need to come back for Inside Out 2.

Per Screen Rant, Kind revealed that he actually has connections with Pixar Cco and director Pete Docter, but he didn't feel the need to use them to reprise his role. "There's one thing I don't do is ask friends for work, or even intimate friends for work. So, when I wasn't in Inside Out 2, it was all fine, and I couldn't have been there, because it would have been a false reality," Kind said. "We all know what happened to Bing Bong."

The first Inside Out film, which starred Amy Poehler as Joy and Phyllis Smith as Sadness, saw the emotions teaming up with Bing Bong,...

Richard Kind’s beloved Inside Out character may have missed out on 2024’s sequel, but the veteran Pixar voice actor has his own ideas for a prequel TV series. Having previously lent his vocal talents to A Bug’s Life, Cars, Cars 2, and Toy Story 3, Kind played the forgotten imaginary friend Bing Bong in 2015’s Inside Out. In a touching sequence, Bing Bong valiantly sacrifices himself to allow Amy Poehler’s Joy to escape the Memory Dump and save Riley (Kaitlyn Dias). Having been erased from Riley’s memory, Bing Bong sadly did not return for 2024’s Inside Out 2.

Speaking with ScreenRant about his appearance in Poker Face season 2, Kind spoke about his desire to reprise his Inside Out character in what he envisions as a prequel television series. Suggesting the show could follow Bing Bong and Riley when she is around three or four years of age, the...

Exclusive: Richard Kind addresses his absence from Inside Out 2, explaining why he feels Bing Bong not returning for the sequel ultimately benefited the franchise's journey so far. Kind's imaginary friend was a key character of the 2015 Pixar animated feature, being the long-forgotten companion of Riley whom Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) stumble across on their journey back to Headquarters. The 2024 sequel focuses its attention on Riley's existing Emotions as they grapple with some new Emotions joining their ranks.

While Kind sat down to discuss his appearance in Poker Face season 2 with Screen Rant, the actor revealed why he found himself omitted from Inside Out 2. Though the actor is on good terms with Pixar Cco and director Peter Docter, Kind not only had no desire to use his connections to join the cast but felt it could lessen the character's impact. Check out Kind's full response below:

"Well,...

Pixar movies are always magical, bringing emotional depth to stunning visuals that move both adults and kids. But the one ingredient that has always been sprinkled on almost every single Pixar film is the voice of John Ratzenberger, the studio’s lucky charm.

With a filmography full of larger-than-life characters, most would think that the voice actor would get his due with every new release that aims to include him. But sometimes, even beloved veterans like Ratzenberger aren’t honored properly, and it’s more than evident in Soul.

The cameo of John Ratzenberger in Soul was a crime A still from Soul | Credits: Pixar

When Pixar fans tuned in to watch Soul, they were expecting to see its usual flair of gorgeous animations and emotional themes, along with a cameo from Ratzenberger. However, Pete Docter had something up his sleeve: an Easter egg in Soul that you can miss by blinking.

David Corenswet has been making waves in the industry ever since he was revealed as the new face of the next Superman. While high praise has been ample for him thanks to his convincing appearance as the different avatars of the Kryptonian superhero, i.e., Clark Kent and Superman, he has gotten as well in spades.

Although it isn’t the first time that an actor is facing huge backlash by the fandom before taking over the role of such a beloved character from their predecessor, the hate against Corenswet was definitely fueled by James Gunn’s drastic decision to replace Cavill with him as DC’s Man of Steel right after his takeover.

Interestingly, though, it seems like Warner Bros. executives had a firm belief in both the actor and the director even when it seemed like the world was going against them.

Warner Bros. executives claim James Gunn...

There's a lot of excitement and intrigue surrounding James Gunn's Superman, the movie that will launch DC Studios' Dcu. Fans remain eager for a new trailer (despite recently getting a 5-minute sneak peek and featurette), and it's rumoured to drop later this month.

DC Studios is separate from Warner Bros. in the same way that Marvel Studios largely stands apart from Disney. However, studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca still have their finger on the pulse, and told SmartLess hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes that they've seen an early cut of the reboot.

"I used to chase James as a producer when he did 'Slither' and started with his low-budget movies," Mike De Luca explained. "He’s really unique and I think DC is in great hands with the two of them."

"We’ve seen an early cut of 'Superman,'...

Warner Bros. Studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca teased Monday that the early cut they have seen of James Gunn’s “Superman” relaunch assured them that the franchise is in good hands and is worth the wait.

Interviewing together on the “SmartLess” podcast with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes on Monday’s episode, the longtime studio executives said that Gunn — previously of Marvel fame with “The Guardians of the Galaxy” trio of films — “really understood the assignment” when it came to relaunching a “new version of DC” and its most iconic character.

“I used to chase James as a producer when he did ‘Slither’ and started with his low-budget movies. He’s really unique and I think DC is in great hands with the two of them,” De Luca said of Gunn and his DC Studios co-head Peter Safran. “We’ve seen an early cut of ‘Superman,...

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament ends with Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter ascending the ladder to cut the net as Inside Out 2 is crowned the most profitable movie of 2024 with a net take of $650M.

It was a year when Disney made a major comeback at the box office, becoming the first studio post-pandemic to exceed $5 billion at the global box office. And that, per sources, always is great thing for the overall box office, creating an all-boats-rise type of scenario. Last year, Disney had one film in the profitability top 10, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, and four bombs in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Haunted Mansion, Wish and The Marvels. This year, the studio counted the top three most profitable titles with Inside Out 2, No. 2 with Moana 2 and No. 3 with Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine — the prescription for superhero fatigue. It also scored the No.

The Annecy International Animation Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 2025 edition, running from June 8 to 14. (scroll down for full list of Official Selection titles)

Having previously announced Michel Gondry as an honorary guest, the festival will also celebrate UK Oscar nominee Joanna Quinn (Affairs of the Art) and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening with honorary Cristal awards.

Twenty-one feature films will be showcased in the festival’s Main Competition and Contrechamp Competition, selected from 130 submissions.

Main competition titles include Sylvain Chomet’s Marcel Pagnol tribute A Magnificent Life as well as Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s Death Does Not Exist, and Dandelion’s Odyssey by Momoko Seto, and Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco.

In a break with tradition, the opening night will world premiere a selection of five shorts rather than a single feature animation.

“After a historic 2024 edition, with a record attendance of 17,400 badge-holders, and all this despite a difficult context for the industry,...

Annecy, the world’s leading animation film festival, unveiled its official program on Wednesday, with a line-up that includes features from some 20 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and a range of styles, from the big-budget 3D computer animated feature Into the Mortal World from Chinese director Zhong Ding; to the hand-drawn title Balentes by Italian filmmaker Giovanni Columbu, and the digital cut out animation of Mexican filmmaker Aria Covamonas: The Great History of Western Philosophy.

Covamonas’ debut premiered at the Rotterdam festival, and Annecy’s 2025 lineup features a best-of selection of recent fests, including Berlinale highlights Lesbian Space Princess and Tales from the Magic Garden, and several features premiering in Cannes next month, including The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol from The Triplets of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet; Dandelion’s Odyssey from Japanese director Momoko Seto; and Death Does Not Exist from Canadian filmmaker Felix Dufour-Laperrière.

‘Lesbian Space...

France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June 8-14) will preview upcoming animations including Zootopia 2, Animal Farm and the Stranger Things animated series as part of its 2025 lineup.

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, director Michel Gondry andacclaimed UK animator Joanna Quinn will receive honorary Cristal awards.

Gondry will present his Berlinale 2025 title Maya, Give Me a Title as a special screening.

Scroll down for the full list of competition films, screening events and studio showcases

Also attending are Andy Serkis for what the festival described as a ‘special premiere’ of his animated feature adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm,...

The Toy Story franchise has grossed over $3.3 million since Disney and Pixar released the first Toy Story in 1995. Up next is the fifth installment in the popular film series, Toy Story 5, which is the follow-up to 2019’s Toy Story 4. The film was first announced in early 2023 by Disney CEO Bob Iger. Now, one of the film’s main stars, Tom Hanks, has confirmed that he has begun recording his scenes for Toy Story 5, in which he will reprise the role of the faithful cowboy, Woody.

Hanks took to Instagram on April 21, posting a photo of just his hand showing five fingers in front of a studio microphone with what appeared to be a script below. The Oscar-winner captioned the picture, “First day of work on a certain Story Number 5! Need a hint? Disney. Studio B.”

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) What is Toy Story 5 About?...

Tom Hanks’ Toy Story 5 is going to be a Buzz Lightyear-centric story, with Tim Allen returning to voice the role. Fans are excited for the old team to get back together after Toy Story 4. With its premise, the film now has little choice but to acknowledge a storyline from the failed Lightyear movie.

Hailing from the Toy Story universe, the spin-off film had the worst rating of all movies. It was a box office disaster despite grossing $226.4 million. The film tied into the Toy Story canon by showing that the movie was the reason why Andy wanted a Buzz Lightyear action figure badly.

However, the confusing meta approach of Lightyear was too much for the family-friendly audience. While Toy Story 5 deals with a modern-day theme, fans hope that it doesn’t repeat the 2022 film’s mistake of narrating a complicated plot.

Tom Hanks’ Toy Story 5...

The fifth installment of the beloved Toy Storyfranchise has not given up on the character of Combat Carl. The G.I. Joe-inspired action figure in the Toy Story franchise was played by the late Carl Weathers, who died in February 2024 at 76. With his catchphrase of “Combat Carl never gives up! Combat Carl finds a way!” he quickly became a fan favorite.

Weathers’ Combat Carl is still set to be featured in the upcoming Toy Story 5, but instead of being voiced by the Rocky actor, the character will be voiced by a Ghostbusters star. Per TMZ, production sources state that Ernie Hudson will take over the role of Combat Carl in Toy Story 5.

Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise, recently starred in the reboot of Quantum Leap as well as the BET+ series The Family Business. Hudson reprised his Ghostbusters role in 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and 2024’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Ernie Hudson is taking over the late Carl Weathers’ voice role of action figure Combat Carl in Toy Story 5, Deadline has confirmed.

Prior to his passing due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, pro football player turned actor Weathers voiced Combat Carl in two projects: the 2013 TV special Toy Story of Terror! and 2019’s Toy Story 4, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. He died in February 2024, aged 76.

While official plot details for Toy Story 5 remain under wraps, ahead of the film’s June 19, 2026 unveiling, star Tim Allen said in an interview with Wivb that the film is “a lot about Jessie,” the cowgirl doll voiced by Joan Cusack. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign,” added the actor, who voices Buzz Lightyear. “And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”

In a separate...

Buzz Lightyear is blasting off again — and he’s bringing some familiar friends with him. While promoting his stand-up tour and hit ABC series Shifting Gears, Tim Allen dropped a tantalizing tease about his long-awaited return as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5. During a recent interview with Wivb ahead of his April 25 performance at Fallsview Casino, the comedy legend opened up about his busy schedule — and yes, that includes a new chapter in Pixar’s flagship franchise.

Allen gave an update on the production of Toy Story 5, which will mark the first film in the series since 2019’s bittersweet Toy Story 4which served as a lovely epilogue to the original story. While he stayed tight-lipped on spoilers, Allen did offer some key insights into where things are heading next for the beloved toys.

“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie. Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign.

For the first time, The Walt Disney Company is assembling its full animation arsenal for a united front at the Annecy Festival, which will take place June 8 to 14 this summer.

Industry giants from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Animation, Lucasfilm, Disney Television Animation and 20th Television Animation will converge on the shores of Lake Annecy in the French Alps to showcase the magic, innovation and cultural legacy that define the company’s place at the head of the global animation table.

From long-awaited sequels to brand new originals, Annecy 2025 will feature the biggest showcase of upcoming Disney titles in its history, with talent-laden panels, never-before-seen footage and career-recognizing honors for some of Disney’s most revered artists.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Zootopia 2” will be teased by its Oscar-winning director, Jared Bush. Set for a theatrical release on Nov. 26, the sequel reunites fan-favorites Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde...

Disney is heading to Annecy. For the first time, the Walt Disney Company will bring the full force of its animation empire to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, giving festival goers a sneak peak at Disney Animation’s Zootopia 2, Pixar’s Elio and Marvel Animation’s Eyes of Wakanda, and screening early footage from Pixar’s upcoming 2026 titles Hoppers and Toy Story 5.

Lucasfilm will premiere Black, a new Star Wars: Visions short by Shinya Ohira at the festival, while Star Wars: Tales of the Empire will screen the episode Devotion as part of Annecy’s official TV competition.

Disney is also deploying its C-suite to Annecy, with Pixar Cco Pete Docter, Walt Disney Animaation Cco Jared Bush, Cco and legendary Disney director Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules), set to attend, as well as The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Docter and Clements will be inducted into...

Pixar has never been one to make a sequel just for the sake of making a sequel. Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer of the Disney-owned animation studio, recently shared how the upcoming Toy Story 5 will take the beloved franchise in a new and unexpected direction.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Docter touched on how today's kids' movies and shows feel more fast-paced compared to ones from 30-plus years ago. "I think films have definitely sped up. Even Toy Story 1 to Toy Story 4, the level of visual sophistication, including the pacing, we’re just trying to keep in touch with the rhythms of the world and it’s definitely faster," he explained. "So I will say Toy Story 5, I think [writer and director] Andrew [Stanton]’s done a really great job of letting moments breathe in unexpected ways. Things that [make you think], 'Wait, is this a Toy Story movie?,' with some of his choices,...

Directed by John Lasseter, Pixar Animation Studios’ popular animated adventure comedy movie Toy Story for Disney is the first installment in the Toy Story franchise. It is also the first computer-animated feature film based on the story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft. It followed the relationship between the old-fashioned pull-string cowboy doll Woody and the modern space cadet action figure Buzz Lightyear.

Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story | Credits: Pixar Animation Studios

Upon release, the movie received critical acclaim with praises for direction, story, and the fact that it appealed to all age groups. Toy Story is regarded as one of the best-animated films ever made and has attained the status of one of the most important films in the medium’s history. Animator and Pixar co-chief creative officer Pete Docter recently addressed the 30 years of Toy Story.

Pixar co-chief creative officer Pete Docter...

Toy Story 5is still more than a year away from hitting the big screen, but one of the heads of Pixar is already teasing what audiences can expect from the upcoming blockbuster. Pete Docter was eager to talk about the sequel during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The executive has worked at the studio over the course of decades, with Docter being a part of the development of some of Pixar's biggest hits. The topic the filmmaker wanted to discuss was the pacing of Toy Story 5. The rhythm of the upcoming sequel will be different from what was seen in the first installments of the franchise, considering how audiences have changed:

If you go back and look at Bambi — I’m picking an extreme that’s kind of intentionally slow because it is about nature and watching the changes seasons and things — I think films have definitely sped up.

In 1995, audiences witnessed something extraordinary. The texture of the images, the audacious humor, everything in Toy Story felt innovative, fresh, and daring. It was the beginning of a universe that would always revisit its original tone with three great sequels. 30 years later, the franchise is still alive, with Toy Story 5 arriving in theaters in June 2026. However, according to Pixar Cco Pete Docter, you should expect a few surprising changes to the beloved franchise: "We got to keep people surprised, so it's going to be fun."

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Docter spoke about how it all began with Toy Story and how everything has changed, now that Pixar has become what it is. "It was just a bunch of us nerds. It felt like working in our garage," he comments about the first film. A three-time Academy Award-winner, Docter has a different role today in Pixar headquarters,...

Pete Docter, the co-chief creative officer of Pixar, is reflecting on being one of the so-called “nerds” who revolutionized animation filmmaking with “Toy Story.” Oscar-winning Docter was the supervising animator on the iconic 1995 film, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. He was later appointed co-chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios alongside Jennifer Lee in 2018.

“The fact that [‘Toy Story’] hit the popular culture was never [expected],” Docter told The Hollywood Reporter. “Working on it, it was just a bunch of us nerds. It felt like working in our garage. It was a whole rental space, not really fancy and a small team, so it was very casual and loose.”

And three decades later, Docter is “still amazed” at the film’s legacy, even if he believes it looks a little outdated amid the technological advances in animation.

“It’s on the top bunch of movies on Disney+,...

The animated movie Monsters, Inc. is a family-friendly film, but even so, its plot is not too far away from what could make for an interesting horror movie. That's imagined with a new concept trailer that's capturing some attention on YouTube, depicting much more nightmarish versions of Mike and Sulley.

Per Multiverse of Movies on YouTube, a horror Monsters, Inc. concept trailer was created with the use of AI-generated voices and imagery. It's imagined with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega playing an older version of Boo, the little girl in the original film who's unafraid of the monsters who visit. This version of Boo, however, is haunted by her memories of the monsters she met as a child, culminating with a horrifying reunion. The concept trailer, which has garnered 138K views, can be viewed below.

The real Monsters, Inc. was a Pixar and Disney collaboration which was released in theaters in...

In a surprise announcement, Disney reveals that Coco 2is in development. The original Pixar movie, which debuted in 2017, followed an aspiring musician named Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) traveling to the land of the dead amid a conflict with his music-hating family. Coco reviews were glowing, earning it a Certified Fresh score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also went on to win two Oscars, for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Remember Me"). It was also a hit, grossing $814.3 million worldwide against its roughly $200 million budget.

During the annual Disney shareholders meeting, CEO Bob Iger confirmed Coco 2 is in the works and will hit theaters in 2029. The original creative team, comprised of director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina, will return. Iger said during the meeting:

While the film is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure. And we can't wait to share more soon.

Disney has dropped the trailer for “Elio” (June 20), Pixar’s first stab at sci-fi since the masterful “Wall-e.” The celestial comedy-adventure, from directors Domee Shi (“Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian (the “Burrow” short) and producer Mary Alice Drumm (“Coco”), finds 11-year-old social misfit Elio (Yonas Kibreab) obsessed with getting abducted by aliens. He gets his wish when he beams up to an inter-planetary conference, where he’s mistaken for the leader of Earth.

The patch-wearing Elio has a blast getting lots of attention and making new friends, but then he gets pulled into helping navigate an intergalactic crisis. The alien creatures and phosphorescent environments provide an eye-popping animated backdrop for Pixar within the familiar buddy comedy format. Elio’s BFFs include Glordon (Remy Edgerly) and Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) from the planet Hoppers. The rest of the voice cast includes Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) as Elio’s Aunt Olga,...

The Mouse House brought a glimpse of the future to SXSW this year during a panel entitled The Future of World-Building at Disney. As part of that panel, Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen took the stage to talk about the upcoming "Cars" land that will be making its way to Magic Kingdom at Disney World, as was announced at last year's D23 Expo, amongst the many big movie announcements at that event.

While the ride and the land haven't yet been officially named, we were treated to a look at the development of this new "Cars" ride. It will be a big off road experience, one that admittedly looks like a blast. Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are going to be demolished to make way for this "Cars" land, and that's proven to be controversial amongst fans of Disney World and the Disney Parks in general.

Robert Downey Jr. isn’t quite done with Tony Stark just yet.

The actor hung up the Iron Man superhero suit in Avengers: Endgame, and he is poised to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the evil Dr. Doom for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

But first, there’s a theme park ride to launch.

At D23 last year, Disney announced that the actor would reprise his role as Tony Stark for a new ride coming to Avengers Campus in Disneyland: Stark Flight Lab. On Saturday, Downey Jr. surprised a crowd of nearly 2,000 in Austin, Texas to preview a pair of upcoming Marvel-themed rides coming to Avengers Campus in Disneyland. And yes, he will be reprising his role as Tony Stark.

“It’s been 17 years of being associated with an iconic superhero, but it is the message he represents that I am grateful for,” Downey Jr. told the crowd. “Tony...

Disney’s famous flywheel came to life for the general public Saturday as studio executives, Imagineers and talent gathered on a SXSW stage to illustrate world building of beloved franchises as they move from TV and film to theme parks and back.

Robert Downey Jr., aka Tony Stark, joined Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Bruce Vaughn, president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, to talk Avengers, to highlight new attractions but also how they’re conceived and constructed step by step. The actor has been invited in to advise the Imagineers on the Stark Flight Disneyland ride.

We love this 3,000 ❤️...

Disney gave more information on the upcoming Cars are coming to the Magic Kingdom that a lot of people don’t want. They are going to completely remove the Rivers of America from Frontierland/Liberty Square to add an offroading attraction based on a franchise that most people don’t really care about. But I digress.

During the SXSW panel Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, and Imagineer Michael Hundgen took the stage to talk about the new Cars ride.

Inventing a new ride vehicle.

Part of the R&d for the new Cars attraction is going to be new ride vehicles that can be utilized for this attraction.

Hundgen explained how they have to invent a new vehicle as opposed to buying one.

Add New Post“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests. For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle.

During Disney’s “The Future of World-Building” panel at SXSW, we got more information on the controversial Monstropolis addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They also discussed the plans for the loading zone of the upcoming Monsters Inc. door coaster.

I have to admit it is pretty cool.

Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen talked more about the attraction.

Hundgen said,

“Imagineers have been itching to turn that moment into an attraction ever since we saw it for the first time.”

That makes sense, given how long the rumor about it was going on.

The loading zone is pretty interesting.

According to the video they showed, guests will load into the door ride vehicle and then have a verticle lift into the actual attraction. This is like the movie where the doors would be secured on the Scare Floor and then taken to the vault on the raised conveyor belts.

Animated films are some of the first pieces of fictional storytelling that young audiences are exposed to, having a deep impact on new generations' understanding of how narratives can impact them. The best animated movies, the ones that resonate with children and adults alike, are the ones that are able to entertain audiences young and old with stories that hide deeper meaning under the surface.

A few animated films were able to appear on Roger Ebert's coveted Great Movies list, a collection of a few hundred films that he felt stood the test of time and would remain important pieces of movie history. These animated films are the ones that best capture the human experience and deep emotional truths through one of the oldest mediums in the history of film.

Finding Nemo Is an Early Pixar Classic

After the boom of the Disney Renaissance, the powerhouse animation studio that...

There's nothing more magical than watching Disney heroes receive their well-deserved happily ever after. These often underestimated characters' triumphs demonstrate what determination, motivation and perseverance can bring, inspiring audiences to lead their own lives with passion and tenacity.

Whether ending in a declaration of love, overcoming a seemingly impossible obstacle, or realizing a dream come true, Disney knows exactly how to end its films on a high note. Through gorgeous animation and music, audiences are transported directly into whatever fantastical world the film has crafted. This intense immersion cultivates a lasting legacy of joy and success that is attributed to Disney's most memorable films.

Wall-e Shows a Bright Future of Love and Prosperity This Ending Scene Instantly Swells Hearts

Wall-e exemplifies everything awe-inspiring about Pixar, which is why it's garnered massive acclaim from audiences, though many think its impact is understated. Watching a curious robot with a fascination for human...

Soul, Luca and Turning Red have all largely been buried on Disney+, but why? As always, we’ve had some thoughts.

Pixar has long been at the forefront of American mainstream animation. The studio ushered in the era of CG animation with its debut feature Toy Story, intelligently explored darker themes of loss in Up, and helped all of us make sense of the messy emotions in our heads with Inside Out. Not to mention, its trophy cabinet must be buckling under the weight of all of its awards.

Of course, not all of its films have been hits. Lightyear, a Toy Story spin-off, missed the mark, and the Cars franchise remains, well, ordinary. Still, Pixar has always been at its best when focusing on original films, and at a point where blockbusters were dominated by sequels and franchises, Pixar was putting often breathtakingly original movies through the Hollywood system.

“The Wild Robot” ran away with nine wins at the 52nd annual Annie Awards on February 8 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The DreamWorks robot survival adventure took Best Feature along with nearly ever other category (it was not nominated for Best Writing and Best Storyboarding).

“The Wild Robot” additionally claimed Best Direction, Best Production Design, Best Character Design, Best Character Animation, Best FX, Best Music (Oscar-nominated composer Kris Bowers), Best Voice Acting (Lupita Nyong’o as Roz), and Best Editorial.

Meanwhile, “Flow,” the low-budget cat survival adventure, grabbed Best Independent Feature and Best Writing for writer-director Gints Zilbalodis.

This sets up a dramatic finish to the Oscar race between “The Wild Robot,” the favorite, and “Flow,” the underdog, which is on a roll of its own after the Golden Globes triumph. This followed the animation prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review,...

DreamWorks Animation’s heartwarming “The Wild Robot” ran away with the most trophies at the 52nd annual Annie Awards with nine, including best feature. Netflix’s video game adaptation “Arcane” led the TV/Media categories with seven. But Saturday’s ceremony didn’t go off without a hitch, as a pair of fire alarms went off at the venue, UCLA’s, Royce Hall, including one that interrupted the ceremony.

A fire alarm went off about halfway through the ceremony, causing attendees to evacuate the theater and exit the building before returning to their seats and resuming the show. A second fire alarm went off during the pre-show reception, keeping hundreds of guests waiting on the grounds and unable to enter the event for roughly 45 minutes. “There was a sensor that was tripped and then had to act and get everybody out. Once the fire marshal said it was clear, we could go back in.

Kelsey Mann is the director behind the year’s top-grossing movie, Inside Out 2. At $1.7 billion worldwide, his sequel to the Oscar-winning 2015 Pixar toon not only outgrossed that one to become the biggest Pixar hit of all time but won wide critical acclaim for taking to new heights of imagination and invention the concept of all these various emotions operating inside a young girl’s head, anxiety being chief among them.

Mann took the reins of this one from the original’s director and now-Pixar chief Pete Docter and made the most successful feature directorial debut of all time. During our interview, I asked what the Animated Feature nomination meant to him. “I was the guy [at Pixar] that was once printing out the Oscar ballots, you know, for everybody to kind of do their whole thing. And the fact that I’ve got a film on that ballot that I directed is incredible,...

He may not realize it, but Kelsey Mann is a Hollywood success story. The maestro behind “Inside Out 2” is celebrating his first Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature for what is, remarkably, his directorial debut. An opportunity that came after working his way up in the animation industry over two decades. But after 10 years at Pixar, when Pete Docter offered him the chance to direct the sequel to the beloved Academy Award-winning blockbuster, he knew what he wanted to do.

Continue reading Kelsey Mann On The Rainbow That Keeps Following ‘Inside Out 2’ at The Playlist.

More than most people you know, Oscar-winning animator Pete Docter has marked generations of children for life. I first met him back in 1995, when Pixar launched “Toy Story” into the world. Animation was never the same. I toured the original Pixar compound in Richmond, near San Francisco, and watched over his shoulder as Docter showed me how animators used computers to create characters. That was just the beginning. “Toy Story” was a first step toward a new form of digital motion pictures, pioneered by then leader John Lasseter and the mighty Pixar Brain Trust.

Back in 2018, when Lasseter left the company, Docter moved up to Chief Creative Officer, as the Disney division tried to continue its unsullied record of major hits. It did not always succeed, and the pandemic did not help. But in 2024, “Inside Out 2” broke Pixar’s own box-office record ($1.7 billion worldwide).

For a time, the movie...

The Wild Robot made history for DreamWorks Animation on Thursday when it received three Oscar nominations: Best Animated Feature (Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann), Best Score (Kris Bowers), and Best Sound. That’s the most bids ever for a single film in the studio’s 30-year history.

“I could not be more delighted,” director-writer Sanders tells Gold Derby via phone from Japan, where The Wild Robot was “on the verge of opening widely.”

“So many people work on these for such a long time, and this sort of recognition is just so wonderful.”

Sanders is now tied with Pete Docter and Hayao Miyazaki with four nominations in the Best Animated Feature category. Sanders previously contended at the Oscars for Lilo & Stitch (2002), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), and The Croods (2013), and is now looking for his first win.

The Wild Robot is the first DreamWorks Animation title to receive a sound nomination at the Oscars,...

The latest trailer for Pixar’s Win or Lose series has dropped, teasing what to expect from its newest coming-of-age baseball comedy. This comes after over four years since the project was first announced during Disney’s Investor Day meeting in 2020.

The new Win or Lose video features the Pickles, a middle school softball team set to compete in a big championship game. It highlights the eight fun stories that will take place before the game, as the players, their parents, and their coach prepare for the biggest game of their lives. It also teases the show’s different animation styles and exciting visuals, as each episode will have a different look and vibe from one another. The upcoming Disney+ show will serve as Pixar’s first-ever original long-form animated series.

Related Pixar's Next Movie Will 'Ride That Line of the PG Movie,' Reveals Director

Elio co-director Madeline Sharafian...

Moana 2 and Inside Out 2 made 2024 an incredibly successful year for Disney, yet raised the bar impossibly high for the studio's next animated movie. Beginning with Inside Out 2's box office numbers, the film broke numerous records after its release in June. Inside Out 2 became the highest-grossing animated movie in history, surpassing 2019's The Lion King by earning a worldwide box office total of almost $1.7 billion and becoming one-half of Walt Disney Pictures' overly successful year.

Moana 2's box office total is not quite as high as Inside Out 2's, but the film proved more successful than first thought. The film has earned just shy of $1 billion worldwide and is expected to cross the coveted milestone before its theatrical run concludes. When it does so, 2024 will be solidified beyond all doubt as an immensely successful year for Disney. Although the studio will be pleased by this,...

Director Kelsey Mann, producer Mark Nielsen, writers Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein and composer Andrea Datzman sat down with Clayton Davis, Variety’s Senior Awards Editor, at the Variety FYC Screening presented by Disney & Pixar, to chat about their work on “Inside Out 2.”

The billion-dollar animated hit “Inside Out 2” introduces an older Riley, now age 13, as she enters high school and discovers a new set of emotions including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). As a director, Mann was drawn in to how universal the experience of being a teenager is: “It’s always this thing that everybody kind of knows about.”

For “Inside Out 2,” Mann assembled an advisory group of teenage girls ages 13 to 16 to give their thoughts on every version of the film. While Mann imagined having to really sell Pixar on it, he recalls how open they were to the idea.

The Wild Robot is a win for DreamWorks Animation, but it also marks a surprising first for the studio with a clever reference. Chris Sanders delivers yet another touching story after having directed Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods in the past. The movie follows Roz, a serviceable robot who defies her programming when she becomes a gosling’s mother. The Wild Robot’s amazing reviews prove it even has the potential to win the studio’s third Academy Award.

The Wild Robot’s ending makes a strong case for the relationship between motherhood and nature, as Roz’s nurturing and self-sacrificing qualities shock her hostile animal neighbors and motivate them to work together. The Wild Robot benefits from a star-studded cast and features behind-the-scenes work by some of the most influential artists and storytellers. With The Wild Robot, CalArts alumni Chris Sanders and Heidi Jo Gilbert...

No animated movie dominated 2024 quite like Pixar’s “Inside Out 2.” The sequel, which saw lead character Riley, now a teenager, dealing with brand-new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), was an instant sensation. The follow-up to 2015’s “Inside Out” (which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar) is now the top-grossing animated movie of all time and the eighth highest-grossing film ever and has appeared on a number of year-end best-of lists. For director Kelsey Mann, the only emotion he’s feeling is joy.

“To have the response be what it was for this film was beyond what I had hoped for,” Mann said. “I hoped that people would go to the theaters and see it. And man, did they show up. It was apparent from that first weekend that people were excited to see the next chapter in Riley’s life.