EXCLUSIVE: Pixar President Jim Morris Announces New Original Films

In an interview with Pixar's newly appointed President Jim Morris, Timout.com has confirmed that 4 new original films are in development, not including Lee Unkrich's November 2017 film Coco! This development comes on the heals of some fans, including myself, worried that Pixar may have gone down the path of having too many sequels in the pipeline. With Finding Dory coming this Summer (2016), Cars 3 in 2017, Toy Story 4 in 2018, and The Incredibles 2 in 2019, the lineup looked rather dismal for original films, excluding again Coco in 2017. There were even some recent rumblings that Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera, who both just completed Inside Out, were working on a sequel to the wildly successful emotional adventure. So who are the director involved and when could we see films' release dates announcements? Speculation time! But first, read the segment from Jim Morris' interview with Timout.com after the break!

Timor.com, Interview with Jim Morris, President of Pixar Animation Studios:

Inside Out did very well, are there any plans for Inside Out 2?
Not right now. Pete [Docter] and Jonas [Rivera], the producer, have a new and equally weird idea that they are working on – so we will play through on that for a while! But I wouldn’t rule it out. The nice thing about working for Disney is that they don’t really dictate. I mean, I’m sure they would love to have another Inside Out, but it would be a long way off, if at all. 

After The Good Dinosaur, what else does Pixar have in the pipeline? 
We have a bunch of confirmed titles. There’s Finding Dory later this year. We’re working on The Incredibles 2, Cars 3 and Toy Story 4. Dan Scanlon, who did Monsters University is working on an original film. Mark Andrews who directed Brave is working on one, too. We have a new director called Brian Phee, who is working on a new movie, and we have a few shorts that are in the works. I can’t say much more than that or I’ll get in trouble!

Speculation Time!

We have known for quite some time that Dan Scanlon and Mark Andrews have been working on their own original projects. However, the addition of Pete Docter (and Producer Jonas Rivera) and newcomer Brian Phee is what's really exciting! The last time we heard about a new project from Pete Docter was back in 2011 from the D23 Expo (and look what we got out of it- Inside Out)! Now, I know I have to keep my expectations low because if I don't they will be sky high, but this news is very very exciting. Brian Phee is a name that I have never heard of before, so either he is a recent addition to the story team at the studio, or has worked up his way through the ranks and hasn't made a name for himself outside of the studio. Regardless, it's really nice to see some new blood in the upcoming lineup.

As for the release dates, we have two confirmed dates post Incredibles 2: March 13th, 2020; and June 19th, 2020. Setting aside that the March date would be a first for a Pixar release, I think it is most probable that both these dates go to the Dan Scanlon and Mark Andrews original films, as they have been in the rumblings for several years now. Now, the March date is interesting because it hasn't ever gone to a Pixar film before. Disney Animation has claimed the March date for 2016's Zootopia and 2018's Gigantic, so having Pixar take the slot for 2020 pretty much ensures that Disney Animation will stick with a November release for 2020. The March release may also go to a more risky film, as the Summer movie season is better for more mainstream properties. Whichever Scanlon or Andrews film fits the bill will get the March date, with the other claiming the June date. 

As for the future beyond that- who knows. Usually in March or April The Walt Disney Company holds a shareholder conference which many times unveils new projects and/or dates, so we might get an idea in a couple months. However, I find it hard to believe that we'll get a good idea of what the Pete Docter or Brian Phee projects will be about or when they will be released for a couple years. These two films are a good 5 years down the road, so we shouldn't expect any news about them for at least a year or two. 

What is interesting to speculate on, however, is the future of Pixar sequels, especially after today's developments. I can't see a future Pixar slate with as many sequels in the works as what we have right now. For instance, I don't see a future for Cars beyond Cars 3, unless of course the film is wildly successful both at the box office and in the hands of critics (the latter of which I don't see happening in a post Cars 2 world). The same goes for Finding Dory and Toy Story 4, unless of course sequels are warranted and the films do incredible business (the latter of which I do see happening). With that all said, I do see a very successful future for The Incredibles franchise after Incredibles 2. If all goes according to plan, Incredibles 2 will be a financial and critical hit, and will kick-off the once dormant franchise into the third decade of the 21st century. The Incredibles franchise has been long awaited by both animation and film fans for countless years, so the desire for more I'm sure is alive and well. 

As far as an Inside Out 2 is concerned, Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera are the only two that should shepard the sequel if they do think that a new story is warranted. Granted, the world and characters of Inside Out hit home with millions of audiences, the results of which can be seen in the gargantuan box office take of $800M+ at the box office. The desire from fans is there, but I just don't want to spear head any sequel developments because I love the idea of Pete and Jonas working on another original film. And even if Inside Out 2 were to be up for grabs, we wouldn't hear about it until after the new original film, so don't get too excited over that idea, either. 

Regardless of this rather pointless speculation, what do you think about these new developments? How excited are you to finally hear about 4 new original films post 2019? Which are you most looking forward to? Sound off in the comments section below!