For the last eight years, like clockwork, Pixar have unveiled a new feature-length animation every summer. While their last few efforts have signaled a decline in quality, it was still an impressive run in terms of sheer workload. But for the first time since their jump from Toy Story to A Bug’s Life, we’ll have to wait almost two years between releases from the studio.
According to a press release, Walt Disney has shifted their release calendar, moving Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur from May 2014 to November 25th, 2015, a slot previously held by Finding Dory, and lifting that Andrew Stanton-directed sequel to June 17th, 2016.
Much has been publicized over the removal of co-director Bob Peterson from the director’s chair of Dinosaur due to creative differences, as a Pixar braintrust of John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Brave‘s Mark Andrews and original co-director, Peter Sohn, took the reigns for the time being. This shift likely accounts for the delay, but thankfully Pixar is taking time to step back rather than rush a release.
The Good Dinosaur takes place in a future that imagines if the asteroids never destroyed dinosaurs, following an Apatosaurus named Arlo and his family. They are farmers and they need to get rid of “bugs” on their land, but it’s revealed it’s actually human cavemen. As for the next Pixar work, one will be able to see the ambitious Inside Out, coming on June 19th, 2015 from another Up co-director, Peter Docter.
In other minor news, Disney has moved the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent from July 2014 to May 30th, 2014.
What do you make of the delays from Pixar? Are you upset we won’t see a 2014 film from the studio?