Pixar's Brave (formerly The Bear and the Bow)

[DisneyAnimation88]

So I presume the wisps are those strange blue lights in the film's poster?

The more I hear about Brave, the more excited I am to eventually see this film. The scene they showed reminds me of the archery competition from Robin Hood.

[disneyprincess11]

*Spoiler Alert*

From the Brave presentation at the D23 Expo:

- John Lasseter says the film is ‘unlike any we’ve made, the first fairytale for Pixar.”

- Crews took two trips to Scotland to do their research for authenticity.

- The forest is Merdia’s (the main character’s) second home. Merida and her mother do not see eye-to-eye.

- In the story she must marry into one of three Lords families. The three candidates do not get along with one another and each has their flaws.

- In this fantasy world, there are things called wisps which can either change your fate for the better or make it hell.

- Looking for help, Merida follows a trail of these wisps to the home of a witch. The witch puts a spell on her which screws up her life further. Now in trouble, Merida must find a way to break the spell.

- Director and producer play a scene from the film: The lords are competing for Merida’s hand in marriage. She gets to select which game they get to compete in. Being a skilled archer, she chooses archery. The first candidate is far off the target. The second is closer but not quite (he throws a tantrum once he misses the bullseye). The third doesn’t know how to shoot but nails the bullseye, to which the father of the third candidate brags to the other two fathers and goes so far as to flash his rear to them (this got huge laughs in the audience). Merida is not impressed by any of the three. She comes into the game area and decides to shoot “for my own hand in marriage.” Her mother isn’t happy with this and tries to get her to stop. Merida shoots at all three target and nails the bullseye perfectly. On the third she shoot through the arrow that had already hit the bullseye by the third candidate.

Kelly Macdonald (Merida) and Kevin McKidd (Lord MacGuffin) take the stage and discuss what it’s like to be involved with the film. “It was like I was asked to play Woody,” said Macdonald.

Source: http://taoayumu.tumblr.com/post/9174444368

Nice, thanks for sharing! Sounds amazing! And Merida and her mother do not see eye-to-eye??? Explain? That makes no sense....but I wonder what's wrong with the first candiate?

[Disney's Divinity]

Also ... I feel sorry for Tiana not being included (does she have her own area or something???)

Oh, yeah! I didn't recognize that Tiana was missing! I think she will be in it, I can't imagine DL not having her in a all-Princess thing.

She might just have been banished to the PC Princess corner with Jasmine, Mulan, and Pocahontas now, never to return (except on special occasions and/or accusations of racism).

[Sotiris]

There is an appearance of the Pizza Planet Truck in Brave

[Tristy]

I'd ask if those clips will be shown online but then we had this sort of thing happen with Tangled. So it most likely won't happen. I want to see more than just the 1 minute trailer we got but oh well.

[Sotiris]

*Spoiler Alert*

The clip showed Merida (Kelly Macdonald) with her parents – King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Suitors have been brought forth to compete for Merida’s hand in marriage. The less than thrilled princess watches, unimpressed, as her unsuitable suitors display their (lack of) talent for archery. After the comedic show of skill, Merida surprises everyone by taking to the field herself and displaying some impressive and superior archery skills. The Queen is not amused and charges onto the field, forbidding Merida to release her final bow. This rather dry description doesn’t do this great scene justice. Even in its incomplete state, the scene is filled with drama, charm and physical humor. The suitors and their fathers provide some truly hilarious, crowd pleasing moments.

We also see the fiery Merida in action and glimpse her strong-willed personality. Her realistic personality shines through a fantastical plot that includes a Witch (Julie Walters), a magic potion, and the mysterious blue lights called “The Will o’ The Wisps.” These blue lights play a large role in the story, as they have the ability to change your fate (sound familiar? – that is the tagline to the film).

And while there is plenty of Pixar charm and style, the feel of the film is something quite original. I think (hope) it will change the way we think about Princess films. Lasseter said in the Pixar Creative Team panel that Merida is a Princess but the story focuses more on her relationship with her parents rather than utilizing a standard princess fairy tale storyline.

Andrews and Sarafian then brought out two of the film’s stars: Kelly Macdonald (Emmy-nominated for her work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) and Kevin McKidd (ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy). Macdonald said getting to play Merida was “like being asked to play Woody!”. McKidd then got a chance to show-off his character’s ridiculously thick Scottish accent – a wonderfully comedic personality trait of his character.

Source: http://pixartimes.com/2011/08/20/brave-at-d23-expo/

[Sotiris]

[DisneyDude2010]

Is that picture above actually animated???

[robster16]

Is that picture above actually animated???

It states that it is a Hallmark keepsake, so it's actually a little plastic figurine of Merida!

[Tristy]

Ooh! That's very pretty!

And based on that clip it sounds a little like Pride & Prejudice if it was set in the middle ages. Well, sort of.

[Disney's Divinity]

And while there is plenty of Pixar charm and style, the feel of the film is something quite original. I think (hope) it will change the way we think about Princess films. Lasseter said in the Pixar Creative Team panel that Merida is a Princess but the story focuses more on her relationship with her parents rather than utilizing a standard princess fairy tale storyline.

I have to admit, this part kind of bothered me, considering Mermaid did that 22 years ago. The only difference is there's no romantic subplot that we know of and--possibly--no musical numbers.

That said, the description of the scene that was shown has me excited. I've really wanted an animated movie to explore a mother-daughter relationship for once (where the mother is not the film's villain). Plus, the Will o' the Wisps bit is intriguing.

[DisneyJedi]

I really hope she gets a love interest

Also ... I feel sorry for Tiana not being included (does she have her own area or something???)

You mean she might be kicked out of the Disney princess line? Because it almost sounds that way to me.

[Sotiris]

Production Designer Steve Pilcher and Shader Art Director Tia Kratter previewed the stunning visuals of Pixar's Brave.




Shader Art Director, Tia Kratter and Production Designer Steve Pilcher discussing the influence of Scotland’s rich landscape on their upcoming Pixar's Brave

Whether designing the rugged rock-strewn terrain, a mist-filled forest, or one of the rolling green landscapes you’ll find in Brave, the team at Pixar was careful to make sure that they got every last detail right. To ensure they correctly captured the essence of the Highlands, the production team made two research trips to Scotland in 2006, bringing back hundreds and hundreds of photos and sketches. “The most important thing to me is the emotional tone of the film,” Steve said. The landscapes help set that tone and carry it throughout the film.

For the characters and their costumes, animators drew inspiration from artists such as Gustav Klimt and John Singer Sargent. The designers gave Merida—Brave‘s heroine—a can’t-miss mane of curly red hair. But her locks proved a challenge for animators. “Every film has its technical challenges,” Tia added. “I would say the three for this film are Merida’s hair, the rich landscape and the snow.”

Source: http://d23.disney.go.com/news/2011/08/c ... ith-pixar/

[Heartless]

You mean she might be kicked out of the Disney princess line? Because it almost sounds that way to me.

And where are Jasmine, Pocahontas, or Mulan's area?! They must be getting kicked out of the princess line too!

Thanks for posting Sotiris, this film keeps getting me more and more excited. I bet the snowy and foresty landscapes will look amazing.
And that poster in the first pic looks awesome.

[Sotiris]

Thanks for posting Sotiris, this film keeps getting me more and more excited.

You're welcome!

[estefan]

You mean she might be kicked out of the Disney princess line? Because it almost sounds that way to me.

I seriously doubt that would happen. Can you imagine the uproar if Disney took their "First Black Princess" out of the line? I don't think they have balls that big.

[milojthatch]

Now that is cool! I can't wait for this film!

[Mmmadelon]

Production Designer Steve Pilcher and Shader Art Director Tia Kratter previewed the stunning visuals of Pixar's Brave.



Source: http://d23.disney.go.com/news/2011/08/c ... ith-pixar/

That 'poster' is really, really beautiful!

[Tangled]

You mean she might be kicked out of the Disney princess line? Because it almost sounds that way to me.

I seriously doubt that would happen. Can you imagine the uproar if Disney took their "First Black Princess" out of the line? I don't think they have balls that big.

Yeah, they wouldn't do that. She's no less of a princess than Cinderella or Belle, who both married into royalty. And they made too much of a big deal about it anyway. If they took her out of the line, they might as well take Mulan out too, which would cause an even bigger uproar.

Anyways, all this new stuff is great. Can't wait!

[DisneyDude2010]

They shot on that photo looks completely different to the shots in the trailer ... i can't see that design in the trailer being Merida's final look