Elemental

[Disney's Divinity]

Coming June 16th, 2023. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur). Here's concept art and story synopsis information:

https://www.themarysue.com/things-we-sa ... elemental/

[Disney's Divinity]

I wanted to separate my thoughts from the announcement post. I had searched through the Untitled PIXAR Film threads, but didn't find one with this director. Unless a previous director was usurped, I don't think there was a previous thread for this? Feel free to make your own thread and merge this with it, Sotiris (or you can simply add logo / concept art to the opening post, if you want).

I was feeling excited for PIXAR after Luca and Turning Red, but this feels like a blast from the past (in the worst ways) going by the story details. A buddy roadtrip mostly focused on worldbuilding a weird concept (replace animals in Zootopia or emotions in Inside Out with elements) more than anything else. On top of that, why would they give the people behind The Good Dinosaur another film? That movie was terrible, one of their absolute worst. I'm not saying they should never work again, but maybe as co-director with others before they get a chance at their own movie again?

Hopefully I'm still correct that the future PIXAR films will be worth looking forward to--just, aside from this one.

[estefan]

I feel like this movie will be a better showcase of Peter Sohn's talents than a movie where he was brought in to replace a different director. This also continues Pixar's current streak of recent movies (Onward, Luca, Turning Red) inspired by the director's childhood.

He's been involved in Pixar's movies for a while, including as an executive producer on Luca. With the creative input he's had on their movies, it was inevitable he would get another directing gig. I'm excited to see him make a movie from the ground-up this time.

[Farerb]

https://twitter.com/Pixar/status/1526200924175073281


https://www.waltdisneystudios.com/news- ... -elemental


https://twitter.com/Pixar/status/1526200930743398406

[D82]

I was feeling excited for PIXAR after Luca and Turning Red, but this feels like a blast from the past (in the worst ways) going by the story details. A buddy roadtrip mostly focused on worldbuilding a weird concept (replace animals in Zootopia or emotions in Inside Out with elements) more than anything else.

Yeah, it seems it has all the ingredients of the typical Pixar formula. Did Lasseter greenlight it? Plus, the concept of the four elements has already been used a lot lately in films like Frozen II, Raya and the Last Dragon and I think also Avatar: the Last Airbender, right? And a world only inhabited by them doesn't make much sense or sound too interesting to me. We still know very little about the film; maybe it'll turn out better than it seems, but it's the first time a first look at an upcoming Pixar film doesn't make me excited for it.

I feel like this movie will be a better showcase of Peter Sohn's talents than a movie where he was brought in to replace a different director. This also continues Pixar's current streak of recent movies (Onward, Luca, Turning Red) inspired by the director's childhood.

He's been involved in Pixar's movies for a while, including as an executive producer on Luca. With the creative input he's had on their movies, it was inevitable he would get another directing gig. I'm excited to see him make a movie from the ground-up this time.

He also directed Partly Cloudy, which is one of my favorite Pixar shorts. Personally, I'm not worried about him directing the movie. I did like The Good Dinosaur as well, though I agree with the majority that it's not among Pixar's best films.

[Farerb]

I read that it was the first film that was greenlit by Pete Docter. Not surprising coming from the guy who made Inside Out and Soul.

When I first heard about this film, I thought that it has become a parody at this point, and Pixar must use some movie pitch bot or something. The only way I might be interested is if it turns out to be a romantic comedy, otherwise I don't really care and I find it hard to care about either Pixar or WDAS these days.

[D82]

I read that it was the first film that was greenlit by Pete Docter. Not surprising coming from the guy who made Inside Out and Soul.

Really? Well, the concept reminds of Inside Out and it's true that those two Pete Docter films are a bit formulaic, but he has also tried to break away from the formula recently with Luca and Turning Red. That's why I find it a bit surprising.

When I first heard about this film, I thought that it has become a parody at this point, and Pixar must use some movie pitch bot or something.

I had a similar reaction too.

The only way I might be interested is if it turns out to be a romantic comedy, otherwise I don't really care and I find it hard to care about either Pixar or WDAS these days.

It does sound like a romantic comedy, but since they aren't doing many romantic relationships in their films lately, it's also possible the two protagonists will become just friends.

[Jules]

I feel like this movie will be a better showcase of Peter Sohn's talents than a movie where he was brought in to replace a different director.

I must admit, the concept of this newly-announced film couldn't have mustered less interest from me. It sounds terribly stale.

However, I trust that the filmmakers won't be content with "stale" and have something far more interesting up their sleeve than that official description suggests.

Ftr, I'm getting weary of seeing intricately-designed "new and magical worlds" in animated films; I'm yearning for more grounded films. But that's just me.

Agreed that we cannot be too hard on Sohn. His talents in general can hardly be judged by The Good Dinosaur. Of course, if Elemental is a total dud, then that will reflect badly on him.

We'll see ...

[Sotiris]

This seems like a return to form for Pixar, after veering off with Luca, Turning Red, and Lightyear. I'm sure this will be more warmly embraced by the Pixar fandom than Luca and Turning Red which left them somewhat divided.

The only way I might be interested is if it turns out to be a romantic comedy.

That would be interesting, but I doubt it will turn out to be the case. I think their relationship will be left ambiguous, leaving the shipping to the fans.

I find it hard to care about either Pixar or WDAS these days.

Or anything new other divisions of the company are making, for that matter.

[Disney's Divinity]

I must be strange then, since I'm generally positive about WDAS, PIXAR, and Marvel these days, even if I do have my individual wishes and dislikes. Other than a return to hand-drawn animation (which, who knows, that could be possible with the need for more and more streaming content prioritizing a cheaper medium--where 3D is extremely expensive) or a return of Musker & Clemenst for another film, I can't see how it could get much better for WDAS since they've even started dropping the buddy roadtrip formula and were rewarded for it (Encanto). Hopefully Elemental will just be a temporary blip for PIXAR, and they get back on track after this film since they were starting to do well with their original stuff before this. I suppose I should be grateful the person who wrote one of their other flops (The Good Dinosaur) is doing this then, that could help make sure this one underperforms and they have less incentive to backtrack to the stale formula. Can't comment on Star Wars, didn't follow them before the acquisition and still don't.

Even Disney leadership in general, I think has been decent. There have been bad things, of course (closing BlueSky, moving towards the closure of FOX), but good things, too--releasing TV shows on Blu-ray finally via the DMC after all these years, returning the Disney Princess line to the original colors and focusing on character personalities over glitzy glittery nonsense, siding with LGBT, more diversity in their films in general, changing Splash Mountain to TP&TF-themed, etc. I think the only thing I've been negative towards have been a couple of the recent re-makes (Mulan, SW, TLM) because they decided to change too much. The ones before them, I liked (TLK, TJB, Aladdin). They could easily get back on track with Pinocchio as well as if they cast JHUD and Lizzo for the Muses in Hercules and the Hunchback film with Gad goes forward. And then there are the sequels to Aladdin, TLK, and Maleficent coming.

[Farerb]

This seems like a return to form for Pixar, after veering off with Luca, Turning Red, and Lightyear. I'm sure this will be more warmly embraced by the Pixar fandom than Luca and Turning Red which left them somewhat divided.

I have already seen comments from people like "finally an actual old-school Pixar plot" or "Sohn turning his childhood into an imaginative metaphor for something else [unlike Casarosa or Shee]"

At least with Inside Out, they tried to show the importance of emotions, and that it's okay to feel sad when you go through unpleasant events or that sadness could lead to empathy. What are they going to teach about Fire and Water?! Which is why I think they are going the Zootopia route, with how they describe the plot and characters.. wouldn't surprise me if the Earth people were "down to earth" and the air people were "airheaded". Basically like Zootopia, stereotyping the characters while also commenting on how stereotypes are wrong.

That would be an interesting new element (no pun intended) for Pixar, but I doubt it will turn out to be the case. I think their relationship will be left ambiguous, leaving the shipping to the fans.

Yeah I don't expect it to have any romance, it will be just like Zootopia.

Or anything new other divisions of the company are making, for that matter.

I agree, but I never cared about other divisions.

[Rose Dome]

This doesn’t seem at all fresh but it could be done in an excellent way. I’am not sure how to feel at this point

[D82]

D23 display:


Source: https://twitter.com/KirstenAcuna/status ... 9719296000

[singerguy04]

Is anyone else getting Zootopia but with elements vibes? Still kinda trying to judge if that's a good thing or not.

[Farerb]

[Farerb]

First look and poster:

[Farerb]

[Farerb]

The movie is indeed a love story.

[D82]

Yes, it seems so. Ember and Wade are played by Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, respectively.

[Sotiris]

I like the poster and the tagline and I'm glad it's is a love story. It's a new element (no pun intended) for Pixar.

Ember and Wade are played by Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, respectively.

I got that Ember is supposed to be Asian based on the design, but Wade doesn't read Black to me.