Back at CinemaCon in late April, Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter announced a new project from Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, a “film that delves into the vibrant holiday of Día de los Muertos.” No further information was given by Lasseter on what the plot of the film would be or the nature of the characters populating the story. Lasseter is currently doing interviews with the international press for Brave, Pixar’s current film, and was asked to provide a look at the studio’s upcoming slate. New details were sparce on The Good Dinosaur (2014) and The Untitled Pixar Film That Takes You Inside The Mind (2015), but he used a key word in tandem with his description of The Untitled Día de los Muertos Film – family. Watch the interview after the break!
Lasseter spoke to Monsieur Hollywood recently about the Unkrich-led film (via Pixar Post) and said that, “it’s really a fantastic story about family.” Watch the video interview below (jump ahead to the 3:18 mark):
When the film was announced, many wondered if the film would cater a bit more to adults than children, given the holiday’s focus on death. However, back in May, Unkrich explained to LA Times‘ Rebecca Keegan that for Día de los Muertos, Mexico has “a very different view of death than the American one…It’s not spooky. It’s celebratory.” During the holiday, family and friends get together to remember and celebrate the loved ones they have lost – private alters are built to summon the souls of the dead to hear prayers and anecdotes honoring them.
The strong sense of family that surrounds Día de los Muertos seems to be what the story of the film will revolve around. It is a theme that Pixar has often chosen to sit at the heart of its films, the most prominent example being The Incredibles. Of course, this new Lee Unkrich project will use a different kind of family (maybe a dead one?) but will likely similarly focus on the importance of developing and maintaining familial relationships. From what we have heard so far, the story will be more hopeful than scary.
The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dia de los Muertos does not yet have a release date, but has been said to be about four years away – 2015 or 2016 at the earliest. It may be years away, but color me very excited!
Are you excited about the film? What do you think it could be about?
