You just never know what you’ll see at Disney’s D23 Expo. The gathering has become known for its early peeks and surprise screenings of the latest and greatest Disney has to offer. This year was no exception. Before unveiling early glimpses of next year’s The Good Dinosaur and 2015’s Inside Out, John Lasseter had a special surprise for attendees of the Art and Imagination: Animation at The Walt Disney Studios arena presentation. Expo-goers were treated to a full screening of the new Pixar short Party Central. Mike’s New Car (2002), a short attached to the Monsters, Inc. DVD, was the first extension of a Pixar feature film. Party Central continues that tradition almost 11 years later, as this latest toon takes place in the world of Monsters University. Check out my review after the break!
D23 Expo: ‘Toy Story of Terror’ Is Pixar’s First Horror Film
Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature film, was initially imagined as a television special. After the film’s path led it into theaters, the studio’s focus turned to releasing films theatrically. After the success of the Cars Toons shorts, Pixar has decided to revisit the idea of a TV-special. Toy Story OF TERROR!, a half-hour special scheduled to air in tandem with the Halloween season, is the studio’s first attempt at a project fully inspired by the genre of horror. At the D23 Expo this past weekend, the first 10 minutes was shown and an air date was announced. Read my thoughts after the break!
D23 Expo: Pixar’s Connection To Brad Bird’s ‘Tomorrowland’
Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) was on hand at the D23 Expo this past weekend as part of the Let The Adventures Begin: Live Action At The Walt Disney Studios presentation. Bird, along with co-writer Damon Lindelof (Lost), presented artifacts in their continued myth building for the 2014 Disney live-action film, Tomorrowland. The mysterious “1952” box, which has been utilized for the last several months to tease the film, was brought out on stage and explored in front of the audience. A few enigmatic items from the Disney studios past were unveiled, a doctored picture of Walt Disney with Amelia Earhart was shown and a vintage copy of Amazing Stories was used as a key for some cryptic message decoding. But by far the most interesting and entertaining portion of the presentation – and the bit that had me most intrigued about the project – was a clip of animation that has ties to Pixar.
D23 Expo: Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Others Reflect On Pixar Films And Source Of Their Inspiration
John Lasseter kicked off Disney’s massive D23 Expo with a look at what is coming next in the world of Disney and Pixar animation. The packed arena presentation was easily the highlight of Day 1 and offered fans a first look at the company’s upcoming slate of animated offerings. Pixar’s highly anticipated roster included next year’s The Good Dinosaur and 2015’s Inside Out. However, it wasn’t all forward thinking taking place on Friday. Late in the afternoon, a handful of Pixar creatives took some time to look back.
D23 Expo: ‘Monsters University’ Short Announced, Will Be Attached To ‘The Good Dinosaur’
Following the release of Toy Story 3, many were fully satisfied by the conclusion to Andy’s story. The Pixar team, though, found a way to continue telling stories involving the great cast of toys without treading on the footsteps of the trilogy. Three Toy Story Toons have been released in theaters so far and have delighted fans with more heartwarming moments and humor. Pixar has now decided to extend the world of Monsters University into shorts, with the first one playing alongside The Good Dinosaur next year. Find more details after the break!
D23 Expo: ‘Finding Dory’ Story Detailed, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, and Ty Burrell Join Cast
Finding Nemo was never one of the films that fans assumed would see a sequel (cue chants for The Incredibles 2). That is a point that Andrew Stanton and Produer Lindsey Collins underlined today at the D23 Expo, stating that he is usually averse to the thought of sequels. However, he also stated that if a good idea came along, he would be willing to entertain it. That happened two years ago for Finding Dory, the sequel to Nemo, as Stanton was able to develop an intriguing storyline. Learn what he cooked up after the break!
D23 Expo: New ‘Inside Out’ Details Revealed, Film Could Be Pixar’s Most Brilliant Ever
Pete Docter has directed Monsters, Inc. and Up for Pixar, both of which are adored by fans and critics. When I learned he was working on a new project, I was excited to learn more. In 2011, the director shared the premise for his latest film, Inside Out, which would take us inside the human mind, later revealed to be that of a young girl. Today at the D23 Expo, Docter and Producer Jonas Rivera, delved deeper into the project, sharing brand new details and showing some mind-blowing storyboards. Read all about it after the break!
D23 Expo: New ‘The Good Dinosaur’ Details, Neil Patrick Harris, John Lithgow, Bill Hader, And Judy Greer Join Cast
The Good Dinosaur was first announced almost two years ago, at the 2011 D23 Expo. Before this year’s Expo, we heard next to nothing about the film, aside from how the story would revolve around a dinosaur and a boy. Flash forward to today at the Art and Imagination panel and we learned many more details and viewed some great footage and animation tests. After the break, read more on what we learned about Pixar’s 2014 film!
D23 Expo: 100+ Photos Hint At New Star Wars and Avatar Land, Preview Disney Store Products, And More
The D23 Expo officially kicks off on Friday, as fans will have their first opportunity to walk the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center. We had the chance, though, to get an early look at various sections of the show Thursday night as part of a media preview. The Disney Parks and Resorts pavilion teased new Star Wars and Avatar-themed lands at Walt Disney World and highlighted the cutting-edge technology that make the Disney theme parks run, while the Disney Store and Disney Consumer Products pavilion provided us with a look at some great Disney/Pixar merchandise. After the break, find over 100 photos that will take you through all three of these areas of the D23 Expo!
Exclusive: Limited Edition Disney∙Pixar Products To Debut At D23 Expo
The D23 Expo runs from Friday through Sunday, celebrating the worlds of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. As a result, there will be a host of exclusives offered at booths throughout the show floor and at the Dream Store and Disney Store. The exclusives often create an air of excitement due to their unavailability outside of the show. Their limited nature also means attendees have to make their way to their respective locations in order to ensure they do not sell out. We are excited to reveal a brand new line of Disney∙Pixar products that will make their debut at the show’s Disney Store. Find details and images after the break!
