If you didn’t buy 2013 as being a year of total change for Pixar Animation Studios before, it would be extraordinarily difficult to deny it after the latest bit of bad news out of Emeryville. And, as is now typical, it all revolves around The Good Dinosaur, which holds the title as the most unfortunately beleaguered future release from any major film studio, all things considered. Was it only a few months ago when the film was unveiled at the D23 Expo, including some of its top-billed voice cast? Since early August, things have changed rapidly for The Good Dinosaur. First, its director, Bob Peterson, was shifted off the project. (As of this writing, no replacement has been announced; there’s a group of creatives working on the film’s production, but it’s closer to a brain trust.) Then, the release date was shifted from May of 2014 to November of 2015, making 2014 the first year in nearly a decade without a new Pixar film. Now, the company has laid off roughly 5% of its work force, in conjunction with that 18-month delay.
More Concept Art From Pixar’s Canceled Film ‘Newt’
Usually when Disney/Pixar announces a project, the film makes its way into theaters a few years later. While films in development at the studio have no doubt been canceled before, Pixar shocked many when it publicly canceled newt in 2010, a film that was to be headed by Lifted director Gary Rydstrom. Pixar acknowledged the cancellation in a creative way, by releasing several pieces of concept art from the film. A former Pixar artist has now shared her own newt pre-production art, which you can take a look at after the break!
