No Pixar Animation Studio film sequel has been as requested over the years as The Incredibles 2. Today, after nearly a decade’s wait, the Walt Disney Company formally announced The Incredibles 2 and another Cars movie have a green flag are currently in the early stages of development at Pixar.
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger made the big announcement at the company’s annual shareholders meeting today, along with an unrelated Star Wars Episode VII announcement. Pixar followed up Iger’s comments by confirming the news via Twitter, “It’s official: we’re currently working on new films featuring your favorite characters from The Incredibles and Cars!“
What neither confirmation discloses is whether the followups to The Incredibles and Cars will be full-blown sequels created for the big screen. The assumption is they will be as Cars already has a direct-to-video spin-off in Planes. Though Cars 2 didn’t recapture the magic of the original, it did earn nearly $560 million at the global box office and continues to be a powerful brand.
Brad Bird directed the original The Incredibles back in 2004 and is currently in post-production on the live-action film Tomorrowland starring George Clooney. Given Bird’s commitment to Tomorrowland and the lingering 1906 project that he still wants to get off the ground, it’s unclear whether Bird would be able to direct The Incredibles 2. Iger did confirm that Bird is hatching the story, so even if he doesn’t direct, at minimum the core ideas and direction for the film will come from the franchise creator.
Pixar’s upcoming release slate of announced films include Inside Out in June 2015, The Good Dinosaur in November 2015, and Finding Dory in June 2016. Additionally, Lee Unkrich is directing a Pixar feature about Dia de los Muertos that has not been officially titled or dated.
The Incredibles is currently being prepped for a return to the big screen in 3D and presents a perfect opportunity to tease the sequel.
