William Joyce's Influence on Animation Studios & Meet the Robinsons Production

Disney's Release Schedule Shifts

• 🗓️ Disney announced changes to the theatrical release plans for "Cruella" and "Black Widow," with "Cruella" set for May 28th in theaters and on Disney Plus with premium access.
• 🗓️ "Black Widow" will open domestically on July 9th, also with a theatrical and premium access release, while also having international theatrical releases in May.
• 🎬 Exhibitors expressed frustration over the delays and the dual release strategy, feeling it prolongs the uncertainty for theatrical releases.

Pixar's "Luca" and Merchandising Challenges

• 🌊 "Luca" will be released for free on Disney Plus, similar to "Soul," coinciding with the celebration of summer.
• 💰 The free Disney Plus release aims to dominate conversation and blend Pixar and Disney Plus brands organically.
• 🧸 "Luca" is seen as more merchandise-friendly than "Soul" due to its characters and summer setting, contrasting with "Soul's" challenges in licensing due to its lead character.
• 🚢 Supply chain issues, including container ship backups and the Suez Canal blockage, are impacting the distribution of "Luca" merchandise.

Pixar Mini-Documentaries and Creative Shifts

• 🎬 A new set of "Inside Pixar" mini-documentaries called "Foundations" has been released, focusing on technical aspects like virtual cameras and lighting.
• 🗣️ These documentaries are narrated by Christella Alonszo (voice of Cruz Ramirez in "Cars 3") and feature a significant amount of dad jokes, which may be an attempt to make them more kid-friendly.
• 📉 Ronnie Del Carman, a legendary story artist who worked on films like "Coco" and "Toy Story 4," has moved from Pixar to Netflix, marking a significant loss for Pixar and a major gain for Netflix.

"Meet the Robinsons" Production and Creative Hurdles

• 🎬 "Meet the Robinsons," based on William Joyce's book, faced significant production challenges after John Lasseter took over as Chief Creative Officer at Disney Animation.
• ⏱️ Lasseter found an early cut of the film lacking and mandated extensive reshoots and changes, including adding a diabolical sidekick and a dinosaur chase scene, with 60% of the original film being cut.
• 💔 The film's troubled production is sometimes linked to the closure of Disney Feature Animation Florida, with some animators holding grudges against the studio.
• 🎤 Voice casting for "Meet the Robinsons" involved changes, including replacing Michael Gross with Tom Selleck for Cornelius Robinson due to licensing issues, and Steven Anderson taking over as Grandpa Bud from Mark Hamill.
• 💡 Publicity's attempt to replace Nicole Sullivan with Kelly Ripa as the voice of Adult Franny was resisted by director Steven Anderson, who defended Sullivan's performance.
• 🚫 A planned short film for the Blu-ray release, "Pet Project," was canceled due to John Lasseter's dislike for the character "Boulder Hat Guy" and perceived lower ROI for Disney Animation shorts compared to Pixar's.

William Joyce's Animation Career

• 🎨 William Joyce's career in animation began with early design work on "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life," showcasing a distinct retro and cool aesthetic.
• 🚀 He later worked on "Robots" at Blue Sky Studios and developed "Roly Poly Oli" for Disney Junior, with new episodes now in development for Disney Plus.
• 🎬 Projects based on his books, including "Epic" (originally "The Leafmen") and "Rise of the Guardians," have been produced at multiple studios like Pixar, Blue Sky, and DreamWorks.
• 🌟 Peter Ramsay, director of "Rise of the Guardians" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," is directing Joyce's new live-action/animated project, "Lost Dolly."