It’s taken a couple of days for us to catch onto this big rumour floating about the interwebs. Disney veteran Floyd Norman posted a comment on The Animation Guild Blog indicating that Gary Rydstrom’s feature film directorial debut, newt, is dead.
"Oh, and "Newt" is dead." writes Norman. When he was asked to elaborate further, he replies, "Naturally, our pals up north run a tight ship, so it’s not polite to provide details at this time." Michael of Progress City, USA thinks that Monster’s Inc. 2 will fill that gap in the Pixar timeline.
Norman also commented on The Bear and the Bow, "However, I have had the opportunity to speak with Brenda Chapman, and I’m looking forward to her film. As far as the release date, you’ll have to wait for Disney to disclose that."
"In stranger news, I’ve had two sources independently hint to me that Cars 2 is actually having production problems, and I’ve seen that rumor posted anonymously today on the Animation Guild’s blog. Whispering campaign or fact, I don’t know, but it’s something to keep an eye out for."
This is all rumours at the moment and we can only wait for an official word from the Mouse or Pixar. With newt due for release in 2012, hopefully it’s not too long.
Now this cannot Happen… This just cannot happen to Newt… Newt was going to be Pixar’s foray into the world of the Rom-Com… and I was looking forward to getting a Newt tattoo this summer!
NO!!! newt can’t be dead!!!
Strange how you can grieve something that to us mere members of the public is just a synopsis and a logo.
Alas Newt is a shame. As are the other problems. As is the number of sequels. Hmm.
D:
What they said. It can’t be gone! I was looking forward to something not-sequelish
Please, please, PRAY TO GOD, this can’t be true!! This was a concept I was deeply interested in that I was really excited for!! I really hope it’s false… I mean, it was just a brilliant idea, I’m sure Pixar would try to work it out at least somehow……
I, too, was looking forward to a non-sequel after “Toy Story 3” and “Cars 2” (well, after Bear and the Bow, also). I’m sure whatever Pixar has in the future will be great anyhow… but it won’t be the same with newt removed from the lineup.
—Leirin
I don’t mind. I thought that Newt had kind of a dumb premise, to be honest. Not really a big fan of the whole newts-who-hate-each-other-gotta-mate-each-other thing.
Captain Pan- I’m looking forward to Newt too, but didn’t Pixar already foray into Romantic Comedy with WALL-E? I mean, there were some serious tones in places, but….
Anyways, I’m so bummed about this. Of all the upcoming Pixar films, I was looking forward to this the most.
I suppose this is why Pixar usually remains so tight-lipped about its future projects. With the removal of Newt from the line-up, it seems the sequel-to-original ratio may be way too high. I hope there’s more original movies in the pipe line otherwise in 2 or 3 years Pixar will be known as a sequel factory!
BTW if Newt was the story of two amphibians out having an adventure and falling in love, despite the female initially being annoyed by the male, then maybe it had too many similar elements to Princess and the Frog?
The Snow queen was canceled too???
that really pisses me off
Well, if these rumors are true, then it really begins to look like Pixar is finally out of ideas. Especially if Newt will be replaced by Monsters 2. I mean, come on!
2010: Toy Story 3
2011: Cars 2 (which apparently is in trouble)
2012: Monsters 2
Pixar’s winning streak will end, eventually. That much is certain. And looking at this line-up, I guess it’ll be pretty soon.
Something tells me that Disney is pressuring sequels instead of originals. That is just my opinion anyway. I was anticipating for Newt as well.
Pixar is not the only one with possible problems.
Imagi’s (TMNT and Astro Boy) Animation Department has closed about a week ago, along with the LA office.
DreamWorks has suffered this problems twice, along splitting with Aardman.
Basically, it is the economy or the movie ideas/performance what causes problems.
And Sony Animation has changed directors yet again on their new projecdt, HOtel Transylvania, which has gone wildly over budget. due to mis management by the new head of the division. Sony just laid off 450 people.
Why would anyone believe what this idiot Floyd Norman says? He’s apparently been around a long time, but that doesn’t make hiim a good artist, trutheful, or worth listening to. Claims to have done a lot of work for Pixar but according to comments only worked there a couple of weeks 10 or so years ago. He’s kind of full of it.
I did wonder if they could make the concept work- the idea of two characters who are supposed to do something but can’t stand the others company.
Then again, there were people who scoffed at a rat wanting to be a chef.
Floyds been a pretty good source of stories and information over the years. Hope if this is true, he hasn’t been banned from the campus up in Emeryville.
Speaking of Monsters, Inc. 2, does anybody here understand why it’s being made? I thought that that story was pretty well tied-up.
ummm..I didn’t know that Pixar really believe in Doomsday 2012. LOL
This IS quite terrible. I’m all for Toy Story 3, because Toy Story is just so great, it’s been a hit with kids for 15 years, everyone wouldn’t mind seeing more adventures. I’m not looking foward to Cars 2 much, I’m surprised it even went through with all the people who complained about Cars being low-quality (with Pixar’s standards). But seriously, Monsters Inc. 2? None of today’s kids even know about Monsters Inc, that was quite a while back. Toy Story stays in buisness with all the toys and merchandise, and because adults remember it as a good kids movie to show their children. I wasn’t exactly excited for Newt, but I’d rather see more originals than tons of sequels. Pixar needs to pull through with some good ideas quick
I still stand by my position that Monsters, Inc. 2 is a TERRIBLE idea. The story of the first was such a brilliant and cohesive whole that adding any more too it would only serve to detract from that experience.
The only two Pixar movies that haven’t had a sequel developed that I think really lend themselves well to a sequel are The Incredibles and A Bug’s Life. Every thing else should just be left alone.
Newt was looking to be a good movie I would like monsters 2 but newt sounds much much better maybe in 2013 or 2014 thay can make monsters 2 and sometimes you can’t always make the same movie charicters so I think newt needs to be a go so PIXAR get to work so that we can see it
What year is Finding Nemo 2 coming out?
What could be wrong with Cars 2 with John Lasseter directing? That’s probably just a sad rumor.
Cars 2 is being directed by Brad Lewis, isn’t it?
Yeah, the only Pixar sequel beyond Toy Story 3 and Cars 2/3/4/etc that I can really get behind is The Incredibles 2. Monsters does not lend itself to a sequel and Finding Nemo certainly doesn’t need one. A Bug’s Life could work as well, I suppose.
I agree, Cars 2 doesn’t have me very excited. I’m sad to see Newt go though, it seemed like a good premise, that may have just been a little too risky for Disney’s sake. Monsters Inc. would have been the only other sequel besides TS3 that I want to see though, I just think that revisiting that world would be so easy and entertaining to do, even if it didn’t center on the same characters (although that would be nice). All of Hollywood seems to be going through a rough patch lately, though. Maybe Pixar isn’t as invincible as everybody thinks, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be back.
Oh boy, we might be able to get this as one of the “Popular Articles”!
Finding Nemo 2 is not going to happen, as far as I’m concerned. Or if it does, it’s not going to be Stanton’s work. He already commented on the though of doing a sequel and simply stated, “If Nemo gets lost again, it’s his own dang fault.” And I couldn’t agree with him more: Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo already felt very complete. Why do we need sequels? 🙁
—Leirin
We need sequels so we can sell more toys.
I’m sad to see Newt go, but I have faith in PIXAR.
With Toy Story set to be one of the first (If not THE first) trilogy’s not to have one duff film they’re still going strong. Even though I can’t see how Monster’s Inc 2 would work I’m really looking forward to it because Monsters Inc is my third favorite PIXAR (Behind the Toy Story series).
Well, seeing as how Stanton doesn’t OWN “Finding Nemo,” Disney/Pixar could do whatever they want. And apparently …
True, though I doubt we’ll see a sequel to Nemo in any case.
—Leirin
I am like the BIGGEST fan of Toy Story so I am VERY excited to see Toy Story 3. I would not want to go see Cars 2 but then I read that Mater was going to be a spy so I MIGHT go see it. The Bear and the Bow doesn’t intrest me that much but I was NOT looking foward to Newt because Pixar didn’t do well with a romantic comendy (aka Wall-E) but I am looking foward to Monsters Inc 2. The only movie I think should have a sequel (Besides Toy Story) is A Bug’s Life