Ever since Disney and Pixar merged in one of the most talked about mergers in entertainment industry, fans have been wondering what would be the next film to come from Disney. That film appropriately stars a rat, though perhaps not the rat that first comes to mind when you think, “Disney.”
Ratatouille will become the eight animated feature film produced by Pixar. Scheduled for release on June 29, 2007 and directed by Brad Bird, who directed The Incredibles for Pixar and The Iron Giant, the film will follow a rat named Ratatouille who lives in an upscale French restaurant. Disney shareholders have already viewed a sneak peek of the film which featured the fully rendered CG characters that will appear in the film. During the shareholders meeting, Creative Director John Lasseter also assured shareholders that Rapunzel Unbraided, a production utilizing both 2D and 3D animation is as of yet still in the early stages of production.
The last film to be produced by Pixar before the Disney merger, Cars, will be released this year. The film centers around an animated stock car voiced by comedic favorite, Owen Wilson. Directed by newly crowned Disney hotshot, John Lasseter, also features the voice talent of George Carlin, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton, and Tony Shaloub among others. Pixar’s last release, The Incredibles, quickly became a favorite with audiences and critics. Cars is set for release in the United States on June 9, 2006.