Pixar doesn't want live action remakes of their animated films
Pete Docter is clear, there is no question of remaking Ratatouille or Up there with flesh-and-blood actors.
“If Vice-Versa 2 doesn't work in cinema, then we will have to rethink even more radically the way we manage our business.”
Pete Docter does not hide his concern in Timeinterviewed just before the theatrical release of the sequel to his successful 2015 animated film. After having justified the choice to multiply the sequels to cover their costs, following the flop of Buzz Lightningwith mixed resultsElementary -which had a very poor start at the box office last summer before working over time- and Disney's strategy of releasing several recent Pixars directly in streaming (Luca, Red Alert, Soul…), the head of the animation studio swears that he does not intend to shoot live action remakes of their greatest cinema hits.
No more original and autobiographical stories, Pixar is all about sequels
The question arose following an online campaign about Ratatouille (2007), which some fans would imagine with real actors (except the digitally animated rats?). An idea that has never been officially considered, replies the co-director of Monsters and Co., who also takes as an example one of the works he helped design at Pixar: Up there (2009).
“We’re not going to do that, no.It hurts my ass a little to admit it, but this question bores me. I like to make original, unique films that are uniquely their own. So the idea of remaking them personally doesn't interest me at all.”
“Besides, making a live film with rats would be really complicated…, he continues. You know, we make these films because they follow rules that only work in animation. If you see a human being in a house floating, flying through the air, your brain will start asking questions: 'No, but wait: houses are super heavy. How could balloons make it rise like that?' Whereas if it's a character drawn in this same house, it works, you accept the idea. All these worlds that we build in animation… they're not so easy to transcribe live.”
Vice-Versa 2 will be released on June 19 in French theaters. Here is its latest trailer:
Is Pixar analyzing itself with Vice-Versa 2? (critical)
