2015 has proved one thing absolute: animation masters Pixar are back in a big way. Not content with delivering one of their great masterpieces in the emotional and beautiful Inside Out, they're also back this November with dinosaur/human buddy adventure The Good Dinosaur.
And Pixar's remarkable slate of family adventures is set to continue over the next few years with sequels to some of their greatest classics. The release dates have excitingly been announced in a bumper bonzana of news via Twitter:
We’re proud to present the official release dates for our upcoming slate of films through 2019. pic.twitter.com/1cbmRnVv03
— Disney•Pixar (@DisneyPixar) October 8, 2015
Here's what you need to know...
Finding Dory
When's it out? 27th June 2016
The lowdown: Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton is back to helm this eagerly awaited sequel to Pixar's aquatic masterpiece. Forgetful Pacific regal blue tang (voiced by an attending Ellen Degeneres) is now setting off on a quest to discover her family. Awww! Thing is, in order to do so she needs to team up with the clownfish we know and love, Marlin (Albert Brooks). Along the way she meets a host of delightful characters including a Modern Family double whammy of Ed O'Neill and Ty Burrell as, respectively, Hank the octopus and a beluga whale.
The Incredibles 2
When's it out? 21st June 2019
The lowdown: Yes, director Brad Bird's thrilling and hilarious superhero sequel will see the Incredible family returning to our screens. Bird has recently completed the script so fingers crossed we'll get more of the awesome superstrength/stretchiness/invisibility/speed combination.
Not a lot else is known at this stage (well, to be fair the movie is four years off) but Pixar head honcho John Lasseter did spill one or two nuggets of info at this year's Disney D23 Expo. "[Brad Bird] has found a really great story," he told Inquisitr. "We’re just starting to develop it; he’s come back now after Tomorrowland. We’re really excited about it, but I can’t say much more about that." So what about the film's absence at the expo? "We didn’t talk about it today at the D23 Expo because we have another D23 Expo before that one comes out. You’ll hear about it in two years." Fair enough – something tells us that nothing less than Mr. Incredible's super strength could coerce more details out of him.
Toy Story 4
When's it out? 25th June 2018
The lowdown: Yes, Pixar fans will sadly have to wait an extra year for the return of Woody, Buzz and friends. But hey, it's Toy Story and sure to be worth the wait. The question is: where will said story go from here? The series ended on the best possible note in Toy Story 3 during the heartrending ending scene where Andy wished fond farewell to his plastic pals. There is a suggestion that the toys will still be in the care of young Bonnie who ended up adopting them, but it's unconfirmed at this stage. Even so, John Lasseter is very excited.
"We love these characters so much," he raves. "They are like family to us. We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before."
Cars 3
When's it out? 16th June 2017
The lowdown: Although the Cars movies might not rank among Pixar's best work, there's lovely imagination in the design of a world populated entirely by automobiles, where various landscapes and buildings take on the shape of the cars themselves. Cars 3 has actually snatched the original Toy Story 4 release date so pressure is on for the movie to deliver. No plot details have been announced yet, and we're awaiting confirmation as to whether Owen Wilson will return as full-throttle hero Lightning McQueen.
And that's not all...
Hold onto your hats, Pixar fans. Because we're also getting Day of the Dead-themed Mexican adventure Coco on 22nd November 2017, and Jack and the Beanstalk-inspired fairy tale Gigantic on 9th March 2018.
Is this a good time to be a Pixar fan or what? Tweet us @Cineworld and let us know which of these you're most excited about. And if you simply can't handle the fact that all of these amazing-sounding movies are some way off, check out the thrilling and wonderful new trailer for The Good Dinosaur, released on 25th November.
