WALL*E TEASER TRAILER

Pixar's Wall*E

A teaser trailer for the new Pixar/Disney Wall*E has just been added to apple.com. It gives a little taste of the animation and story but also gives a short interview with Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton about the history of the film. I suggest you watch it now. Wall*E is scheduled for release June 27, 2008.

2006 OSCAR NOMINEES

The nominees for the 2006 Academy Awards have been announced! Here are the results of in the animation category:

Best Animated Feature Film:

Cars
Pixar Animation Studios
John Lasseter

Happy Feet
Warner Bros.
George Miller

Monster House
Sony/Columbia
Gil Kenan

Best Animated Short Film:

The Danish Poet
Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada
Torill Kove

Lifted
Pixar Animation Studios
Gary Rydstrom

The Little Matchgirl
Walt Disney Pictures
Roger Allers and Don Hahn

Maestro
A Kedd Production
Geza M. Toth

No Time for Nuts
A Blue Sky Studios Production
Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier

Randy Newman's Our Town from Cars was also nominated for Best Original Song.

There is quite a bit of controversy over the fact that two of the nominees for best Animated Picture are not really animated. I'll talk more about this next week.

I will also begin a look at each of the Animated Short subjects (just for you, coolshades!) over the next few weeks.

CARS WINS GOLDEN GLOBE

The 2006 Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was on Monday and Pixar/Disney's Cars took home the Globe for Best Animated Feature beating out Happy Feet and Monster House. No surprise, really. Cars had the highest box office gross out of all the animated movies this year and I think everyone's bias toward Pixar helped a great deal.

However, the real story is that John Lasseter thanked all the staff at Pixar but 'forgot' to thank Disney. Many were upset about this especially since Lasseter is the Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar's and Disney's feature animation departments now. But John Frost made a good point on The Disney Blog:

I would say this is less of a faux pas and more of an insight into the very strict line Lasseter is drawing between Pixar and Walt Disney Animation. Marketing and Consumer Products divisions are seldom mentioned in award speechs. At the time 'Cars' was made that's all Disney was to Pixar. The merge came later. Sure, it would have been politic for Lasseter to mention Iger and WDFA. But award winners are only allotted a small amount of time for their speech. So Disney shouldn't feel bad about not being mentioned.

I agree with Frost. Pixar should thank the creative brains behind the picture which is Pixar. Hopefully, that will continue with their upcoming pictures.

Speaking of upcoming pictures, if you haven't seen the trailer for Pixar's Ratatouille then you should check it out now. The film hits the theatres this summer and promises to provide the same quality and fun as their other seven films, especially since it is directed by Incredibles director Brad Bird.

But wait, there's more! Pixar has released their very first picture of the title character of WALL• E, Pixar's follow-up to Ratatouille. It was just a matter of time before Pixar did a robot movie. I'm not surprised. They've done insects, monsters, underwater, superheroes and even a little outer space. Robots have been tackled many times, like Brad Bird's The Iron Giant for example, but I'm sure that Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton will deliver another Oscar-worthy film.