(Left) Director Peter Sohn at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman/Pixar. (Right) The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Preview:
- Peter Sohn will direct ‘Incredibles 3’.
- Brad Bird, who directed the previous two movies, wrote the script.
- The movie was confirmed at last year’s D23 event.
If you cast your mind back to last August, you might recall that Disney took the opportunity of its D23 event to announce that a third movie in the successful ‘Incredibles’ franchise was in the works.
Little was revealed about it, beyond Pixar animation Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter offering that Brad Bird –– who has written and directed both the previous outings, was developing a third.
The third installment in the Incredibles franchise. Plot TBA. Read the Plot
Yet it would appear that Bird’s duties elsewhere (more on that lower down the page) are precluding him from handling the new movie. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that while Bird is at work on the screenplay, ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn is the one who will usher the super-powered Parr family back to screens, with ‘Soul’s Dana Murray producing alongside Bird.
Related Article: Director Peter Sohn and Producer Denise Ream Talk Pixar’s ‘Elemental’
What’s the story of the ‘Incredibles’ franchise?
The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe helped superheroes conquer cinema, Bird’s first ‘Incredibles’ movie, released in 2004, told the story of Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson).
Bob (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl, played by Holly Hunter), are the world’s greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes in Metroville, always saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis.
But 15 years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they have no choice but to retire as superheroes to live a “normal” life with their three children Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and Jack-Jack, who were born with secret superpowers.
Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction.
In the 2018 sequel, ‘Incredibles 2’, the Parr family still know that heroism is illegal according to the established law that prevents them from helping people.
But their lives in hiding are cut short when a wealthy philanthropist approaches Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl with the idea to remove the law and make their heroic acts legal. And Elastigirl is chosen to help lead this plan, leaving Mr. Incredible in charge of the kids.
Things get even more complicated when a terrifying new menace called the Screenslaver shows up and threatens to abolish Elastigirl’s attempt to restore heroism. Who is the Screenslaver? Can the Parrs save the world from chaos and destruction? Can the heroic freedom be restored?
(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Tom Cruise Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’ ©2021 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.
While Bird, who has also brought us the animated likes of ‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘Ratatouille’ and live-action movies ‘Tomorrowland’ and ‘Mission: Impossible –– Ghost Protocol’, had been predicted to direct the third ‘Incredibles,’ but is in the midst of another animated movie instead.
That project, ‘Ray Gunn’, has been a passion of Bird’s for nearly 30 years. Originally created alongside writer Matthew Robbins, it’s reportedly the story of the last human private detective, Raymund Gunn, in a future world composed of humans and aliens.
Originally aimed for production via Skydance Animation and its deal with Apple, the movie has been mired in creative difference issues and budgetary wrangles, but is now likely to see screens via Netflix, which took over the ‘toon company in 2023.
What else has Peter Sohn worked on?
Oscar® Nominee Peter Sohn, Elemental during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Oscar Season: Animated Feature Film” Event on Saturday, March 2 at the The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Credit/Provider: Michael Owen Baker / ©Academy Museum Foundation. Copyright: ©Academy Museum Foundation
Peter Sohn feels like the natural pick to follow Bird; he has worked on every animated Bird film (including both ‘Incredibles’) up until ‘Ray Gunn’.
Bird has been a mentor to Sohn, and Sohn was specifically chosen to carry The Incredibles torch by Bird and Pete Docter.
Sohn is a Pixar veteran, having worked on various movies as a story artist, animator and story consultant, and has been a member of the company’s Senior Creative Team (a group of filmmakers who offer input to those making films there) for a decade.
He has also voiced characters in various movies for the studio, like ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Monsters University’ and ‘Lightyear’.
As a director himself, Sohn made ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and the aforementioned ‘Elemental’, Sohn’s second movie, was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar last year.
When will ‘Incredibles 3’ head to theaters?
Disney and Pixar are keeping that particular piece of information locked in a vault for now, but given the usual lead time on CG animated movies, we can’t imagine it being ready much before 2028 or 2029 (the planned sequel to ‘Coco’, for example, is tentatively scheduled for 2029.)
Next up for the Emeryville-based animation team is alien abduction adventure ‘Elio’, which sees the title character (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a space-obsessed kid who is swept off on a cosmic misadventure.
‘Elio’ will be in theaters on June 20th.
Pixar’s ‘Elio’. Photo: Disney.