Monsters Inc. director Pete Docter revealed via the Creative Screenwriting podcast that the original pitch for his popular Disney Pixar movie was completely different from the version that has entertained millions of kids.
“My idea was that it was about was about a 30 year old man who is an accountant or something. He hates his job. And one day he gets a book with some drawings, that he did when he was a kid, from his mom,” says Docter. “He doesn’t think anything of it, he puts it on the shelf and that night, monsters show up. And nobody else can see them.”
Docter adds: “He thinks he’s starting to go crazy. They follow him to his job, and on his dates, and it turns out that these monsters are fears that he never dealt with as a kid. And each one of them represents a different kind of fear. »
- Reel Loop News Staff

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One of the many things that sets Pixar apart from other animation studios (less so Disney these days, you might imagine) is their dedication to nurture and cultivation. This applies both to the talent, the animators and directors, but also to their projects. As such, many of their films begin with a pitch that's rather different than the film we finally end up with in cinemas. On the recent publicity rounds to support Up, Pete Docter was given a chance to recount his original pitch for Monsters Inc. You can read a transcript of what he said after the break. Here's Docter speaking to Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast, courtesy of Kashif Pasta: Well, my idea was that what it was about was about a 30 year old man who is like an accountant or something, he hates his job, and one day he gets a book with some drawings »
- Brendon Connelly

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I have a couple more bonuses to go along with the release of Up this week. Interviews with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera, and some great progression of a scene images. These are a couple of very fun interviews, and it's pretty interesting to see how the final product comes together. Enjoy. ------------- Q: You’ve been with Pixar since the beginning. What has that been like? A: I think of the keys to our success is that we grew up together as artists, working on the various commercials we did, and then Toy Story. John Lasseter [chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering], Andrew Stanton [writer/director of Wall•E], and Joe Ranft [writer/co-director of Cars], who has since passed away — we all got to work with each other early on, and now that we’re split up, we still check in with each other. We speak a common language, we know each other’s strengths, and so on. That collaboration has been really key. »
- Marc Eastman

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Kudos to Cinematical reader Kashif Pasta for sending this our way. On the latest episode of the Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast (which I didn't know existed, but now do and will totally listen more often), Up and Monster's, Inc director Pete Docter revealed the original pitch for Monsters, Inc. -- which was very different from what eventually hit the screen, and kinda reminded me of Where the Wild Things Are in a sorta-ish way. On this blog, Kashif separated the segment of the podcast where Docter reveals the original pitch (which came at about 22 minutes in), and it went something like this:
"Well, my idea was that what it was about was about a 30 year old man who is like an accountant or something, he hates his job, and one day he gets a book with some drawings in it that he did when he was a kid from his mom, »
- Erik Davis

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Up is still in my top three films of the year. Even now with it’s release on Blu-ray, the gut-punch still gets me and it’s still a marvelous film to watch. The Blu-ray is also no slouch in it’s pristine presentation of the film, it also features a nice batch of extras that go into great detail about how and why the film was made. In honor of this release, I was able to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion with both Docter and Peterson. Aside from being dressed in obscure outfits (Docter in a bunny suit, Peterson as Amelia Earhart,) both seemed to be very proud of the work they did. They should be as the film is incredible.
Who came up with the idea to cast Ed Asner as Carl?
Bob Peterson: Once Pete and I had arrived at the idea of doing an Old Man movie, »
- Philip Barrett

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The Disney-Pixar movie "Up" is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def.
The film, the tenth from animation innovators Pixar and the first to be shown theatrically in 3-D, comes out today in 2-disc DVD and 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack editions, both of which include the DisneyFile extra format, allowing for digital download on most electronic devices.
The movie focuses on a widowed 78-year-old man who decides to make a change in his life by attaching thousands of helium-filled balloons to his house. As he soars into the clouds and into a life of newfound excitement, he learns a young Wilderness Explorer has mistakenly tagged along with the house. Meeting a long-lost adventurer, a group of talking dogs and a behemoth flightless tropical bird, the two share a lifetime's worth of escapades, as well as a few life lessons that bridge the 70-year age difference between them.
Among the skilled voice cast are Ed Asner, »

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As 2009 begins to come to a close and critics and pundits consider the movies that will ultimately make their Top Tens and Best Of lists, Up seems like a shoe-in for all of them. Effortlessly charming, deeply affecting and genuinely rousing, Pete Docter's follow-up to Monsters, Inc. is nothing short of spectacular. I'm especially reminded of this now that the film has arrived on Blu-ray, in no less than an epic four-disc set. But even as one of the best films of the year, is its home video iteration one of the best Blu-rays as well? Looking at the material contained (if also spread out) in this collection, I'm not so sure, even if everything on it nevertheless manages to make Up look like a masterpiece all over again.
Disc One features the film itself, two short features, and a modest but potent slate of extras. In terms of presentation, »
- Todd Gilchrist

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Since joining Pixar Animation Studios in 1990—where he began by animating and directing television commercials—quadruple Academy Award-nominated moviemaker Pete Docter has enjoyed a prestigious career as one of the leading creative minds in the field. From supervising animator (and story/character developer) on the benchmark computer-generated feature Toy Story, to directing the global hit—and Best Animated Feature Film Oscar nominee—Monsters, Inc., Docter continues to bring his Midas touch to every project on which he works. Next for Docter is Disney-Pixar’s Up, which he directs and also serves as co-screenwriter. »

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We have a brand new exclusive special feature clip from the new DVD Up, which just hit the shelves on DVD and Blu-ray on November 10. Click below to take a look at this brand new Pixar short, Dug's Special Mission, that you can find on this new DVD.
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, »

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Blu-ray Review
Up
Directed by: Pete Docter
Cast: (Voices) Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer
Running Time: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: G
Due Out: November 10, 2009
Plot: After the passing of wife, an elderly man (Asner) ties balloons to his house in an attempt to reach a giant waterfall in South America. He is unexpectedly accompanied by a young boy named Russell, (Nagai) and later a talking dog and a rare bird.
Who’S It For? There is no type of human being that the story of Up can not reach out to. There is an element of death, but it is handled in such a way that these lessons will only be beneficial for children learning about such a topic.
Movie:
In this age, it seems like Pixar may be the only soulful storytellers of that little idea called love. This was felt in 2008’s Wall-e, but since then the animation »
- Nick Allen

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