Speaking with IGN Movies recently, Pixar creative chief John Lasseter reportedly confirmed what has long been speculated: that Blue Sky Studios' Rio was the reason for the cancellation of Newt.
"It's story was very similar to a movie that's out in theaters right now with a blue parrot. Oh my! Wow, we were like… great minds think alike, I guess. It was really pretty similar."
But more interesting is what he prefaced his comment with:
"We've put movies into development and some get further than others and then we feel like things just aren't quite ready we put them to the side and that's just been put on a shelf and we'll see where that goes in the future."
Doesn't that sound like we might get to see Newt someday?
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Correction: A source at Pixar tells me that Lasseter was 'simply commenting on the similarity of elements of the plot', not in any way confirming that as the cause of Newt being shelved.
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14 comments:
Arrrrgh!!! That's frustrating. Another reason for me not to go to the theatre and watch Rio now. It'll have to wait in the Netflix queue!
I would hope so, it's pretty unfortunate when two films which share common storylines come out close to each other like this as usually one will be remembered as the original idea whilst the other one would just be considered a copy of the idea.
If he is actually delaying development on Newt, Lassetter's playing the best card he has and probably rejig it so it's not following Rio's storyarc so closely and end up with something that won't get that particular scarlet letter.
Coincidence or not, I remember seeing the basic plot outline for Newt on Wikipedia as far back as '07 or '08. This will probably make Pixar even MORE secretive when it comes to movie details. Which is fine with me, it would be cool to be surprised when the first trailer of a new Pixar movie is released.
I went to see Rio and I thought the same thing! "Last male and female of the specie...it's Newt!!". I think Newt would have been long way better than Rio. I hope to see it in future!
Ps: it reminds me what happened with The Wild and Madagascar :)
NOOOOO!!!!! Rio why did you have to be the same as Newt!!!!!! >:(
I've been telling people this is the reason since the day it was canceled. Nobody believed me. I don't understand why they didn't.
My replies are all over this blog, so because I'm annoying I'm going to come out and say: I TOLD YOU SO.
I don't see why this would have been the cause. it didn't stop them from releasing a bugs life around the same time as Antz, Finding Nemo as Shark Tale, and whatever other examples we can come up with. A similar theme is only skin deep. Newt would have been a very different movie I'm sure of it. I do hope based on his comments that it doesn't stay canceled forever.
I think they could be pretty much diferent since Rio focus on the rescue, and Newt I believe not. Rio had potential that wasn't exploted, they tried to make it DreamWorks' style. Anyway, really would like see Newt, the idea it so good, have potential as I say.
I don't really think that having the same history is the problem. UP is heavily based on the histories of many Walt Disney's classical pictures. But the major thing of that this movie could make difference is they reinvented the history, adding a new concept for a very simple history. I think that Pixar, with that creativity the team has can create a new view to this kind of histories that have become very predictable nowadays. I don't want excuses, surprise me!
It's no reason not to see Rio though - Rio is a wonderful film (I found), particularly in theatres.
It's not like it was stolen or anything - if some do think it was too similar to release another film in that vain at this time, that's fine, but Rio was a story years in the making, and I wouldn't say don't see it!
Still, Netflix is fine too, I just hope people don't not go to Rio because of that statement.
It had a strong romantic plot. Bottom line. That's why it was canceled. After all, Pixar doesn't want boys to go "yuck! yuck!" Which is probably the only reason why Cars 2 got the green light.
I'm surprised that a person like John Lasseter is more focused on WHAT the story is about rather than HOW it is told.
I watched Rio in the theatre and it exceeded my expectations, to tell the truth. Yet, i think there was something more special in the works at Pixar -I can tell by the artwork.
I just hope that John Lasseter's first comment is pointing towards a future release of newt.
this didn't stop them from releasing A Bug's Life the exact same year as ANTZ and FINDING NEMO within a few months of SHARK TALE
Commenting after the correction here...
No one is mentioning Alpha and Omega? Or was that too far below the quality line to be relevant?
I still really want to see Rio, either in theaters or on DVD. I don't really care if it had anything to do with Newt.
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