‘Inside Out 2’ is a Bit of a Mess, But That’s Just How Life is

June 12, 2024June 12, 2024 Laura Sirikul

Feelings are fickle, especially when one reaches puberty. Hormones and emotions go haywire, elevating everything to exaggerated proportions. It would be easy if humans were only given five emotions to work with, but it’s much more complex than that. That’s what Inside Out 2 tries to convey: as people grow up, their emotions become more complicated, but they don’t define who you are.

Animation, Movies, Trailers

Final Trailer for ‘Inside Out 2’ Hits You in All the Feels

June 4, 2024June 12, 2024 Michael Lee

With Inside Out 2 just 10 days from its theatrical release, Disney and Pixar have released a final trailer for the highly anticipated sequel that takes a look at the inside of the mind of mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as Headquarters undergoes a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions.

Animation, Theme Parks

Pixar Place Hotel’s Enhancements Include a Speaker Series

May 17, 2024May 20, 2024 Michael Lee

When the Disneyland Resort opened the Pixar Place Hotel earlier this year, guests could relax in their Pixar-themed hotel rooms or lounge by the pool with Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo or Luca and Alberto from Luca. Now, the Creators Club, a new concierge lounge for club-level guests of Pixar Place Hotel, will open on May 24, 2024.

Animation, Movies

Cinematographer Adam Habib on the Cinematic Inspirations Behind ‘Inside Out 2’

May 14, 2024May 14, 2024 Michael Lee

If Pixar’s Inside Out captured the adolescent experience of processing a life-changing cross country move, then Inside Out 2 promises to show audiences “what it means to be young and growing up” and how more complex emotions navigate the complications of life.

Animation, Theme Parks1 Comment

New Pixar Fest Events Brings ‘Turning Red,’ ‘Elemental,’ and More to the Party

April 26, 2024April 27, 2024 Michael Lee

Thematic celebrations like Pixar Fest are becoming more commonplace for places like Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The enhanced experiences are a nice change of pace for those who want something more than just the usual holiday season celebrations. So between April 26 and August 2, 2024, both parks honor Disney’s sister animation studio through parades, nighttime spectaculars, food, merchandise, and character meet-and-greets.

Animation, Theme Parks

Pixar Fest 2024: ‘Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration’ Parade and Nighttime Show!

April 24, 2024April 26, 2024 Laura Sirikul

For twice a day, now until August 4, for Pixar Fest at Disney California Adventure, visitors can expect to see a new and exciting parade of favorite Pixar characters, “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration” and the “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” fireworks celebration.

Animation, Interview, Movies

Pixar’s Kelsey Mann on How Research Informed ‘Inside Out 2’

April 16, 2024April 17, 2024 Michael Lee

Pixar’s Inside Out reminded us that it was okay to feel and it can be unhealthy to suppress our emotions by masking it with another. With Inside Out 2 set for a summer release, the sequel returns to the mind of a now 13-year-old Riley, who must navigate the perils of growing up and learning the value of the relationships she has with her friends and family.

Animation, Movies

Meet the New Emotions from ‘Inside Out 2’

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024 Michael Lee

In 2015, Pixar’s Inside Out was a hilarious but honest portrayal of how we process our feelings and respond to certain situations. Not much time has passed for these characters, but it’s been an eternity for audiences. Inside Out 2 focuses on the next chapter of Riley’s life as a teenager who experiences puberty and shakeups in her relationships with her parents and friends. It’s all a part of the process of growing up. And the sequel will reveal how she processes Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui on her uncharted emotional journey.

Animation, Movies1 Comment

‘Inside Out 2’ Footage Reaction: Pixar Gets in Touch With New Emotions

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024 Michael Lee

Pixar’s Inside Out was an opportunity for the animation studio to explore uncharted territory. The human mind. It was a playful yet informative character study on emotions like Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. The critical and commercially successful film helped audiences embrace their emotions while also normalizing discarded ones. Nine years later, Inside Out 2, revisits the inside of Riley’s mind and sees Joy and the gang making room for four new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui.

Animation, Movies, Trailers

Joy and Friends Get Bottled Up by New Emotions in ‘Inside Out 2’ Trailer

March 7, 2024March 8, 2024 Michael Lee

Disney and Pixar has released the newest trailer for Inside Out 2. The highly anticipated sequel finds Riley’s first emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) navigating the life of being a teenager whose life was turned upside down then her parents decided to move from Minnesota to sunny California.

Animation, Theme Parks

Pixar Place Hotel Celebrates Storytelling While Making You Feel Like a Guest

January 30, 2024January 31, 2024 Michael Lee

Disney has a different way of making you feel like a guest at one of their hotels. And with the new opening of the Pixar Place Hotel, they can expect to be fully immersed in the creation and production of their favorite Pixar films, all the while feeling like a character in one of those stories.

Animation, Interview

‘SELF’ Director Searit Huluf on Celebrating Ethiopian Identity Through Stop-Motion Animation

January 8, 2024January 9, 2024 Michael Lee

Pixar’s SparkShorts Program is designed to discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows. These shorts are unique because they aren’t anything like the animation studio has released theatrically. As such, it provides an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than the studio’s normal fare.

Animation, Movies

Disney Gives Proper Theatrical Releases to ‘Soul,’ ‘Turning Red,’ and ‘Luca’

December 5, 2023December 6, 2023 Michael Lee

For the past three years, Soul, Turning Red, and Luca — three of Pixar’s biggest films — made their way to Disney+ due in large part to the pandemic. While the move took away the theatrical experience, it was imperative for public safety then. Now Disney has plans to re-release all three on the big screen for a limited time.

Animation, Movies

‘Inside Out 2’ Trailer Introduces Us to the New Anxiety Voice in Riley’s Head

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 Michael Lee

Inside Out was just one of those films that let everyone know that it is okay to feel your emotion. Pete Docter’s film was a joyous and sometimes somber celebration of expressing your emotions freely and without judgment. So, when Bing Bong faded away and was never to be remembered ever again, we all cried. Then we all cheered when Joy discovered that every emotion has its place. And it seems fitting that Inside Out 2′s first trailer introduce us to Anxiety, which is something that affects many to this very day. One thing is for sure, things are about to get very strange.

Animation, Theme Parks

Pixar Place Hotel to Open in January 2024

October 23, 2023November 12, 2023 Michael Lee

Last year, Disneyland Resort’s Paradise Pier underwent renovations to transform from its original beach and nautical-themed hotel into a full-fledged Pixar-themed hotel. The hotel itself didn’t close as Imagineers and construction crews added and remodeled around the structure, while still being able to provide guests the same service and amenities. Now Disneyland Resort announced that Pixar Place Hotel will open January 30, 2024.

Animation, Interview, Movies

‘Elemental’ Director Peter Sohn on Bringing His Personal Story To Life

September 20, 2023September 22, 2023 Michael Lee

Peter Sohn’s Elemental is set in the fictional city of Element City, where anthropomorphic elements of nature: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air co-exist. The story follows Ember (Leah Lewis) a tough, witty, and hot-headed fire element who has trouble controlling her emotions, and Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), a go-with-the-flow water element who is overly emotional has no trouble expressing his emotions openly.

Conventions

Disney Announces D23 Expo 2024 Dates and Fan Events

September 10, 2023September 10, 2023 Michael Lee

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a biennal one-of-a-kind fan experience like never before with spectacular shows, new venues, and multiple days of entertainment that will bring together the best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. Now, the studio has announced the dates and plans for the week-long event that will happen in August 2024.

Animation, Movies

‘Elemental’ Cast and Crew Open Up About Animating and Emoting the Elements

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 Michael Lee

Disney and Pixar’s Elemental is anything but a simple love story about opposites attracting. The studio’s latest animated film is a nuanced exploration of culture clashes and the immigrant experience told through science and set in a world where elements of Fire, Water, Earth and Air co-exist.

Animation, Movies, Trailers

Pixar’s Newest Kid Adventure Gets Intergalactic in ‘Elio’ Trailer

June 13, 2023June 14, 2023 Michael Lee

As Disney and Pixar prep for the release of Elemental, they are already starting to launch the marketing for their next film, Elio. And now, the studio has released a brand new trailer teasing an all-new and original story that follows a young boy who heads off into space and meets aliens. The only thing is that the aliens believe the kid to be “uuhh-Earth’s” ambassador. As you can imagine, this has the potential to be hilarious but also very problematic.

Animation, Trailers

‘Carl’s Date’ Trailer Teases ‘Up’ Hero on a Dating Adventure in Pixar’s Newest Short

June 12, 2023June 12, 2023 Michael Lee

Pixar’s Up is considered one of the best-animated features of all time. And the studio is honoring the film’s legacy with a brand-new short that follows Carl Fredricksen (voiced by the late Ed Asner), who goes on a brand-new life-changing adventure with his loyal dog companion Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson).

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ is a Sweet and Colorful Treat

June 10, 2023June 12, 2023 Mike Manalo

It’s true that the best days of Pixar may be behind us. From modern day classics like Up, Wall-E, and Ratatouille, to more mediocre fare like Lightyear and Onward, the studio has essentially gone from “great” to “okay” after more than 20 years.

Animation, Movies

Pixar Releases New ‘Elemental’ Original Song From Lauv

June 2, 2023June 3, 2023 Michael Lee

Hot off the releases of its Cannes debut, and poster and featurette drops earlier this week, Pixar has unveiled the original song “Steal the Show” for their upcoming original feature Elemental.

Animation, Movies

‘Elemental’ Featurette and Posters Mix Cast Chemistry and Theatrical Experiences

June 1, 2023June 2, 2023 Michael Lee

With the release of Pixar’s Elemental just a few short weeks away, the studio has dropped some incredible marketing pieces from its massive debut at Cannes to a clip. Now, they have dropped a few new posters teasing the theatrical viewing experiences you can watch and an all-new featurette of the cast and crew talking about the recording process.