Breaking: Pixar Canada Shut Down

It's a bit of a rough time for Pixar news right now; there'll be no film from the studio next year for the first time in nine years, and now the studio has announced that it's shuttering its Canadian branch, after only three years. About 100 employees will be getting laid off as a result of the closure.

Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray Review

Pixar have a long and storied tradition with short films. As with their parent company, Disney, before them, the studio got their start with short films - films like The Adventures of André and Wally B., Luxo Jr. and Tin Toy. But while Disney has largely moved away from shorts (although seem to have returned to the format in recent years, with great short films like The Ballad of Nessie and Paperman), Pixar have remained loyal to short production - having one precede each of their feature films.

So, five years after its original Short Films Collection, Pixar have now released the second collection of its acclaimed short films on Blu-ray and DVD; and it's been worth the wait!

5 New Toy Story Films Coming Soon!

Calm down, it's not what it sounds like. It also seems that those rumours about Toy Story 4 have been quieted for now, as Mike from Big Screen Animation just broke some huge Toy Story news!

A Disney e-catalogue tells us that - following Hawaiian Vacation and Small Fry, which were attached to Cars 2 and The  Muppets respectively - Pixar are developing three brand-new Toy Story Toons. Also, and somewhat more excitingly, "two new 22-minute TV specials are in the works for October 2013 and Spring 2014." This is very exciting news and corroborates what Pixar and Disney Animation President, Ed Catmull, said a while back about the role of Pixar Canada.

Look for these shorts and the TV specials to air on Disney Channel sometime over the next two years.

I assume some Cars TV specials will follow soon, and I'm hoping we hear of some other properties being given this treatment soon - A Bug's Life, Nemo or Up particularly seem like great choices!

Thanks to Big Screen Animation for this huge story.

Small Fry Bios

The second Toy Story Toon, Small Fry, is currently playing with Disney's The Muppets in the US and while those of us here in Europe and the UK will have to wait until February to see either, Disney and Pixar are promoting Small Fry now by revealing bios for some of the new characters that the short introduces on the official Toy Story Facebook page.

In Small Fry, Buzz is left behind at a fast food restuarant and finds himself in a support group for abandoned kid's meal toys, so Pixar have released some bios and images of these extremely eccentric characters (below).

Neptuna, Queen of New Nautica
For centuries, Queen Neptuna ruled the peaceful ocean kingdom of New Nautica.
When her undersea home was defiled by corporate industrial waste and discount chain stores, Neptuna formed The Mermaid Battle Squadron to protect the ocean from future pollution and exploitation.

T-Bone, Leader of the Steak Force
Fearing the healthy, life-extending agenda of the evil Vegitenarians, the government established the Steak Force, a commando squad of heroic robots dedicated to mandating a meat option for every meal. Sponsored in part by The American Meat Council.

Funky Monk
Spiritual mentor to Rappin' Robin and Lil' Juan, Funky Monk always keeps it real and on the down low. Be it a rap battle between his boys and Producer P John or hooking up a guest-spot on the next MC Maid Marion single, Funky Monk has got your back. See Funky Monk in the CGI animated film "Rappin' Robin in the Hood 3D," only in theaters.

Condorman
When comic book artist Wiley Wilkins is given the opportunity to act out the pages of his greatest cartoon creation, “Condorman,” he jumps at the chance! Will Condorman defeat the evil Krokov and win the heart of the beautiful Natalia Rambova? Find out when Condorman swoops into theaters, Summer 1981.

Bozu, The Ninja Clown
Circus clown by day, 15th century ninja from feudal Japan by night, Bozu is a master of silent entertainment. Armed with his balloon katana and a cream pie, this Ninja Clown is sure to have even the grumpiest Circus audience members in stitches!

More are likely to follow, so stay tuned.

The Muppets - The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo

As the release of Disney's The Muppets film grows ever nearer, The Muppets return to parody trailers, as a few days ago the iconic bunch were back with another spoof trailer.

After parodying trailers such as Green Lantern in the past, The Muppets have this time set their eyes on the trailer for David Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trailer. The very intense trailer for the English film adaptation of the best-selling Millennium Trilogy book is spoofed here to great effect.

The trailer is, as is the norm for The Muppets, hilarious and it gets me even more excited for the film - which will have the second Toy Story Toon, Small Fry, attached to it - and The Muppets hits theatres on November 23, 2011 in North America.

Out of D23: Next Toy Story Toon named Small Fry, and more details

Courtesy of The Pixar Times' live blog from the D23 Pixar Shorts Panel, we now know that the next Toy Story Toon (due to play before The Muppets on November 23), will be called Small Fry and that it will be directed by Angus Maclane

The short is apparently a Prince and the Pauper story revolving around Buzz and that Glee's Jane Lynch will provide a voice in the short.

Still relatively little to go on, but if it's half as good as Hawaiian Vacation was, we're in for a treat.

Also, from this live blog, we have learned from La Luna director, Enrico Casarosa, that the short WILL be shown with Brave next year.



We also get the above video, a look at the Disney legends ceremony, including an interview with everyone's favourite frog.