Pixar

It's not that Pixar aren't known to make us tear up from time to time, but the latest animated short from their own animators is on another level. 'Borrowed Time' has got to be the most depressing animation we've seen since 'The Fox and the Hound'. Not even an exaggeration.

'Borrowed Time' proves animation doesn't always have to be comic

The story sees a miserable moustacheod Sheriff visiting the edge of a deep ravine in an American outback where a terrible accident took place years before. He has a flashback to his childhood, where he's riding on a coach with his Sheriff father who gifts him with his gold pocketwatch. But soon that scene takes a terrifying and fatal turn when they are pursued by a gunman on horseback. In the present day, the new Sheriff stands on the edge of the ravine ready to jump, before that old pocketwatch stops him making another tragic mistake.

Continue reading: Pixar Animators Unveil Tear-Jerking Short Film 'Borrowed Time'

Finding Dory star Ellen Degeneres has spoken about the possibility that the animation includes Pixar’s first gay couple. DeGeneres admitted that she doesn't know herself if the characters in question are lesbians, but she welcomes the conversation about inclusion as a "a great thing."

Ellen DeGeneres has spoken about the rumours that Finding Dory includes a same-sex couple.

Speaking at a recent press conference in Beverly Hills DeGeneres said: "I personally think it's a great thing. I think everything that we see in the media – whether it's television or film or anything you see – should represent everything that's happening in the world. I think everybody that is in the world should be seen and represented."

Continue reading: Ellen DeGeneres Speaks On 'Finding Dory's' Rumoured Same-Sex Couple

British broadcaster Sky has renewed its TV deal with Disney meaning it will be the first to broadcast films including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Inside Out in the UK and Ireland. The deal extends the long standing partnership between the two companies, which was last renewed in 2013.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will come to Sky in 2016.

Sky customers will be able to watch films such as Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the first pay TV window from around nine months after they are release in cinemas. This means fans could be able to enjoy the latest Star Wars film from the comfort of their homes as early as August 2016.

Continue reading: Disney Renews Deal With Sky Bringing 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' To TV In 2016

Move over Barbie and Ken because there’s a new toy couple in town! Yes at Friday’s D23 Expo in California director John Lasseter confirmed that the upcoming Toy Story 4 would be a love story focusing on a pairing which we always hoped could make it work in the end, Woody and Bo Peep!

Woody is set to find love with Bo Peep in Toy Story 4.

Speaking at the convention, Lasseter dished on what fans can expect from the fourth Toy Story instalment, "It's something we've never done with Toy Story before. It's a love story with Woody - and this is news - Bo Peep,” the director said. 

Continue reading: 'Toy Story 4' To Feature Love Story Between Woody And Bo Peep!

Jurassic World has topped the US box office for the second time this weekend, taking a massive $102 million. The dinosaur action flick starring Chris Pratt managed to beat Pixar’s latest offering Inside Out in a very tight race, which saw the animation take $91 million in it's opening weekend. 

Jurassic World is still on top of the US box office.

But while Inside Out might not have managed to take the top spot, it did give Pixar the second-highest opening weekend in the studio’s history. "Inside Out would have been number one in any other weekend," said Phil Contrino, vice president of BoxOffice.com. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Being number one is overrated.”

Continue reading: 'Jurassic World' Stays On Top Of US Box Office, But 'Inside Out' Breaks Records

Pixar’s latest animated feature, Inside Out made the Cannes Film Festival an emotional affair on Monday, as the critics were bowled over by unconventional story of a little girl and her emotions. Directed by Pete Docter, the man behind Monster’s Inc and Up, the film could just be the studio’s best offering since Toy Story and maybe even it’s greatest artistic achievement yet.

Inside Out explores the emotions within the mind of an 11 year old girl.

Set inside the mind of a young girl named Riley, Inside Out gives a voice to the emotions which help guide her through adolescence as she struggles following her family’s cross-country move. Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness are all personified with Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling voicing to the five emotions.

Continue reading: Pixar's 'Inside Out' Gets The Critics Emotional At Cannes Premiere

A Seattle property, described as the real life Up house, as failed to sell at auction sparking fears it will soon be sold to developers who will mostly like demolish it. The story of the house and its owner Edith Macefield bears a striking similarity to the Pixar film Up, in which an elderly man fights to save his home from developers.

Pixar's Up

Edith Macefield lived in the house for 60 years before she passed away in 2008 after battling pancreatic cancer. Miss Masefield had previously turned down an offer of $1 million from developers as well assistance with housing and health care, to sell the home which she had moved into in 1952.

Continue reading: The Real Life 'Up' House Fails To Sell At Seattle Auction, As Demolition Looms

In a Hollywood atmosphere that currently seems obsessed with stretching even the most moderate of box-office successes into a full blown franchise, sequels and prequels are a ubiquitous presence in cinema multiplexes. But in the world of animated cinema, where the construction of a film requires infinitely more hard work and dedication than a live action picture, sequels tend to emerge that better the original- a much rarer occurrence amongst many Hollywood pictures.

Gerard Butler stars in How To Train Your Dragon 2 which has won copious plaudits.

That’s not to say there aren’t a few howlers either, animated studios such as Pixar and Disney are just as susceptible as the rest of the film world in dispensing some truly woeful and misguided follow ups. The likes of Cars 2 and Rio 2 left no-one with the life affirming sense of warmth that truly brilliant animated films of this type should provide. As is universally recognised, a mark of greatness from an animated film is its ability to simultaneously appeal to children and the adults who accompany them to the big screen. The likes of Shrek 1 & 2 and the Toy Story trilogy are prime examples of catering for both age groups through crafty pop culture references and subtle entendre.

Continue reading: What Is It About Animated Sequels?

Next year Pixar will release Inside Out, a movie which takes place in the mind of an 11 year old girl. It’s a risky concept, the plot is unlike any other animated movie we’ve ever seen before. It’s surreal, a tad confusing but in essence perfectly Pixar. After all they’re a studio which made their name on pushing the boundaries of imagination, and Inside Out could end up being their best work yet.

Inside Out director Pete Docter previously worked on Up

Any information on Inside Out had been kept closely guarded by Pixar since the film was announced. What we knew was, the movie would take place inside the mind of an 11 year old girl and we’d encounter five emotions which were being brought to life. However at this week’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival, director Pete Docter gave us our clearest idea yet of what to expect from the movie, due out in June next year.

Continue reading: Meet ‘Inside Out’ Pixar’s Next Movie, Which Could Be Their Best Yet

This week Frozen surpassed Toy Story 3 to become the highest grossing animated film of all time taking over $1.072 billion at the box office. The Disney feature, based on Hans Christen Andersen’s The Snow Queen has not only raked in mega bucks, but has also picked up critical acclaim and two Academy awards, one for best animated feature of course. Whilst Frozen is now at the top of the list followed by Toy Story 3, we thought we’d take a look at the other big money animated films which make up the top 10.

Disney's Frozen is now the highest grossing animated film of all time

The Lion King

Continue reading: 'Frozen' And The Other Highest Grossing Animated Films