1906 (Release Date: Unknown)

Pixar is a studio filled with geniuses, but the man who possesses the most talent on the team has got to be Brad Bird. He won Oscars for writing and directing The Incredibles and Ratatouille for Pixar (arguably the company’s two best movies), assumed the same duties on the woefully underrated The Iron Giant, and was one of the key creative forces working on The Simpsons for over ten years. He has an incredible pedigree and is also probably the most cinematic director working for the company. Thanks to the gorgeous animation, all of the Pixar movies look good, but Bird has a sense of tempo, rhythm, and style in his visual storytelling that marks him as a master director. 1906 will be the first time that he attempts a live-action production and Pixar plans to produce the film. It is supposed to be about a young boy unraveling a mystery amidst the massive San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The movie should have Bird’s patented combination of humor, visual sophistication, action and complex storytelling. It could be the movie that launches him into a new level of success as a director, possibly separating him from the Pixar team. If that happens, Bird would be dearly missed. But fortunately the company has more than enough talented directors working for them now to fill the gap. –PB, News Extensions