Much was made of Pixar’s decision to fire its first female director, Brenda Chapman, off the film she had written and developed, THE BEAR AND THE BOW. But Pixar was not happy with how the film was coming along and felt the project needed a fresh take. So Chapman was let go (she subsequently left Pixar and is rumored to be working at DreamWorks) and Mark Andrews (Pixar’s “One Man Band”) took over directing a revamped project now titled BRAVE.
And Chapman wasn’t the only casualty. Star Reese Witherspoon has left the project due to, ahem, “scheduling issues,” and will be replaced by Kelly Macdonald. So what to make of this Pixar project that has seen its fair share of turmoil?
Well Entertainment Weekly has our first look at production art from BRAVE and while we don’t really get a great shot at our heroine, we do get a look at what they’re going for here and it looks markedly different than any other Pixar film. I still have faith in the Pixar system that course-corrects itself along the way, regardless of the personal fallout (long-time Pixar vet Jan Pinkava was let go from RATATOUILLE, which was a tough personal decision but led to a much better film, directed by Brad Bird).
Macdonald joins Billy Connelly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Robbie Coltrane and Colin Ferguson in the film’s voice cast. The film’s plot sounds somewhat reminiscent of THE LITTLE MERMAID: Rogue princess to powerful king defies local custom and accidentally puts their world at risk, so she runs away and is granted a wish by a crazy, and possibly evil, old woman.
So what do you think of BRAVE so far? Another Pixar hit or a rare misstep?