Summary
- Brad Bird will not direct The Incredibles 3, a major change that risks the franchise's quality.
- Peter Sohn will take over directing, facing the pressure of maintaining a successful superhero world.
- Pixar's choice to replace a proven director with Sohn poses a risk that might backfire on The Incredibles 3.
Pixar's The Incredibles franchise is beloved and remains one of the most successful critically and commercially in the company's history. The first two movies have grossed a combined $1.8 billion worldwide, so Pixar's decision to create The Incredibles 3 proved to be popular among fans when it was announced in 2024 at D23.
While this franchise already has a built-in audience that taps into the superhero genre in a way that appeals to people of all ages, Pixar has now decided to make a huge change ahead of the third installment that threatens to derail its quality.
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What Change Has Pixar Made To The Incredibles 3?
Brad Bird Will No Longer Be Directing As He Did For The Previous Two Movies
When Pixar's CCO Peter Docter announced The Incredibles 3, he claimed that Brad Bird was already developing the animation. That was met with a positive reaction because he was the man at the helm of the previous two Incredibles movies and has also had great success in the animated world with 1999's The Iron Giant and his other Pixar film, Ratatouille. He's someone who understands the world of The Incredibles, the tone, the characters, and the overall story. Therefore, The Hollywood Reporter revealing that Bird is no longer going to be the director for The Incredibles 3 came as a major surprise to most fans. While he's still set to provide the screenplay, Bird isn't creating the final vision for the film, and that's not only disappointing but risky on Pixar's behalf.
Peter Sohn Will Take Over Directing Responsibilities
His Previous Pixar Movies Haven't Been As Successful As The Incredibles Franchise
It has already been revealed that Peter Sohn will be taking on directing duties for The Incredibles 3, and he's someone who worked on the previous two movies. However, that doesn't mean he's the right choice to direct the entire project. Bird is someone who completely understands The Incredibles franchise, as he's the brains behind it, to begin with. Being able to tap into his skills and knowledge would've been helpful for the third film as it would've guaranteed it remained consistent with the previous films that came before it. Instead, Sohn will be aiming to implement his ideas because every director wants to put their own spin on things, even if the template that has been handed to them has proven to be successful. The decisions and changes that Sohn might end up making have the potential to derail The Incredibles franchise, as fans might not welcome significant alterations.
While this won't be the first time that Sohn has directed a Pixar movie, the previous two that he was involved in did provide disappointment. 2015's The Good Dinosaur grossed $332 million globally, which is short of what the company usually does, while his second film, Elemental, ended up providing Pixar's worst opening weekend in history. Elemental went on to gross $496.4 million in total, but the lack of instant success proved that it needed word of mouth to get things going. On top of those mixed box office returns, neither of those films provides the level of action and drama that The Incredibles 3 will command. While both offer some beautiful animation and emotional storylines, they're quite reserved and slow-paced in comparison to the frantic superhero world that Sohn is now in charge of, and that major shift could end up throwing him into the deep end in a manner that negatively impacts The Incredibles 3.
Pixar Is Taking A Risk With The Incredibles That Might Backfire
Brad Bird Is A Proven Commodity, While Peter Sohn Still Has To Prove Himself At Pixar
Until the release of Inside Out 2, The Incredibles 2 was Pixar's highest-grossing movie, proving just how popular the franchise is, which is why the company greenlit a third film. That brings with it a lot of pressure for The Incredibles 3 at a time when only the very best movies are providing great box office returns due to the competition and the fact that fewer people are attending the cinema. That means every decision Pixar makes has to be right, especially when it comes to beloved franchises like this. They cannot just presume that everyone will head out to see The Incredibles 3 by its name alone; Sohn will have to provide an interesting story that develops the characters and moves the overall plot forward, all while being a great standalone film within itself. That's not an easy task, and it's a situation that has become more complex by a late directorial change. These types of decisions can often lead to a mismatch of ideas in the end result, which Pixar might end up suffering from. Given the focus on sequels right now, Pixar needs to prove that audiences can trust them to deliver, and The Incredibles 3 is now at risk of not doing so.
The Incredibles
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 27, 2004
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
Cast
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Craig T. NelsonBob Parr / Mr. Incredible (voice) -
Holly HunterHelen Parr / Elastigirl (voice) -
Sarah VowellViolet Parr (voice) -
Spencer FoxDashiell 'Dash' Parr (voice)
