Nancy Cartwright talks to Brad Bird

Online at the Animation World Network (AWN) is an excellent original Q&A with Brad Bird, director of Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille and the forthcoming, Pixar-supported, Warner Bros. live-action, historical-fiction feature 1906.

In the interview, conducted by Nancy Cartwright, famous as the voice of Bart on The Simpsons, for the AWN's Animation World Magazine in print, Bird discusses in detail his successful (to say the least) career in animation. Also a very interesting use of reverse psychology on the part of his mother when he was 13.

Read it on the web here.

Pixarpedia: A Complete Guide to the World of Pixar ...And Beyond!

A bit late in reporting this, but...

Coming soon from publisher Dorling Kindersley (DK) is Pixarpedia, an authorized, 300+ page encyclopedia of all things Pixar.

As you'd expect, Pixarpedia will include hundreds of facts and trivia on the studio, filmmaking process, characters from each of the films, etc. Probably no big surprises for know-it-all fans, but guaranteed fun nonetheless.

The book ships from Amazon.com on August 17 in the U.S., and internationally thereafter (link to U.K. product page, with alternate cover).

(via Upcoming Pixar)

Ten Best Picture nominees at next Oscars

The 82nd Academy Awards will feature ten nominees for the top prize of Best Picture, rather than five, it was announced earlier today by Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

This unprecedented change should finally open the way for Pixar's critically-acclaimed animated gems, as well as other commercially successful films, to be recognized in the awards' most prestigious category. It goes without saying that WALL-E would have gotten a nod last year had there been ten openings. Cinematical is already predicting that "Up is a definite contender".

Said Ganis: "Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize".

The practice of having more than five Best Picture nominees is not new for the Academy. As noted in the news release, there were ten nominees in the category for nearly a decade in the Oscars' 'early years'. 1934 and 1935 even saw twelve nominees.

The 82nd Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2.

Luxo Jr. animatronic at Hollywood Studios

An audio-animatronic Luxo Jr. debuted today at the Pixar Place area of Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

A video of everybody's favourite desk lamp in action can be seen on YouTube, and embedded above.

(via Upcoming Pixar)

Pixar-themed wedding

A couple somewhere in America had a Pixar-themed wedding over the weekend.

As seen in a photo posted on Flickr, the groom wore a grape soda bottle cap pin like Mr. Fredricksen in Up. Guests enjoyed quizzes and such, and there were Pixar references throughout the officiant's speech, resulting in "the snappiest and funniest wedding I've ever been to", according to the user who uploaded the picture.

They should have gotten an Ultimate WALL-E to be the ringbearer. Could totally see that happening.