Brad Bird on THE INCREDIBLES 2 and Turning Down STAR WARS

The Incredibles is easily my favorite animated Pixar film, and since it was made, I have wanted to see a sequel. The movie was directed by Brad Bird who went on to direct Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and is currently developing Tomorrowland for Disney. During a recent interview with THR, Bird was asked what the chances were of us seeing a sequel to The Incredibles, and this was his reply:

I have been thinking about it. People think that I have not been, but I have. Because I love those characters and love that world. I am stroking my chin and scratching my head. I have many, many elements that I think would work really well in another [Incredibles] film, and if I can get ‘em to click all together, I would probably wanna do that.

I like the idea of moving a little more quickly in films. I’m looking for ways to accelerate the pace a little bit and figure out a way to keep creative control over these movies to a level where I’m comfortable with the end result but also speed them up a bit and make more of them. I have many different films I wanna make. It’s like a big airplane hangar and I have different projects on the floor; half-assembled in my brain. I’m interested in all of them. You kind of have to move on the ones people are willing to pay for and the ones you’re most excited about.

Hopefully one day he will get around to doing that. The director goes on to explain that he also received the offer to direct Star Wars: Episode VII but that he had to turn it down.

They did come to me. But the problem was, the schedule they had in mind made it impossible to do…unless I dropped Tomorrowland. And I was just really deeply into this film at that point. It’s easy to say, 'Just put it on hold.' But you’re moving now; you don’t know if you’re going to be able to move later. Maybe it’s true of filmmakers like Cameron or Spielberg, but I have to act on momentum. We had reached a critical mass where it would’ve thrown the furniture around from the train stopping. I really want to see this movie. I love the Star Wars films, and I can’t wait to see what J.J. does, but it meant I’d have to shut down one dream to participate in another. I feel like [with Tomorrowland] we’re making something that’s really special and unique.

I would have loved to see what Bird would have done with Star Wars, but who knows... maybe well get that chance. After all, Disney plans on making more than one and any talented director that wants a shot at one could most likely get it. Hopefully Bird gets his shot at a Star Wars film one day. I think he'd do some great things with the universe.