The comic-book-esque saga of the Incredibles is one of Pixar's most unique and original concepts. The idea of a family of superheroes was truly remarkable when the original film hit in 2004, but it seems like fans crave even more action-packed adventures with the Parr family.
We most recently saw Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack. take on the Screen Slaver and a hypnotized army in the long-awaited Incredibles 2, but a surprising development from Pixar just took the next sequel in an unexpected direction.
Brad Bird replaced in a shocking update
If you're an animation buff like this writer, you know that The Incredibles was the brainchild of the incredible Brad Bird. Bird has been one of Pixar's biggest assets, and the director's stylistic approach to his movies is a key element in The Incredibles' series success.
Be that as it may, a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Bird was being replaced as director by fellow Pixar creative, Peter Sohn. The report also shared the following statement,
"Brad Bird wrote the screenplays for and directed the first two films in the franchise, which have earned a combined $1.8 billion at the box office. Bird is currently in the process of writing the screenplay for the threequel, which will be produced by Bird and Dana Murray (Oscar-winning Soul)."
While Peter Sohn does have some directorial experience with The Good Dinosaur and the surprisingly smashing Elemental, can he pick up where Bird left off? We'll have to wait and see.
In this writer's opinion, Pixar might be playing a little dangerously by having Sohn replace Bird. Although Sohn worked wonders with Elemental, his other contribution, The Good Dinosaur, left much to be desired.
Additionally, The Incredibles is Brad Bird's signature Pixar project and where he arguably proved himself as a director. While it's relieving to know that he will pen the script behind the new threequel, this writer is concerned how much creative control he will be given throughout the rest of the experience.
In the end, it's far too early to tell whether the film will fly or flop, but this news doesn't exactly kick things off on the best of notes. Will Peter Sohn surprise moviegoers like he did with Elemental, or will Bird's directorial absence lead to a not-so-incredible sequel? Only time will tell.
The rest of The Incredibles franchise can be found on Disney+!