Brenda Chapman Leaves Pixar

http://www.pixarportal.com/blog.php?id=brenda-chapman-leaves-pixar-for-lucasfilm

I thought I was going to be sad when this happened. And to tell the truth, I am. But it really is best that she and Pixar go separate ways. Who knows, maybe she will make her own "How To Train Your Dragon".

edited 8th Aug '12 4:17:59 PM by CocoNatts

OK, in B4 "PIXARS SO SEXIST FOR TAKING HER OFF BRAVE!!!" to point out that directors being replaced happens all the time, especially in animation, not just women. Hell, [[Ratatouille Pixar has done it to male directors before.]]

As for the actual subject at hand, really? Lucasfilm animation? All they've done so far is the dreadfully bland Clone Wars show. If she's looking to escape executive meddling, good fucking luck. Lucas forced the show runners to write Darth Maul into the show (when they already had an expy of him) to advertise the Episode 1 re-release. I can't see this going well at all.

The article is surprisingly negative and seems to be running off of pure rumors regarding the supposed original direction of the film. It's also blowing off Brave's largely positive reception and better-than-expected box office. And mind you, the only reason the box office was expected to be low was entirely because the movie was about a girl. I am not making that up.

Regardless, I'm not too surprised that losing the movie led to her departure eventually. Though it took what, two years? Yea, she sounds super bitter and angry. I am interested in what she does next.

A Pixar movie was expected to have low box office numbers?

Relatively speaking, I assume.

Please lets keep it possitive. I really dont want this to be locked for negativity.

Low for Pixar at any rate. Here's one article that's targeting below the Pixar average entirely because they didn't think it could connect with men. One week later, it beat their highest estimates and showed the audience demographic a near even split.

You have to understand, Hollywood still has this idea that movies about girls are "chick flicks." Brave is very similar to Finding Nemo in that both movies are about the troubled relationship between a parent and a child. But when it's about two women instead of two men or a man and a woman, it's a "chick flick" because ew, women stuff!

The article you linked was extremely negative, compared to other sources that have reported the split.

edited 8th Aug '12 4:02:40 PM by Rebochan

I know, but I didnt have any other article that talked about the split. I'll have it there till I can find a better one.

EDIT:Found one. Dont read the comments though...

edited 8th Aug '12 4:20:48 PM by CocoNatts

I felt this was kind of foreshadowed for a while, but it's still kind of sad(as many departures are). Good luck

I didnt mean like RIGHT NOW. But in the future...hopefully soon.(On Brenda making her HTTD masterpiece)

No surprise here.

Brokenshell 44:

Besides Clone Wars Lucas Film animation has also produced Rango, which was pretty decent. It's all up to the director and the writers. Brenda Chapman has both directed and written movies although never alone.

I hope she does well in her endeavours.

Rango was actually Industrial Light & Magic. It's owned by Lucasfilm, but it's different from their animation department.

I am curious to why she left, even Lauren Faust wasn't very happy for her departure I remeber. was it for "creative diferences"?

@Fallen Legend Really? What did Lauren Faust say?

Well I guess it partly comes down to the realization that you can't pursue your projects freely in a certain environment.

@Brokenhill: Do note that Lucas is really only there to suggest storylines, and that other people are actually the ones that are properly directing the storyline.

Just knowing that Brenda was replaced by Pixar from being their first female director, and having her film butchered in the process, is enough of an assumption to guess why she left.

Butchered is a strong word for a version of a film we know nothing about other than it had less bear fighting and more snow. Then again, she must be REALLY desperate to leave if she thinks Lucasfilm is good enough to leave them for.

See the aforementioned Darth Maul situation. Since Clone Wars is the only point of reference for what Lucasfilm animation is capable of, I have very low expectations for whatever project they'll put her on.

I wonder if less bear fighting meant Merida had a much more active role in killing Mordu...

This is what Lauren Faust had to say about this:

http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/Brenda-Chapman-Brave-and-women-in-animation-218472857

edited 13th Aug '12 7:51:35 AM by CocoNatts

the way it was put in the quote I read (which I can't find now) it made it seem like Mordu wasn't even part of the story. She seemed worried that the movie was going to have too much action.

I see...

So, anyone else think this was an early sign of Lucasfilm being purchased by Disney? Before, the decision for her to go to Lucasfilm seemed completely backwards and out of nowhere, since their animation department has made nothing of worth, but now it kinda makes sense.

Didn't Lucasfilm(or a division) make Rango and Clone Wars?

Rango is ILM, so I'm not sure if it falls under Lucasfilm.

4 seasons of toy commercials based on much better Genndy Tartakovsky shorts don't count.