Well, “Toy Story 3” is definitely on its way (This eagerly awaited sequel will roll into theaters on June 10, 2010). As is “Cars 2” (The Studio recently moved up its release date to June 24, 2011). But based on the questions that Pete Docter kept fielding at Saturday’s “Up” panel at New York Comic-Con, what the fanboys really want to know is when is “The Incredibles” sequel showing up?

Mind you, the “Monsters, Inc.” director did have a bit of good news for the crowd in the IGN Theater. And I quote:

“Brad’s talked about it. He has some ideas.”

Which Bird himself referred to in a 2007 interview with the Associated Press. When – while he was out doing press for “Ratatouille” – this fanboy favorite was quoted as saying:

“I love the world (of “The Incredibles”). I love the characters. And if I could come with a story that was as good or better than the original, I’d go there in a second. I have pieces of things that I would love to see in (an “Incredibles”) sequel. But I haven’t got them all together yet.”

Brad Bird stands in front of a display of "Ratatouille" artwork
Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved

Which is really great to hear. Except that Brad Bird’s not going to have the opportunity to play with any of those “Incredibles” pieces until he finishes helming his first live-action feature, “1906.”

Based on James Dalessandro’s 2004 best seller, “1906” is nothing if not ambitious. It’s this romantic mystery set in and around San Francisco just prior to the earthquake & fire that basically flattened Baghdad-by-the-Bay back in 1906. And – yes – Brad wants to recreate all of that carnage as part of his big screen epic.

The only problem is … A movie of this size & scale is going to be hugely expensive. Which is why Warner Bros. and Disney / Pixar are teaming up to co-produce “1906.” Which means that – instead of having to please just one studio head (i.e. John Lasseter at Pixar Animation Studios) – Bird (who is not only directing “1906” but also rewriting the screenplay that Dalessandro himself wrote for this project) has to make three separate sets of Suits happy before production can then begin on his film. This is why – even though Brad originally signed his “1906” contract back in March of last year – this project still doesn’t have a start date.

Mind you, back in the Spring of last year, it really did look like “1906” was a go project. Which is why Warner Bros. put a hold on all of the soundstages that were available on its Burbank lot. Figuring that they’d need virtually every resource that this Studio had at its disposal in order to make this mammoth motion picture happen.

Some of the devastation that San Francisco experienced in
the wake of the Great Earthquake of 1906

But then execs at WB & Disney reportedly became concerned about the scope & ambition of Bird’s screenplay. Which attempted to touch on virtually every aspect of what made San Francisco so fascinating during this era in the city’s history. Chinatown. The Barbary Coast. Nob Hill.  Even the city’s transition from horses to horseless carriages.

It was just a bit too much for the Suits. Brad’s expansive storytelling. Not to mention the projected cost of this production. And while the folks at Warners Bros. and Disney / Pixar clearly saw “1906” ‘s enormous box office potential (Virtually every Studio official that I spoke with while researching today’s story had the exact same thing to say. That – if Brad can actually deliver the goods here, deliver a truly romantic disaster film – this could be “Titanic” all over again. The sort of movie that makes billions of dollars worldwide) ... But given that Bird had never directed a live-action film before. Never mind a motion picture of this size … Even with three separate companies coming together to shoulder “1906” ‘s projected $200-million-plus price tag, the financial risks involved here were deemed to be too high. Which is why – late last Spring -- Warner Bros. quietly released that hold it had on all its Burbank soundstages and then allegedly asked Brad to rework his screenplay. Both as a way to reduce this picture’s projected production costs as well as narrow the focus of the story that he was trying to tell.

Interesting side note here: When “1906” relinquished its hold on all of Warner Bros. soundstages, for a brief time last summer, the production team behind yet another epic disaster movie with a number for a title – “2012” – expressed an interest in filling all those vacancies on the Burbank backlot. But then – what with the looming Screen Actors Guild strike (which – at that time – was threatening to get underway in July of 2008) -- Roland Emmerich decided it best to get out of LA. Which is why the director of “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow” took “2012” up to Vancouver instead.

Copyright 2008 Sony Pictures

Getting back to “1906” now … Since his start date slipped back in the late Spring of 2008, Bird has been hard at work revamping & refocusing his screenplay for this project. But as Brad said to a reporter with Latino Review late last week at the premiere of “Coraline” :

“It’s (been) a really hard script to write … Mostly because there are so many interesting things going on in that place and that particular period of time that -- anytime you're going towards something -- you're going away from 5 other cool things.”

But that said, “1906” is still moving forward. As part of last week’s chat on the red carpet, Bird went on to say:

“We’re looking at places to shoot it … We’ll see if they have the courage to make (it).”

And by “they,” Brad means the executives who put the brakes on “1906” back last Spring. Those very same folks who would love to be associated with a “Titantic” -sized blockbuster but just can’t stomach this romantic epic’s $200-million-plus price tag.

So Bird continues to whittle away at his screenplay.  Knowing fully well that – with each day that passes – the heat that Brad enjoyed last year due to “Ratatouille” ‘s Academy Award win continues to dissipate. And then when you factor in the worsening economy along with Hollywood’s extremely short memory … Well, that just makes it less & less likely that Warner Bros. and Disney / Pixar will actually greenlight a pricey production like “1906” anytime soon.

Mind you, were Brad able to persuade a few names to appear in his first-ever live-action feature … Well, the Suits might then allow a slimmed-down version of “1906” to begin production sometime later this year. And if what Bird said last week while talking with the Latino Review actually proves to be true (i.e. “There are some wonderful people who are interested [in “1906”]. And I hope they're still interested when I finish the script”) … Some serious star power would go a long way to calming those jangled nerves in the executive suite.

But for now, the only names (other than Brad’s, of course) that are associated with this project are Paula Weinstein and John Walker. Who are producing & executive producing “1906” respectively. Plus – of course -- “WALL*E” director Andrew Stanton and Pixar Big Kahuna John Lasseter. Who – as Bird explained:

“I had some questions about (the script for ‘1906’) and (Andrew) and John Lasseter gave me some feedback on that.”

But even with all of these production-related problems, Brad still has high hopes for “1906.” Which – as he explained in a 2008 interview with /Film – would (to Bird’s way of thinking, anyway) seem to be this can’t-miss setting for a major motion picture.

“At (that) time, Chinatown was coexisting with the Barbary Coast, which was like the Wild Wild West, and at the same time Nob Hill had the upper class. It was a time between two centuries. You had horses and cars existing simultaneously. It’s just a volatile mix of things and then you throw in an earthquake. I mean, come on, if that doesn’t buy popcorn …”

If all goes according to plan and executives at Warner Bros and Disney / Pixar finally do sign off on the next rewrite of Bird’s “1906” screenplay, production of this live-action epic could get underway as soon as late this year / early in 2010. Which means that we could all be watching San Francisco shake itself to pieces by 2011.

And once that project is in the can … Well, maybe then Brad can get started on sorting out all those loose pieces. Put together an “Incredibles” sequel. But for now, the guy’s still struggling to come up with a “1906” screenplay that the Suits can all get behind.

So wish Brad Bird luck, folks. Because today’s Hollywood likes safe, pre-sold properties like the Smurfs, Yogi Bear and Tom & Jerry. Even Walt Disney Pictures’ big release for next month – “Race to Witch Mountain” -- falls into this same category. That sort of movie where the Studio isn’t forced to waste any of its marketing money on trying to explain what this picture is actually about. That sort of film where the audience walks into the theater already knowing what they’re going to see.

Which (you’d think) would work in “1906” ‘s favor. After all, this would be the big screen version of a best-selling book. A romantic movie mystery set in and around one of America’s greatest tragedies.

The only problem is … The market research that Warner Bros. and Disney officials have done to date suggest that the 15-to-25-year-olds that the Studios will be heavily relying on to come out and support this $200-million-plus co-production reportedly have little or no knowledge of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. That – to be blunt – this historic tragedy just doesn’t have that same sort of resonance / name recognition with young adults that the sinking of the Titanic enjoys.

Which again explains why “1906” still doesn’t have a start date. Disregarding Brad Bird’s obvious skills as a filmmaker … What’s the point of making a cinematic epic (especially in this economy) if you’re not entirely sure that there’s actually an audience out there that will come out & support this type of picture? Especially one that’s projected to cost as much as “1906” is?

Your thoughts?

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