Pixar's New Untitled 'Suburban Fantasy World' Movie Will Have Elves & Trolls& Sprites in Surburbia

Image from presentation at D23 2017

At D23, the Disney fan convention, director of Monsters University, Dan Scanlon, came on stage to make a surprise announcement about a new, personal movie he's directing for Pixar. Currently untitled, it's described as being set in a 'Suburban Fantasy World'.

From movie web:

Rip Van Winkle by Mike Ploog

According to Scanlon, who lost his father at a very young age, the movie is inspired by the question he's always asked: 'Who was my father?' The story is set in a world with no humans, only elves, trolls and sprites... Scanlon went on to give a brief synopsis of the untitled animated movie that will fit right in with the tears that Pixar is so famous for. He explains this. 

 "In the film, we're going to tell the story of two teenage elf brothers whose father died when they were too young to remember him. But thanks to the little magic still left in the world, the boys embark on a quest that will allow them a chance to spend one last magical day with their father."

Bruce Pennington

(Additional quote via MTV): "The story takes place in a modern fantasy world where there once was magic — real magic — but it was hard to do and complicated to learn, so people just lost interest. In this world, a mix of "the fantastical and the everyday," humans don't exist. There are only elves, trolls, and sprites — or "anything that would be on the side of a van in the '70s," the director said. Oh, and unicorns are everywhere. They roam the streets of this modern, magical suburbia like rodents." 

(Emphasis in bold by OUABlog - because that looks like the style you can expect to see, sort of like 'The Night Begins To Shine' special event beginning August 1st, on the Teen Titans Go series, which albeit leaning more toward 80's than 70s, taps the same nostalgic vein.)

One of the more family friendly 70s van art images found via google (no credit given for the photo)

The homes on the street are apparently going to be Mushroom houses much like the Smurfs, but set in a modern time where there are satellite dishes sticking out of the roofs. Magical and majestic unicorns will be seen digging through the garbage much like a possum or raccoon. No release date has been set for the untitled movie, but it certainly does sound like a very Pixar affair, balancing the absurd with the heartbreakingly realistic portrayals of life even if the lives are those of troll, sprites, and elves that live in mushroom houses surrounded by magic.

Also - according to the D23 image - there will be dragons. We approve. Always good to remind heroes of how crunchy they can be.

Assuming the Pixar powers-that-be and associated creatives are accessing their childlike, nostalgic sides more than anything else though, it's likely we can expect an adventurous and humorous romp through Lord of the Rings-meets-D&D-in-suburbia, (or Stranger Things for kids), along with some heart-wrenching, family/origin story threads, designed to have us muttering about something in our eyes. 

In other words: bring it on.

What do you think? Are you intrigued? What do you think the potential is for a contemporary fairy tale-type story here? What troll, elf and sprite tropes (or lore) do you think Pixar will tap, if any?

"Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer!" (Real Boy? No. Real Hero? Yes!) The Complete Collection Coming June

Back in the middle of 2009 (!) I posted on a new and innovative graphic novel, titled Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer! and was a little stunned no one had ever thought of such a wonderful idea match before. Because it works, really well. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer! has garnered much critical praise as well as enthusiastic recommendations from respected comic book reviewers and online Geek kings such as Topless Robot.

There have been two volumes published since but now a new company has taken the creative team of Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen under their wings and is releasing a soft cover, French-flapped, 500+ page graphic novel of the trilogy in June this year (which is all four volumes - part three was published in two parts).

Note for fairy tale enthusiasts: a former newspaper crime reporter, writer Van Jensen is clearly drawn to fairy tales. He's also the author of Snow White: Through A Glass, Darkly.

Here's the press release:

After gathering substantial praise for their individual volumes, artist Dusty Higgins and writer Van Jensen officially join the Top Shelf family this summer with the first-ever complete collection of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer! 

Click through for more details and a 12-page preview. (Just click on the book cover image to start.)

This puppet may not be a real boy… but he just might be a real hero.

When bloodthirsty monsters invade Pinocchio’s hometown and kill his father Geppetto, Pinocchio discovers a new benefit to his magical nose: telling lies produces a never-ending supply of wooden stakes to combat the vampire hordes! Will Pinocchio be able to defeat these horrors, avenge his father, and save his friends?

Jensen (Green Lantern Corps) and Higgins (Knights of the Living Dead) present a captivating blend of comedy, horror, romance, and adventure, rooted in the original Italian novel but brought – as if by magic – to new life.

 One of YALSA’s Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens!“It’s the greatest thing I’ve read all year. And you’ll notice my nose didn’t grow one bit when I said that.” — Mark Waid“Page after page of amazement.” — Publishers Weekly“The premise for this graphic novel is really almost too good to be true… and the execution doesn’t disappoint.” — Booklist“Outstanding.” — Topless Robot“Sometimes dark, sometimes silly, but always fun, Pinocchio coming of age Batman-style is just the thing for fantasy and horror fans.” — MTV“Really, really good.” — Comics Alliance“Seriously, it’s perfect.” — Comic Book Resources

I've really enjoyed the art, the writing and ideas behind this series and am seriously considering picking up this special edition copy! As an extra incentive, Amazon currently has a pre-order price deal of over $6 off HERE.

You can check out the original trailer, which neatly shows you the art style, story concept and balance of humor and urban fantasy, HERE. Highly recommended if you like comics, urban fantasy, Pinocchio, fairy tales and being generally cool. ;)

Original Release banner

'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge' Premieres on Syfy March 25 (Squee!)

Labyrinth, The Storyteller and Dark Crystal fans rejoice: coming to your (US) TVs at the end of this month (March 25th) is a new contest reality show, seeking out and challenging the best aspiring fantasy creature-makers out there! Introducing Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. (Woo hoo!)

While Face Off can be a lot of fun, and I find the creation process fascinating (from pulling together pieces of legend to make a new story, to using unconventional inspiration and materials) I get a little tired of the horror creatures. That 'otherness' that I love in fantasy and in fairy tales is often missing but now we get a show that's likely to be a little closer to our hearts.

Basically, these guys (above) will do their best to pay tribute to one of my all time heroes, Jim Henson and his creature creations, aka this adorable rabble below:

I adore this photo. It has been in an inspiration scrapbook of mine since I was a kid.

Not only will this be a little like Project Runway (with muppets) but the challenge will go beyond design as well. These guys are going to have to manipulate their creations and bring these creatures to life - and to make you feel something when they do.

Ten aspiring creature creators competing to out-imagine one another in a series of challenges where they build everything from mechanical characters to whimsical beasts, bringing high-end creature designs to life. The contestants compete for a prize worth up to $100,000 including the opportunity for the job of a lifetime - a contract working at the world-renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™.

That sounds... huge. I don't know what the time frame for an average challenge is but !!! Take a look at my favorite promo for this show to date:

OMG so cute. (My son wants to adopt the last one...)

And if they need ideas I'd have to say: please create a kelpie. In water. That transforms.

Or Baba Yaga's hut, complete with working legs, flaming skull fence and toothy, hungry door.

Or Ent wives. It's about time someone found them, don't you think?

Or a firebird. That's on fire...

Also: MORE STORYTELLER PLEASE!  (Here's a little visual trot down nostalgia lane to inspire you.)

Ah good times. The Storyteller tales are still some of the best fairy tale presentations to ever to grace our TVs and I still recommend them highly to anyone wondering about fairy tales.

(If you need me, I'll be programming the DVR and staking out the Creature Shop here in LA...)

Godzilla's (Xmas) Wishes

This image has been making the rounds on the web this month and with good reason. The image is very unique for the holidays. I mean, who equates Christmas with Godzilla?? But it got me thinking (consider yourself warned! lol) about the alternate views of characters in stories (OK, fairy tales) and how when you put yourself in the shoes of the "lesser" characters you end up with a very different - and often touching - story.

The Godzilla Haiku Tumblr blog is a good example of this. Reading through is not only amusing but touching. In fact, you find yourself starting to feel for the poor monster. Here are just a few examples:

 You can see more (lots more!) at the Godzilla Haiku blog HERE.

My favorite fairy tale retelling from a villains POV completely rocked my world when I read it the first time and made me think twice about a lot of things. It's The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli; an amazing retelling of Hansel and Gretel from the witch's point of view (short review/synopsis at the link).

Ms. Napoli is a master at making me think differently about fairy tales I know well and have read many (many!) retellings of already. She is without doubt one of my favorite fairy tale writers and I wouldn't consider my library complete without her retellings, of which there are many. (Note: not all the books at the link are fairy tale retellings but MANY of them are.)

Another recommendation of fairy tales from villain POVs is Troll's Eye View by the incredible editing duo Terry Windling and Ellen Datlow. (You simply can't go wrong with any fairy tale collection these women put together!)

Many of you must be thinking this is one of the weirdest holiday posts you've ever read, let alone on a fairy tale blog. Why am I blogging about this the day before Christmas?

Many of you will be spending tonight and/or tomorrow with family - some of whom you love dearly and others who are, shall we say, "more of a challenge".  Family get-togethers are loaded with stress and are hotbeds for misunderstandings and drama. (Hence the plethora of crazy Christmas family dinner movies.) Christmas get-togethers are also prime settings for Christmas magic and have the potential to be some of the most special times you will remember for the rest of your life. It all depends on your approach to the occasion and how you handle the challenges that come your way. (Don't let your eyes glaze over yet - I have a point and it has everything to do with fairy tales!) Magic doesn't depend on the perfect setting, having the decorations all done or having the prefect meal and party. Fairy tales aren't filled with fairies and glitter and magical bling either (contrary to the public idea of fairy tales). Instead they're magical because there's an element of wonder that lifts the story above every day life, giving you a different perspective and making you pay attention to something important and, often, transformative.

Transformation by Rebecca Guay

 If it helps to view your mother-in-law as Godzilla in an apron, monitoring the oven obsessively or seeing your selfish brother who yells at people getting in front of the big screen as a lonely troll retreating under his safe-and-familiar bridge, then do it. You'll be able to better see your own blessings and maybe you might understand those monsters and help them transform back into the princes and princesses they could be.

 May your Christmas be magical in all the good ways and if it isn't, may the power of fairy tale transformation be yours to wield. Happy Holidays!

"Lost Girl" Coming to Syfy

There are even more fairy tale based creatures coming to TV but the premise for these ones is quite different to anything we've seen yet, despite that the series has been described as a fairy tale/crime drama.

The name of the series is Lost Girl and it's coming to Syfy in the US on January 16, 2012.

Lost Girl caught my eye when it premiered in Canada with all the surprisingly good reviews it received - as in, the critics were surprised they liked it, as was everyone else. Initially, the series hit my radar because of the urban fantasy connection (a genre I read and write a lot of) but it took very little digging to uncover the fairy tale connection.

Ready for the premise? (Note: If you find yourself rolling your eyes at it, keep reading as I know exactly how you feel!)

Raised by human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door -- until she "drained" her first boyfriend to death. She then discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them in secret, as they have for millennia. Bo herself is a Succubus, a supernatural seductress who feeds off sexual energy. She is faced with choosing an allegiance between the Dark or Light Fae clans. Bo decides to take the middle path between humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin, protecting humans along the way.

I must admit, when I first read the premise I rolled my eyes. Despite the fact I read a lot of urban fantasy I'm picky about anything to do with Fae or faeries and anything to do with succubi I tend to gloss over. What made me look twice in this case though, was a girl who was fighting her heritage, not wanting to lose her humanness, even as she learns to use her very non-human powers for good.

While I'm not really interested in Succubi (or Incubi) I am fascinated by Rusalki, fox women and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, something which, from the extended descriptions, this character has a lot in common with. But there's even more fairy tale connection than that. You can already tell Lost Girl has a lot of "dark fae" in the mythology/world so we can expect lots of mythological creatures (expect sirens, wolf-people and banshees among others) but there's also Morrigan ('The" Morrigan, if I understand correctly) who is described as the leader of the Dark Fae, while Baba Yaga makes an appearance in a second season episode title Mirror, Mirror. This episode is described as not only being quite true to the fairy tale character of Baba Yaga but also has different fairy tale elements to it (eg Snow White, Hansel & Gretel) as well. If you want more details, but with spoilers, you can read this blog entry HERE.

The folklore creature aspect is going to be a lot of fun. They even have a glossary ready to go (A-Z!) with this description:

The Fae represent the reality behind many of the myths and the folklore of global cultures including Irish, Native American, African and Chinese. Read on to discover a lineup of legendary creatures you'll be meeting during Bo's adventures in the world of the Fae.

Click to read the "FaeQ" HERE. (Seriously - don't you want to give the series a chance just because of this? FAQ/FAeQ - heh.)

I have a feeling the creators were trying to tap into the vampire trend (as you may be able to tell from the Showcase promo posters - sheesh!) and catch some of those viewers and fans but it turns out they were also tapping into the current fairy tale zeitgeist (gotta love that word!) that is all the rage at present. It's likely to interest fans of Buffy, Angel & Underworld with the paranormal PI angle too.

The first two seasons have already aired in Canada, garnering excellent reviews and a solid fan base and should make a good fit for US viewers whose current post-vampire-shifting-to-reworked/darker-fairy-tales focus is still building momentum.

I'm hoping it lives up to the reviews and delivers a layered urban fantasy rich with folklore and fae that isn't cheesy. I guess we'll find out in January!

You can read more info on the series and the characters (with pictures) HERE  and the Syfy home page for Lost Girl is HERE.

Wall Street Cyclops by Charles Santoso

Well? How do you think a cyclops would adapt to life in the fast lane? Now I've seen this, I kind of wish they were real... Think I might suggest this concept to my urban fantasy writing friends. I'd love to see what other improvements (aka damage - depending on where you're standing) he would do.

Created by the very talented Australian illustrator Charles Santoso who has a wonderful blog HERE and can be followed on Twitter HERE. Every one of his pictures seems to tell a story (often with a little wink and a nod). His style if wonderfully appealing and there's quite a bit of myth and folktale thrown into his work too so be sure to have a good browse.

Via the always-awesome Super Punch.