Many animation fans were disappointed about the cancellation of Pixar’s film Newt, the directorial debut of sound designer extraordinaire Gary Rydstrom. Although Newt was never made, Gary has remained hard at work on other projects.
Most recently in his animation work, Rydstrom was the sound designer for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wreck-It Ralph. Through an interview published by Animation Magazine, we’ve learned that Rydstrom is also directing the film that former Pixar employee Brenda Chapman has been working on for Lucasfilm.
Chapman stated:
“I have been working on a project with Lucas for quite some time — about six months. When Lucasfilm was handed over to Kathleen Kennedy, she asked me to consult on the film to help solve its story problems. It was an opportunity for me to work with her. I felt honored to be asked by her, after what happened at Pixar. DreamWorks was very generous to me in postponing my start date with them so that I could work with Kathleen, also. My work on the project is done. My good friend, Gary Rydstrom, is directing it now.”
As far as what the film is about is anyone’s guess. Both The Animation Guild Blog and SlashFilm have some additional information and thoughts on the topic. We will keep you posted as we learn more.
Source: Big Screen Animation
Animation Fascination 