Cars 2 could be in trouble. The sequel, slated for a 2011 release, has been in production for some time now but the Brad Lewis directed film is rumored to be having problems and firs time director Lewis may be out. Blue Sky Disney claims Pixar/Disney head honcho John Lasseter is taking over the project, personally, in an attempt to fix story issues.
If true, it wouldn’t be the first time a Pixar movie has had a director change in mid-production. Pixar’s movies often go through difficulty on their way to the screen. Part of it’s their refusal to settle for second-rate. If something’s not working, they’ll change it. That’s how director Brad Bird ended up on Ratatouille, brought in as a hired gun to fix a film that wasn’t headed in the right direction. It worked and now Ratatouille is regarded as an instant classic along with all of Pixar’s others.
Lasseter is Pixar’s godfather. He’s not just the guy in charge, he’s one of the key creative minds behind the company’s creation. He’s also the guy who directed most of Pixar’s earliest hits and, incidentally, he also directed Cars. If Cars 2 really is in trouble, with Lasseter on the case, it won’t be for long. They’ve still got more than a year to get it right.
