Hey reddit. You might know me as the director of WALL-E, FINDING NEMO, FINDING DORY, and JOHN CARTER. I've written/co-written TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS INC., and TOY STORY 4. I've also directed/co-written the upcoming TOY STORY 5.
My newest film, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, is out on Hulu this Friday 2/27. It stars Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, Daveed Diggs, and Tanaya Beatty.
Synopsis:
Three intersecting storylines spanning thousands of years explore the nature of life, love, hope and connection.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EKzEaKKoYU
Ask me anything! I'll be back tomorrow (Tuesday 2/24) at around 2 PM ET to answer your questions.
by AndrewStantonAMA
27 Comments
Hey there, Mr. Stanton!
With regards to these *Toy Story* sequels, what other plots did you and the studio have in mind before settling on what we eventually got? These movies have oodles of possibilities, so I was wondering how many concepts were thrown around but never passed the writer’s room.
How does it feel to see your work become such cultural icons?
Of all the films you wrote or directed, is there something – say, a plot point or a scene or even a whole side character – that you wish had made the final cut?
When developing a character, do you start with their journey or their personality—and why?
Love your work! What’s your favorite dinosaur?
First off, thank you for all you’ve done, your movies have inspired me a great deal. I was just thinking last week while I was watching Toy Story 2 that you have a special way of making an ensemble cast work. There’s not many movies I’ve seen that can fit in so many prominent characters without it feeling forced but so many of yours do it so well, what is your key to making a large cast of characters work, how do you make somebody like Rex or Roz as recognizable as a Sulley or Buzz in the way you have done?
The reaction to John Carter was brutal. I like the film and I’m sure you stand by it. So what do you think caused an extreme response?
Knowing the marketing now, would you have done anything different with John Carter? Great movie, really fun.
Is there anything in any of your movies that really bugs you? Something you wish you could change?
Big fan of your work!
Have you a personal favorite film that you’ve directed?
Much appreciated for having a large hand in making WALL-E. I don’t know if a sequel is even possible in terms of story, have any rejected pitches ever been made? Any that are shareable? Do you have any favorite fan art for your films?
What aspects in the production of ‘Finding Dory’ were much easier than ‘Finding Nemo’, given the ( roughly ) 13 years of technical innovations between them?
How would you recommend someone who already started a career in something else to truly break into the animation industry?
Hey! I’m a big fan of John Carter. I have to say the ending of that movie made me emotional! A lot has been said about it’s failure at the box office, problems with marketing and so on, but do you have any other insight that you couldn’t really share closer to it’s release that would be fine to talk about now? The whole story around it and the fact that we will never get to see the sequels is so heartbreaking, but also so captivating to someone following it from the outside!
Hello Andrew, I love your work!
What were some notable story-telling challenges that you had to overcome in WALL-E, due to the largely silent main protagonist, that would’ve been trivial in any other film?
You wrote some of the most beloved Pixar films of all time, but do people ask you about those?
No!
You directed multiple academy award winning films, but do people ask you about those?
NO!
But you tell ONE joke about a guy fucking a goat…
I love your TED talk sir! It’s helped me immensely with my stories and scripts. Keep up the good work!
Grew up with your work, so thank you! My favorite thing in any Pixar movie ever as a kid was the ending credits sequence of Wall-E when humanity is rebuilding, so I wanna ask: what inspired it? was it ever a thought to have that sequence in the movie itself instead of the credits?
Do you think the movie should’ve used the “John Carter of Mars” title in hindsight?
Hello! Do you have any thoughts on the “theory” that Buy N Large is the true overall Pixar villain?
WALL•E is the best animated film of the last 25 years.
Hello Andrew! Regarding Monsters Inc, I was wondering if there were any subtle or quick improvisations/changes to the original details or direction of the film during production that was influenced by Mary Gibbs’s performance as Boo & what she added to the character?
Why do you think John Carter failed?
Hey Mr. Stanton you have an awesome resume! My question is, we hear stories about how challenging it was to do things like Sullys hair in Monsters Inc. In 2026 after much time and innovation what new sort of feats or challenges is it that you have to over come in production when it seems like computers are capable of doing anything and everything?
Hi, Mr. Stanton. I just want to ask how it worked with Ralph Bakshi hiring directly from Cal Arts for his Mighty Mouse show. Do you think that was a formative experience for a lot of people from that cohort, including yourself?
Hello, Mr. Stanton. I’m a big fan of your work and have loved following Pixar’s progression over the years, Toy Story 2 is my second favorite movie ever. The movies y’all have made have been so influential to me and have made a huge impact on my life and have helped spark my interest in movies and got me into acting. I owe so much of my aspirations to Pixar and I’m looking forward to all the upcoming films, especially Toy Story 5.
My question is, what genre of film would you like Pixar to explore next? Such as thriller, western, action-adventure etc.
Do you feel like there are too many people calling shots (especially non creatives, shareholders, etc) on your movies today compared to, say 20 years ago?
When someone comes to you saying they want a new Toy Story script… what is your alcohol of choice and how much do you need?