Elemental producer thought they would never finish the movie
Denise Ream explains how the logistical challenges behind Pixar's latest made her think "we had bitten off more than we can chew."
The latest film from Pixar – Elemental – arrives in UK cinemas today, but the film's producer has revealed there was a point she feared they might never get the movie finished.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Denise Ream revealed that the animation challenges were so huge that she began to think that the studio had taken on too much.
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"We were on the movie for seven years, so for about six and a half years we definitely felt that we had bitten off more than we can chew," she explained. "I mean, the two characters were a huge challenge, and because they were created out of a simulation, every single shot was an effect shot.
"So I always joke that it wasn't until we wrapped in animation – and that was late October of last year – that I was like, 'Oh, we're actually going to get the movie done'. So it was incredibly stressful."
She added: "I felt really bad because there were times that our teams would come and say, 'I don't think we could do that'. So then I would have to go to Pete [Sohn, director] and say, you know, I'm not sure we can really do that shot. So there was a lot of negotiation in sort of moving the goalposts on this movie!"
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Of course, in the end, the challenges were overcome and the movie was completed – and Ream has revealed that there's "certainly enough material" to make further films set in this universe should there be an appetite for them.
"We made so many versions of this movie, so many," added director Peter Sohn, with Ream explaining that a lot of characters were created that didn't make it into the final cut.
"Yeah, that's right," said Sohn. "And I feel like some of those characters are beloved, and so could we do something? That'd be great. Nothing's in talks yet, but that'd be great."
Elemental is now showing in UK cinemas. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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