Ahead of Disney’s D23 Expo (which gets underway today), Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer John Lasseter has been talking about the studio’s upcoming animated projects with Entertainment Weekly, including the first Marvel-inspired animated feature Big Hero 6, which is due to hit cinemas in November 2014.
“[Big Hero 6] is based upon a very short series of comic books and it’s six comic books,” says Lasseter. “They’re out of the Marvel universe, but more of a Japanese manga style. We’re creating something based upon that so it’s really a Disney Animation production. A loose adaptation — like all adaptations are. They almost have to be.”
Meanwhile, Lasseter also discussed the possibility of the studio partnering up with another of its recent acquisitions in Lucasfilm, although it seems there’s no plans at this stage for Disney to develop an animated Star Wars movie:
“Pixar has always used Skywalker Sound for all of our productions. They’re the best so we’ll always continue using them and we’re very good friends. And we always have been with [special effects house Industrial Light and Magic] as well. But other than being friends we have never needed to do anything with them. But we’re also massive Star Wars fans so we’re all very excited, as is everybody around the world, for new Star Wars films.”