Brad Bird Teases 'Incredibles 2,' Hints at 'Star Wars'

He also teases the possibility of joining a galaxy far, far away.

Story by Matt Cummings

With Disney's Tomorrowland ready to premiere in two weeks, Director Brad Bird diverted attention (if only slightly) during a recent interview with Collider, in which he told reporters that The Incredibles 2 is finally happening. We wrote about it back in 2011, but now it appears the project is finally getting underway. While he's got "a bunch of pages" ready, Bird didn't elaborate as to what time period the superhero family comedy would take place. If you haven't seen the original, Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) and his family try to live a normal life when they're called back into action against the evil Syndrome (Jason Lee). The 2004 movie made over $260 million domestically, but didn't rate well with some critics. However, it's been one of the most debated subjects for fans and animated lovers alike: the question hasn't surrounded whether The Incredibles should get a sequel, instead what should it be about?

That seems like the easy part. At the end of Incredibles, we learn that Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter) is pregnant, conceiving a fire-breathing baby that instantly creates problems for Team Incredibles as the film ends. Moving forward with this story would be a logical move, setting the story a decade later as Jack-Jack learns to hone his power in order to join the team. The chemistry between Syndrome and Mr. Incredible played as some of the film's best scenes, so Syndrome's return would seem likely. Whatever path Bird ends up taking, don't expect the film to arrive much before 2018.

Another revelation Bird discussed with Collider is his love for Star Wars and his desire to possibly direct either an Anthology film or Episodes VIII or IX. It's no secret that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy approached Bird about directing Episode VII, and he did for a moment consider juggling Tomorrowland with it. Smartly, he decided otherwise. But with Josh Trank having departed Rogue One, Bird was asked if he would consider helming that film:

“Well Kathy and I have discussed the possibility of—I mean she’s basically saying this is a very large sandbox and other people can play in it. I was particularly attracted to the idea of picking up and—J.J. got very excited about the notion of shaping the next trilogy, and that idea was interesting to me too. But I kind of—I’m writing a sequel to The Incredibles and I can’t think too much farther beyond that. I have other things I want to do as well.”

So while Rogue One isn't in his immediate future, the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol helmer sounds like he would love to join the struggle in a galaxy far, far away. The question would be, when? He's certainly demosntrated that he can master big action set pieces, as he expertly captured Actor Tom Cruise doing nothing short of scaling the Burj Tower in Dubai, while giving he and newcomer Jeremy Renner plenty to argue about as the IMF were disavowed. No matter which project he's eventually offered, let's hope Bird accepts that challenge to bring another Star Wars film to life. Tomorrowland opens on May 22, 2015. Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.