Brad Bird’s Next Film Will Apparently be an Original Musical

Brad Bird isn’t afraid to take on projects that are out of his comfort zone. In fact, when he mulled over the difficulties inherent in directing a musical, he apparently became so attached to the idea that he’s made one his next project. Chatting with Variety reporters on the red carpet of the BAFTA Tea Party, Bird let quite a few details slip on his new film. You can see that exchange on video below.

“I don’t know anything about musicals, so I figure I should do this,” said the director of everything from The Incredibles and The Iron Giant to Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. “Because I’m deathly afraid of it, and that sounds like a cool thing.”

Bird let quite a few additional details slip during the brief conversation, saying that the film would contain “about 20 minutes” of animation, implying that the rest would be in live-action—a Mary Poppins-esque, partially animated fantasy, perhaps? Perhaps most interestingly, though, Bird said the film would not be adapting any existing intellectual property—this will apparently be a completely original setting and story.

Michael Giacchino will be handling the music, according to Bird. Giacchino, in the course of a long career and frequent collaborations with Bird, has worked on everything from The Incredibles and Ratatouille to Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Stay tuned for more details on this still unnamed Brad Bird musical, but you can bet this one will be a big deal when it arrives.

#Incredibles2 director Brad Bird gives details on his next project, including that it will be a musical #BaftaTeaPartypic.twitter.com/NfucPRpnai

— Variety (@Variety) January 6, 2019