Pixar’s Pete Docter is impersonating a giant wave, his arms wobbling in the air. You might think he’s conveying the joys of Wade Ripple, the watery character who features in the American animation company's latest feature Elemental. In fact, the company’s chief creative officer is demonstrating visually – he is an animator by trade, after all – the state of the film industry right now.
“I think we’re still in a period of like ... somebody dropped a giant boulder in the middle of the pool and everything’s gone like this," he says, showing off that wave, when we meet in Cannes’s Carlton Hotel. “It’s still kind of calming down.” Of course, he’s referring to the past three years, when Covid-19 caused global shutdowns of movie theatres and streaming companies stepped up their game.
For Pixar, the famed Disney-owned brand behind modern classics Toy Story, Cars and 2015’s Docter-directed Inside Out, it was a particularly testing time. Films like Luca and Soul, another Docter-made delight and the third of his films to bring him an Oscar, went to Disney+, the studio’s emerging streaming service, largely bypassing cinemas.
“First of all, we were pretty fortunate to have Disney+,” says Docter, carefully. “Otherwise, those films would have been up there on the shelf and nobody would see them at all. So, Soul, Luca ... there was kind of no alternative at that point.
"I would be lying if I said we were totally happy for everybody to see our movies on streaming [platforms], because we make them for the big screen. We have all this detail, nuance and texture, that don’t show up on your screen – much less than your iPhone.”
Certainly, Elemental is a film that cries out for big-screen projection. Written and directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur), it’s set in a richly designed fantasy world called Element City, where characters made of fire, water, earth and air co-exist. The lead is Ember, a "fire" person who lives with her parents on the outskirts of the city. Then one day she meets the watery Wade and sparks fly.
“We’d never done a love story before,” says Docter, credited as executive producer on the film. “And there is like some old animation history that says love stories can’t really be done very well in animation, which is strange because there’s been a lot of them made.
"But Woolie Reitherman who directed a lot of the Disney films [including One Hundred and One Dalmatians and The Jungle Book] said that there was not enough control in animation to be able to do them effectively.”
More seriously, the film touches on isolation and racism, experiences many immigrants experience when entering new countries. “That was a delicate one that we wanted to make sure was included, but still be palatable and not too heavy-handed," he says.
"People go to the movies to escape the world. But that’s impossible because you also want to see enough of your own life reflected in the movie so that it makes sense, that it speaks to you. I kind of believe it’s not possible to tell a really rooted deep story without bringing up some difficult stuff.”
Needless to say, Docter’s delighted that Elemental will be in theatres – not least because there’s a sense the company need a hit. As part of wider Disney-instigated cuts, Pixar recently announced 75 staff were being let go and there will surely be some anxious checking of box office receipts when Elemental is rolled out globally this week.
The last mega-hit the company enjoyed was 2019’s Toy Story 4 ($1.073 billion worldwide) before the pandemic.
Indeed, whisper it quietly, but Pixar is no longer Hollywood’s animation king. Intriguingly, Elemental hits cinemas shortly after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which is co-directed by Kemp Powers, who previously worked with Docter on Soul.
“They have an advantage because it’s a sequel, obviously,” says Docter. “So it’s something that people are familiar with. They’ve grown to love the first [movie]. So that’s a challenge with this film.”
Currently, another rival animation firm Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros Movie is the box office champ of 2023 ($1.3 billion and counting). “That one I haven’t seen but, typically, I’m very curious just to see what’s intriguing to people, what’s working,” says Docter.
Yet both that and Across the Spider-Verse are based on recognisable IP, something Pixar shies away from.
“I like to think people are still interested in seeing original stuff,” he argues.
Given that Disney owns Marvel and Pixar, could he see Pixar collaborating and forging a Marvel-related animation?
“I wouldn’t say never," he says. "But right now, I mean, Kevin [Feige, Marvel’s head] and their group have done a couple of animated things just on their own. And I think the complexity of their world is such it will take us a long time to catch up in terms of story.”
The affable Docter, 54, has been at Pixar since 1990, since former head of the company John Lassater scooped him up from California Institute of the Arts. A true artist, he couldn’t be less executive-like if he tried. But after serving as vice president of creativity, he became Pixar’s chief creative officer in 2018, following Lasseter’s departure after allegations concerning sexual misconduct surfaced.
“Well, I mean, John ... it’s almost impossible to overstate the effect that John had, both creatively, personally, in the business, and it’s definitely a huge shake-up that he’s not there,” says Docter. “I won’t really get into our personal discussion at this point. But he’s an incredible filmmaker.”
In 2019, Lasseter was hired by Skydance Animation, which last year produced its first feature Luck. “I can’t wait to see what they do next,” Docter adds.
Right now, Docter is overseeing the production of Inside Out 2, due next year, directed by Kelsey Mann.
But will he direct again? “Oh, I hope so,” he says. “Like I say, somebody dropped a giant rock in the middle and things are ...” There goes that wave again.
“I mean, my bosses at Disney could say: ‘No, no, no!’ There’s so much influx right now that it’s really hard to say and I think my primary responsibility is to the studio – to make sure that more people can continue to make movies.”
Elemental will be released in UAE cinemas on Thursday
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $49,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner El Patriota, Vagner Leal, Antonio Cintra
7.40pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,000m
Winner Ya Hayati, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Althiqa, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Soft Whisper, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Bedouin’s Story, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
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Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Napoleon
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Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
