Brad Bird is a famous American animator, director and screenwriter, creator of such masterpieces as "Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles". He also directed the films Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland. Brad Bird's cartoons have won many prestigious film awards and are considered classics of the genre.
Career start
Brad Bird's first feature film was the Animal Olympics cartoon, released back in 1980. This was followed by work on the family cartoon "The Fox and the Dog". The tape collected at the box office a solid amount for that time, 63 million dollars, earned the love of critics and viewers.
In 1985, Brad Bird acted as the animator of the fantasy cartoon "The Black Cauldron", based on the novel of the same name by Lloyd Alexander. The film differed from previous Disney projects with a dark, mystical atmosphere, and was the first in the history of the studio to receive a PG rating. With a budget of 44 milliondollars "The Black Cauldron" collected only 21 million at the box office, which hit hard on the financial position of the film studio. Critics reacted differently to the cartoon: most of them praised the excellent animation and visual effects, but were dissatisfied with the fact that the plot was very different from the literary source.
In 1987 Bird made his debut as a screenwriter. Director Matthew Robbins took on the shooting of the fantasy film Batteries Not Included, writing the screenplay for which Brad Bird was assigned. Movies about alien beings have been a hit with audiences, and this one by Robbins is no exception. The picture grossed $65 million at the box office and won the Saturn Award.
Director's work
In 1999, the cartoon "The Steel Giant" was released, which became the directorial debut for Byrd. "Steel Giant" earned critical acclaim, praising the direction, animation, and voice acting. For unknown reasons, the cartoon failed at the box office: with a budget of $ 70 million, it grossed about 30 million at the box office. However, the box office failure did not prevent "The Steel Giant" from becoming a classic of the genre.
After a five-year hiatus, Bird is back in the director's chair. He was entrusted with the work on the cartoon "The Incredibles", for which Brad Bird himself wrote the script. The film about the adventures of a family of superheroes appealed not only to children, but also to adults. The Incredibles won two Oscars and became one of the highest-grossing cartoons in film history.grossing nearly $700 million at the box office.
Since then, Brad Bird's paintings have consistently enjoyed success. In 2007, he acted as director and screenwriter of the cartoon "Ratatouille". The film about the adventures of a little rat with an enviable culinary talent captivated both the audience and film critics, who called "Ratatouille" "Almost a perfect work of art." The cartoon won the Oscar and Golden Globe awards in the Best Animated Film category. Box-office receipts pleased - 620 million dollars with a budget of 150 million
In 2011, Byrd had the opportunity to try his hand at a new genre. Producer Brian Burke asked him to direct the spy thriller Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and Brad Bird agreed. He had the opportunity to work with such stars as Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton. Film critics praised the film, describing it as a "stylish and gripping thriller".
In the filmography of Brad Bird, the sci-fi film "Tomorrowland", shot by him in 2015, also deserves attention. The film stars Britt Robertson, George Clooney and Hugh Laurie. Despite the strong cast, the picture did not become a box office hit - with a budget of $190 million, the box office was $209 million.
Bird is currently working on a sequel to The Incredibles, due for release in summer 2018.
Television work
Brad Bird has participated in the creation of many television series. In 1985, he began writing and producing the Steven Spielberg anthology Amazing Stories, and was involved with the series until its conclusion in 1987.
In 1993, Byrd was a screenwriter and animator for the animated series "Domestic Dog". He also voiced the dog in the first episode.
From 1989 to 1998, Bird was an executive consultant on The Simpsons, and even directed several episodes himself. The series is a huge success in the United States and beyond, so new episodes are still regularly released, however, filmed already without the participation of Brad Bird.
In 1991, he acted as an animator for the animated series "Oh, those kids!".
Acting work
Few people know that Brad Bird is happy to take part in voicing the characters of his cartoons. In the cartoon "Ratatouille" the butler spoke in his voice, in "The Incredibles" the eccentric designer Edna Mode. In The Incredibles 2, Brad Bird will return to voice this character.
Private life
Since 1988, Brad Bird has been married to Elizabeth Canny. The couple have three children. Bird's son Nicholas voiced one of the characters in the cartoon Finding Nemo. Nicholas and his younger brother Michael voice children in The Incredibles.
