When it comes to Pixar’s acclaimed filmography, the one name that stands out is Brad Bird, responsible for two of the most acclaimed features the iconic studio has to offer. Both Ratatouille and The Incredibles are iconic in their own right and are considered by many to be two of the best films the medium of CG animation has to offer.
However, the director might not have landed this feat had he not hit it out of the park with his first animated feature, for which Bird almost got screwed over by the studio.
Brad Bird Had a Backup Plan Ready Before Making the Pitch
Often considered one of the best films of the ’90s and one of the best animated releases in general, the emotional prowess of The Iron Giant can grow the Grinch’s heart three sizes. Inspired by a real-life tragedy, Brad Bird decided to put his soul into the adaptation of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man and to say that he delivered would be an understatement.
But while Bird earned the screenplay credit for his directorial debut, initially, Warner Bros. hired two other screenwriters to pen the script with the help of the notes, made during his initial pitch. But thankfully, WGA came to his aid.
During the panel discussion at the Los Angeles Animation Festival, Bird recalled:
One of them almost got screen credit. But I was smart enough to write down and register it with the Writers Guild before I gave the pitch
Even though the film fell face-first at the box office upon its release, the critical success, and word of mouth, eventually boosted its numbers during home video sales.
Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant Was Inspired by One Tragic Event
Bird’s moving pitch for the film, “What if a gun had a soul and didn’t want to be a gun?” was inspired by the real-life tragedy that he incurred years back. In 1989, Bird’s sister Susan, whom he was very close with, died of gun violence by her estranged husband in a murder-suicide. Considering Bird was attempting to land a gig at directing for a long time and wasn’t sure about his future after his first feature, he made sure to put everything into it and dedicated the film to his sister Susan.
He said (via IndieWire):
I wasn’t thinking consciously about it when I proposed the idea, but my feelings about [gun violence] are in the film and it’s dedicated to her at the end. That was in many ways the hardest part I had to deal with. But the first film came late. I had been trying to direct for a long time, and wasn’t sure I would get to direct again. So I threw everything into it. I knew that the film happened through a fluke confluence of events. It’s like mushrooms only grow if they have the exact, right circumstance.
Despite not making a splash at the box office, as the late 90s saw the rise of CG animation, the film has cemented itself as a timeless classic, which continues to move people emotionally.
The Iron Giant is available to stream on Max.
