After directing the Oscar-winning animated film, “Toy Story 4,” filmmaker Josh Cooley now has the ability to pick and choose his future projects. That’s the type of clout a little gold trophy grants. And it appears that Cooley is using his success to land his first-ever live-action feature, “Malamander.”
According to THR, Cooley is set to write and direct the upcoming live-action film, “Malamander,” based on the children’s book by Thomas Taylor. The film tells the story of a young boy, who works at a hotel’s lost and found, who teams up with a young girl to help find her lost parents. The mission leads them on a fantastical journey where they cross paths with a hook-handed man who is out to get them and a half-man, half-monster that can make dreams come true.
READ MORE: ‘Transformers’: ‘Toy Story 4’ Director Josh Cooley To Helm An Animated Prequel Film
“Creating films and telling stories at Pixar for 17 years has been a dream,” said Cooley. “The quality of our storytelling was a direct correlation to the quality of the people at Pixar who shaped those stories together, and they will always be my family. And while it was a hard decision to leave, I am so excited to jump into and create new worlds with new collaborators and partners. There are so many stories that I want to tell, and I hope to bring some of that Pixar magic with me wherever I go.”
As mentioned, Cooley is probably best known for directing “Toy Story 4,” which earned more than $1 billion worldwide. However, prior to that, the filmmaker worked behind-the-scenes at Pixar on films such as “The Incredibles,” “Cars,” Up,” “Inside Out,” and “Ratatouille.” In addition to “Malamander,” Cooley has also signed on to helm the animated “Transformers” prequel that was just recently announced.