Pixar Director Does The ‘Impossible’

With “Mission Impossible IV’s” release date approaching at a rate that would surprise most, a director has finally been chosen and it would seem that Brad Bird (The Pixar-staffed director responsible for such critical and financial success like “The Iron Giant”, “The Incredibles”, and “Ratatouille”) has been chosen by Paramount Studios to helm the fourth installment in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

The specifics of the J.J. Abrams-produced film are hush-hush right now, with information slowly leaking out from studio execs and such, but it has been confirmed that Brad Bird will make his live-action directorial debut with the Tom Cruise-starring “Mission: Impossible IV”. Nothing else about the film is known except for an expected release date (which was recently pushed back to December 16, 2011).

“Mission: Impossible IV” will supersede the planned “1906″, which was supposed to be Bird’s first live-action film, but has been put on hold a tleast until after “Mission”.

With “Mission” being released in late 2011, but “John Carter Of Mars” (the first live-action Andrew Stanton (another Pixar director) film) being released in the summer of 2012, it would appear that Bird will become the first Pixar director to make it into live-action. But, since “John Carter” is currently shooting, it would only be on a technicality. Does it count? That’s for you to decide.