Today's revelation from Disney - that there won't be a new Pixar film released in theaters in 2014 - is disappointing, but has a silver lining: this should allow a proper amount of time for the computer-animation studio to refine its next original piece of storytelling, The Good Dinosaur, after having formally confirmed that Bob Peterson is no longer directing the film. That's an encouraging thought for everyone who would prefer that the Pixar filmmaking machine take its time and make Good Dinosaur its next masterpiece; as opposed to, ending up with another Brave final product on its hands (i.e. a solid film that fell short of greatness due to a mid-stream change in direction).

So, what does that mean for the rest of the upcoming Pixar slate? Well, Up director Peter Docter's new original film Inside Out - set inside the consciousness of a young girl - remains slated for arrival in Summer 2015, while Good Dinosaur - set in an alternate reality where dinosaurs coexist alongside humans - has been moved to the November 2015 launch date that Disney has previously reserved for Finding Dory. As such, director Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo sequel is shuffling back a year (okay, technically about seven months) to Summer 2016, which is the same frame where the Mouse House recently moved Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Finding Dory has, in recent months, undergone some creative process changes of its own, with the original ending reportedly having been altered in an effort to be more sensitive to concerns about the mistreatment of aquatic mammals and fish in captivity (prompted by the revelations in the critically-acclaimed SeaWorld documentary Blackfish, released this year). Right now, the Finding Nemo followup is the only Pixar sequel on the horizon, as the studio has been outspoken about its commitment to not go overboard with the sequels hereon out (case in point: besides Good Dinosaur and Inside Out, there is an original Pixar film developing that is based around Dia De Los Muertos from Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich).

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent

Disney has also bumped up Maleficent from July to May 2014, in order to fill the spot left vacant by Good Dinosaur. The live-action movie re-examination of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale - told from the perspective of the eponymous sorceress (played by Angelina Jolie) - will have all of June 2014 to itself, so as to attract the large crowds that flocked to see recent Disney' live-action fantasy projects like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and Sam Raimi's Oz the Great and Powerful. The studio will later release the Planes sequel, Planes: Fire and Rescue, in mid-July, followed by Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in August to cap off the Summer blockbuster season.

In other Disney-related release date news:

  • DreamWorks' Wikileaks drama The Fifth Estate (which Disney is distributing through Touchstone Pictures) will now begin a regular theatrical release, rather than a limited one, beginning on October 18th, 2013.
  • Disney's Kevin Costner inspiration sports drama, McFarland, is scheduled to open in theaters on November 21st, 2014.

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Maleficent will now begin showing on 2D and 3D screens around the U.S. on May 30th, 2014.

The Good Dinosaur will arrive in theaters on November 25th, 2015.

Finding Dory is scheduled for theatrical release on June 17th, 2016.

Source: Walt Disney Pictures