This week we were lucky enough to get to sit down with the creators of some of Pixar’s newest shorts. These shorts include the 5-episode long Dug Days, following the beloved talking dog and his owner Carl from Up. The filmmakers took us inside the making of these beautiful shorts and we’re here to share 3 Things We Learned at the Pixar Shorts Junket!

DUG DAYS BROUGHT HAPPINESS & JOY BACK TO THE CREATORS DURING LOCKDOWN

Dug Days is a 5-episode short series that takes place after the events of the film Up, as it focuses on Dug and Carl as they reside in Suburbia. This series will surely be a must-watch for any fans of the original Best Picture-Nominated original film. And the filmmakers said how much joy it brought to them to work on this project during the pandemic. Producer Kim Collins had this to say:

“So, as we moved into the pandemic, the entire Dug crew realized that these shorts could bring a little bit of sweetness and happiness to people. That motivation kept us wanting to bring our best creatively.”

DUG IS VOICED BY THE DIRECTOR HIMSELF, BOB PETERSON

Bob Peterson co-directed Up with Pete Docter, but he also was the voice of Dug in the film, as well. The director has returned to helm all five episodes of Dug Days and also to voice the titular talking dog. He is joined by the legendary 92-year-old Ed Asner, who originally voiced Carl. Another interesting tidbit, is that the filmmakers did not want to use a different voice actor to take over for Russell, yet Jordan Nagai has obviously aged over the years since the first film. So, they went back to archive recordings of him to once again capture Russell’s essence.

THE FILMMAKERS’ FAVORITE EPISODES ARE “FLOWERS” AND “SCIENCE”

Although director Peterson and producer Collins said that they adored making all five episodes of Dug Days, “Flowers” and “Science” were both their favorites. Peterson loved “Flowers” because of its madcap sensibilities and for being Fantasia-like. While “Science” for him was a heartfelt episode about having such adoration and love for your dog. And after seeing all five episodes, I would say that I agree with them wholeheartedly.

I had such an incredible time returning to this world and these characters. And you don’t have to wait long to do so either, as…

All five episodes of Dug Days premiere on Disney+, September 1st.

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