Nearly two decades after “Ratatouille” became a critical and commercial success, director Brad Bird said a sequel to the film is off the table.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker behind “The Iron Giant” and “The Incredibles” said the story of Remy, the culinary-minded rat, has already been fully told.
Renewed discussion about a follow-up emerged after actor Patton Oswalt, who voiced Remy, said he would gladly return for another film if Bird agreed to direct it.
Speaking on the “Obsessed” podcast, Oswalt said, “Obviously, I’d love it if there was a Ratatouille sequel,” adding, “If he [Bird] gets an idea, that’s the one I want to do.”
“That story is told”
Despite a growing buzz on a possible sequel, Bird said he does not want a follow-up on Remy’s story.
The filmmaker also revealed that Pixar had occasionally floated the idea of developing a sequel for “Ratatouille,” following the success of “Incredibles 2” and other animated films.
“They’ve made little feints towards that to see how I would react. They’ll, like, crack a joke, but the joke will be a little bit serious, like, ‘Would you?’” Bird said.
“And I’m like, ‘No, we told that story,’” he added.
Criticism of sequel culture
The director also reflected on what he described as Hollywood’s tendency to pursue sequels whenever a film resonates with audiences, recalling similar questions about his 1999 animated cult classic “The Iron Giant.”
“Any time you do something that ends up connecting with people, they automatically think, ‘How about another?’” he said.
“People have mentioned it about ‘The Iron Giant’, which is hilarious to me because the film didn’t succeed at all in its initial release.”
“It’s caught up in time, but what would you do to follow that up? He’s lumbering around, still undiscovered?” Bird said, arguing that its story had likewise reached a natural conclusion.
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Lasting legacy
Released in 2007, “Ratatouille” follows Remy, a rat who dreams of becoming a chef at Auguste Gusteau’s restaurant in Paris and teams up with garbage boy Alfredo Linguini to pursue that ambition.
Featuring a voice cast that includes Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Ian Holm, Janeane Garofalo, Peter O’Toole, and Brad Garrett, the film earned about USD620 million worldwide and received five Academy Award nominations, winning Best Animated Feature.
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Elan Castanares 
Newsjustnews writers 
Mary Mae Balasanos