6. Umbrella
The short film preceding the main feature has been a mainstay of Pixar films since the very beginning, with Monsters, Inc. being the first to feature an original, previously unseen one. From the very early days, when it was part of Lucasfilm, the shorts have been a key element of Pixar, showcasing some of their finest moments. Recently, other animation houses have tried to ape this, but to an inferior standard. Very little is known about the short that will come before Monsters University; it is code named Umbrella and will have a score from Jon Brion who has previously worked on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and this years Paranorman (talk about versatility). Expect something sweet, twisting a long existent notion with a human touch and an emotional punch at the end. A new short is always something to look forward to with a Pixar film, but coming off the back of Braves fairytale-esque La Luna, which departed from the previously established style, in favour of a more traditional, caricature based look, Umbrella has a lot of potential to be something truly special. Its also incredibly refreshing to see a new short that isn't one of the irritating, ongoing Toy Story Toons.