3. Angus MacLane Is A Genuine Pixar Graduate
Pixar make a habit of promoting from within - the majority of their directors have served apprenticeships on other Pixar productions before moving up to the big chair (aside from Cars director John Lasseter who could pretty much do as he pleased, since he's the boss - which is perhaps why Cars and its sequel are the poorest films on the Pixar slate.) Angus McClane is one such familiar name around the Pixar studios: not only does he have five acting credits under his belt on Pixar films (as most animators tend to have) - including in Small Fry, the last but one Toy Story short released, he has also worked as an animator on 15 Pixar productions, as far back as 1997 short Geri's Game. McClane has also already cut his Pixar directing teeth, thanks to Wall-E short Burn-E (who he also voiced) and Small Fry - both of which he wrote. Basically, MacLane knows Pixar better than any external candidates, and it's very likely we're going to see him progress into a director's chair for a full length feature with Pixar sooner rather than later.