Now that Pixar is settled into their new (old) home at Disney, they’re firing up the hardware on new projects, but also wisely sticking with what works.

Their latest rendered blockbuster Ratatouille has hooked director Brad Bird, who’s already a solid two-for-two with unquestionable animated masterpieces (that’d be Iron Giant and The Incredibles). It’s already slotted for release on June 29, 2007, so they obviously kickstarted the machine awhile ago.

The movie is based on a short by Pixar regular Jan Pinkava, and follows the titular rodent (named after a nummy veggie dish) and his life at a posh Paris restaurant operated by a peculiar chef. I already like it more than Cars.