A surprise development has caught the attention of keen cinephiles. Andrew Stanton, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind some of Pixar's biggest hits, such as WALL-E and Finding Nemo, is bringing out his first live-action feature since 2012’s John Carter.
Titled In the Blink of an Eye, the film, backed by Searchlight Pictures, is set to premiere at the upcoming edition of the Sundance Film Festival. It has been listed as part of their 2026 program. The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will run from January 2 to February 1.
The first official still from the film teases a visual that should be exciting for cinephiles who prefer sci-fi films with a philosophical bent. Stanton's concept is reportedly inspired by acclaimed films such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia.
Wake up, it’s the future. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, a new sci-fi adventure from the director of WALL-E and Finding Nemo. Premiering at #SundanceFilmFestival 2026. pic.twitter.com/AOwSRXKesA
— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) December 10, 2025
The official synopsis on the Sundance website says In the Blink of an Eye “constructs an elegantly interwoven triptych that contemplates the essence of humanity across three moments in time. A Neanderthal family, displaced from their home, struggles to survive, protect the children, and use primitive tools. In the present day, Claire (Rashida Jones), a driven post-grad anthropologist studying ancient proto-human remains, begins a relationship with a fellow student, Greg (Daveed Diggs). And two centuries later, on a spaceship bound for a distant planet, Coakley (Kate McKinnon) and a sentient onboard computer confront a disease afflicting the ship’s oxygen-producing plants. The artful, poetic way the film’s storylines intersect creates a profound, philosophical meditation on how we experience love, loss (of parents and children), mortality, and the need for connection — with each other, the natural world, and technology — regardless of our time.”
Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, and Daveed Diggs headline the feature, which reportedly commenced production in 2023.
Meanwhile, Stanton is set to direct Toy Story 5, which is scheduled for release on June 19, 2026.
