Time & Perspective Quote by Brad Bird

Brad Bird’s voice here is pure showman-engineer: the casual shrug of “I’m still working” paired with the sly wink of “expect the unexpected.” It’s a line calibrated for fans and industry watchers who treat every pause in a major animator’s career as either a crisis or a clue. Bird answers that pressure without feeding it. He frames the workload (The Incredibles as a living, unfinished machine) as justification for stepping back, then immediately reasserts momentum with “a couple of tricks up my sleeve.” Rest, in this telling, isn’t retreat; it’s strategic concealment.

The intent is twofold: manage expectations and maintain leverage. “Not ready to talk” is boundary-setting in a business that punishes silence, while also functioning as marketing. He withholds specifics to prevent premature hype from calcifying into demands, but he also plants a promise that keeps attention trained on him rather than the release calendar. The phrase “expect the unexpected” is almost comically self-aware coming from the director of a film about a family of surprises: powers, identities, reversals. He’s branding his process as an extension of his storytelling.

Context matters: animation is long-haul labor, and Bird’s reputation is built on precision and control. The subtext is a quiet flex: I’m busy, I’m choosing my timing, and I’m still the guy who can outmaneuver your predictions. It’s less mystery than authority performed as mischief.