In a story from Variety, Henry Selick (Coraline) is returning to Disney where he began his animation career at Disney in the late '70s. He has signed an exclusive long-term deal to make stop-motion features for Disney/Pixar.

The reunion also is a very personal one, putting Selick in business with long-time friends John Lasseter (Cars) and director Brad Bird (Ratatouille).

"I first met John Lasseter when we were classmates at CalArts," Henry Selick stated. "I've watched with awe and amazement as Pixar created a new way to make animated movies with computers."

Selick is going to locate to the Bay Area, and plans to write and direct features that are based on both original ideas and literary properties.

He made his directing debut at Disney in 1993 with the Tim Burton-produced The Nightmare Before Christmas. His follow up was James and the Giant Peach.

"I'll quote Dick Cook right after James and the Giant Peach was finished. He said, 'We don't believe this is a viable medium anymore, and we're not going to do it,'?" Selick said. "A few years later they shut down 2D. It's great that both of those things are back."