Brad Bird Eyes TV Miniseries For Long-Planned 1906 Earthquake Project

Director Brad Bird is considering television for a long-gestating project about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, according to Deadline. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Bird said the historical story would lend itself to a multi-episode format.

What is Brad Bird's 1906 project?

The project is based on James Dalessandro’s 2004 historical novel about the catastrophic earthquake and fire. Bird has sought to adapt the book since 2007. "The problem with it is, the more you research that time, the more amazing it is," Bird said at the panel. "And the stories that are happening are insane."

He explained that the wealth of material made a single film adaptation difficult. "The deeper I dug, the more stuff I [had to include]. I was like, 'This has to be in it!' but it has to be big like a movie."

What format does he envision?

When asked about the project's potential format, Bird responded that he envisions eight episodes. He wants the series to balance the "detail of successive episodes" and the "size of a giant movie."

Bird also addressed past rumors about the project's development troubles. "There’s a lotta BS on the Internet about the reason it didn’t happen," he added. "They said the budget went out of control or something like that. We never got that far."

The director, known for animated features like The Incredibles and the upcoming Ray Gunn, has not previously worked in television.