Pixar Pivots from Originals to Sequels Following Recent Box Office Disappointments

A new in-depth article from The Wall Street Journal details the pressures facing Pixar after several recent films struggled at the box office.

What's Happening:

• Pixar is under pressure to create new hit franchises following several recent films struggled at the box office. Many of these films were based on personal stories from the filmmakers, something that hasn't widely connected with audiences.
• Films such as Lightyear, Elemental, and Elio reportedly lost Disney more than $100 million. 
• This led to Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter making a shift towards concepts with broader, more universal appeal. 
• Pixar now evaluates new films partly on whether they can become franchises, marking a shift from its earlier focus purely on originality. 
• The studio has pivoted toward more sequels to stabilize revenue, with upcoming projects including Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, Coco 2, and a possible third Monsters, Inc film. 
• Pixar now produces more sequels than original films, reversing its earlier philosophy of prioritizing originals. 
• The article also revealed that some projects have been cancelled or heavily reworked, including scrapping an autobiographical project called Be Fri and overhauling Elio late in production. 
• Changes to Elio also included removing some LGBTQ story elements after test-audience feedback that certain themes might alienate parents. 
• Pixar expanded into Disney+ series with Win or Lose, but scaled back after limited success, leading to layoffs and a reduced workforce (about 1,100 employees, down from roughly 1,500).
• Despite financial pressure, Pixar continues experimenting with new ideas, including the visually ambitious Ono Ghost Market – a project originally intended as a streaming series that is inspired by Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living and dead interact.
• Turning Red director Domee Shi is also developing Pixar's first-ever musical.
• You can read the full piece from Ben Fritz over at The Wall Street Journal.

More Disney Movie News:

• A long-in-development live-action remake of Disney's 1973 animated feature Robin Hood is officially dead.
• A new addition to the Hutt family, in the form of Rotta the Hutt, who will be played by The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
• As Pixar's latest film Hoppers hits theaters, the stars of the film were on hand for a special ceremony this week in Beaverton, Oregon.
• Disney Animation is reimagining select song sequences from recent hits to include ASL in their character animation.