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The name “Pixar” has been associated with quality storytelling for decades. For almost 30 years, the company has graced us with masterpieces like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Up, and many more. But sadly, in recent times, the studio hasn’t been seen as the creative powerhouse that it once was.



Beginning in 2020 with the COVID-19 Pandemic, their film Onward was pulled from theaters, resulting in their other 2020 film Soul being released directly onto the recently launched Disney+ streaming service after the brief closure of movie theaters. The same fate was given to 2021’s Luca and 2022’s Turning Red. Their big return to theaters was with 2022’s Lightyear, which was a massive failure for the company both critically and financially. 



Now, their most recent film, Elemental, despite making nearly $500 Million worldwide at the box office, was still seen as a disappointment. As a result, some fans worry about the 2024 release Elio, and wonder if it will be downgraded to a Disney+ only release.

In a recent Zoom call interview via the New York Times writer Brooks Barnes, Pixar head Pete Docter (who took over after the abrupt departure of John Lasseter) had reportedly said that Disney had undercut Pixar’s presence on the big screen due to their constant releases directly on Disney+ to try and build their streaming service.

He reportedly stated, “There has been an overall shift in viewing habits as a result of the pandemic, but it’s also specific to Disney+. We’ve told people, ‘Hey, all of this is going to be available to you on Disney+!“

Brooks allegedly claims that during this conversation, Docter was said to have indirectly indicated that the studio has seemingly “drifted too far from its storytelling roots.”



He reportedly followed this up by discussing how the studio is taking a step back to look at the kind of films that they are making and try to recreate what worked before. Probably to try and rethink their strategy in order to avoid making mistakes like Lightyear again.

“I always felt that Elemental would speak to a lot of people, and I’m so happy it has. But we have also taken another look at the projects we’re working on now. What are the kinds of films we want to be making? I really think I want to double down on what allowed us to speak to audiences to begin with.“

As we speak, former Pixar head John Lasseter, currently head of Skydance Animation, has teamed up with Netflix and, alongside other Disney and DreamWorks veterans, is developing multiple films to compete with their former employers. Universal has been bringing animation box office hits as well. Docter will need all hands on deck if he wants to try and keep the studio afloat in this new animation war.

What do you think? Is this a sign that Pixar plans to reevaluate its film output and bring back the quality we once knew? Or do you think Pixar will eventually be relegated to Disney+ movies? Or worse… merged with Disney Animation and phased out altogether? Let us know below.

Source: Bounding Into Comics