Pete Docter just said the quiet part out loud. Pixar is starting to pivot films to more sequels and money-making originals. Pixar has hit a wall with original content, while their sequels like “Inside Out 2” have done fantastically at the box office.
One such film that flopped was “Elio”, losing Pixar over $100 million.
The original story focused on Elio’s (11 years old) sexual identity and his love of fashion design. This was later changed after test audiences reportedly indicated they would not pay to see the film in theaters. Changes to the story led creator Adrian Molina to leave the project. Pixar employees bemoaned the representation changes as well.
This all prompted Pixar chief Pete Docter to finally say, “We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.” In response to parents not wanting to attend these films and have conversations they weren’t prepared for later.
Frankly, animation has been a lot of “therapy” lately, with artists pushing for stories they wish someone had made for them growing up. While those do have a place, multi-million dollar Disney/Pixar films might not be it. Demanding it might not go over as it did a few years ago.
I do not think this is the only issue facing Disney/Pixar original films.
“Hoppers” is about environmental issues, and it’s yet to be seen how well that one does. But other films like “Turning Red”, “Luca”, “Buzz Lightyear”, and “Onward” weren’t movies that would have performed well theatrically. This might be part of the reason why “Turning Red” and “Luca” were used as subscriber bait during the pandemic.
This does not always mean films are bad; they may simply not have the “mass appeal” needed for box office domination.
For now, it seems Pete Docter and Disney are pivoting away from “therapy” and moving back toward films that could bring the money. “Toy Story” and “Inside Out” were once original ideas that have been turned into blockbuster brands. Pixar can do it, but it may take some toughness from those in charge.
Maybe save the super personal, “therapy sessions” for the Pixar shorts and move on to more mass appeal stories for theatrical release.
What do you think? Comment and let us know!
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