Pixar has premiered Hoppers in cinemas, the first result of its new strategy. Toy Story 5 and more sequels are coming soon.
The renowned animation studio has faced challenges in recent years. Lightyear flopped and Elio reportedly lost more than $100 million. Other films since the pandemic, such as Turning Red and Elemental, have not matched the success of earlier Pixar hits, even though animation in general remains highly popular, for example KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix.
Pixar's attempts to branch into TV series, such as Win or Lose for Disney+, have also failed to gain traction. As a result, one planned series is now being turned into a film.
Toy Story, Monsters, Coco
Disney-owned Pixar originally followed a strategy of releasing two original films – new concepts – for every sequel. The strategy has now been reversed to two sequels for every original film, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Inside Out 2 has been one of the few major successes in recent years. It is in fact Pixar's highest-grossing film to date, followed by Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4.
The new strategy will deliver Toy Story 5 next summer. Other sequels in the pipeline include Incredibles 3 in 2028, Coco 2 in 2029, and a third film set in the Monsters, Inc. universe.
Hoppers is currently in theaters. Photo: PixarNew original films
Hoppers is an original film, and fortunately not the last from Pixar. The studio has already confirmed next year's Gatto about a black cat roaming the streets of Venice.
Ono Ghost Market, which explores Asian myths about encounters between the living and the dead, has been dropped as a TV series. According to sources, it will instead become a film.
Pixar is also working on its first musical. Its story has not been revealed, but the project is being developed by Domee Shi.
Meanwhile, the film Be Fri has been cancelled after 3 years of development.
More commercial hits
The shift is part of a move away from autobiographical storytelling in favor of films with broader appeal and stronger commercial potential, according to Pixar's Pete Docter.
Hoppers is the first result of this new strategy.
Pixar films often cost more than $200 million to produce and animate, without the use of AI tools. The studio has reduced its workforce from 1500 to 1100 employees.
- Source: Wall Street Journal
