Since 2016, Pixar has released a total of five films (if you count the soon-to-be-released “Toy Story 4”). And of those five films, only one, “Coco,” is an original property not tied to a previous Pixar brand. Other films, such as “Finding Dory,” “Cars 3,” “Incredibles 2,” and the aforementioned “Toy Story 4,” are sequels to established franchises. And though those films have been hugely successful, both creatively and financially (well, except “Cars 3”), there are many that wonder if Pixar has moved away from what made the brand so great in the first place — the creativity.
Well, according to people involved with the studio, the future looks incredibly bright and is filled with some brand-new, exciting, original projects.
THR has a new report about the future of Pixar, which is rebounding from the dismissal of its co-founder and leader John Lasseter after accusations of sexual misconduct came to light. And in the report, it is revealed that after the upcoming “Toy Story 4,” which arrives June 21, Pixar is going to be focusing solely on new, original projects and not sequels, led by new boss Pete Docter.
“He’s really looking out for the new voices and really loading up the development pool,” Producer Mark Nielsen said. “It’s all original films after this one right now.”
So, for those worried that Pixar was relying too heavily on sequels, don’t worry. In 2020, the studio is set to release “Onward,” directed by “Monsters University” helmer Dan Scanlon. And though the studio is said to be working on a sequel to the ‘Monsters’ brand, that series will be sent directly to Disney+.
And even with Lasseter receiving a “story by” credit for “Toy Story 4,” along with a whopping seven other writers, it appears that the future of Pixar begins now.