Pixar recently shared that it plans to produce fewer autobiographical movies despite a significant truth about the failings of films like Luca and Turning Red. In a recent Bloomberg article, Pixar executives explained the company’s plan to restructure and repair its ailing reputation. Pixar films have historically been high-grossing and groundbreaking as one of the first computer-generated animation studios. The studio’s work often navigates themes relevant to both adults and children, such as family dynamics, emotions, and purpose. After recent box-office struggles, Jim Morris, the studio’s president, announced a new streaming strategy for Disney+.

Pixar has become renowned for exploring a simple yet captivating premise: “What if X had feelings?” The studio has delved into this concept with many films, anthropomorphizing toys (Toy Story), bugs (A Bug’s Life), monsters (Monsters Inc.), fish (Finding Nemo), cars (Cars), robots (WALL-E), rats (Ratatouille), and even emotions themselves (Inside Out). Despite maintaining a magical and curious quality, some of Pixar’s recent autobiographical ventures have lost this universality and are unable to resonate as strongly with audiences. Consequently, the studio has decided to distance itself from these types of films. However, this strategic shift overlooks a significant factor contributing to their recent box office disappointments.

Pixar’s Move Away From Autobiographical Movies Ignores 1 Truth About Luca & Turning Red

The Timing Of The Releases Were Detrimental To The Success Of The Films

It’s crucial not to overlook when Pixar’s films were released when analyzing their success. Both Luca in 2021 and Turning Red in 2022 debuted during the pandemic when many theaters were closed. This led to their direct release on the Disney+ streaming platform alongside their 2020 predecessor, Soul. All four of the films Pixar released during the pandemic (including Onward, which was released a week before the shutdown) were some of the studio’s lowest-earning films ever. This loss is especially dramatic compared to Toy Story 4, which premiered the previous year and earned over a billion dollars (via The Numbers).

The direct-to-streaming model is not the only thing that sets these films apart. Films like Luca and Turning Red break a Pixar trend, taking a much heavier focus on exploring identity. Notably, both films were inspired by their directors’ upbringings, with Luca inspired by its director’s childhood in Italy and Turning Red by its director’s relationship with her mother. The films are so similar that some viewers have noticed that each Turning Red character has a Luca counterpart. This specificity doesn’t mean the movies aren’t universal, as they explore concepts of belonging and coming-of-age, but it can create challenges for certain audiences in relating to the stories.

Pixar Shouldn’t Ignore The Role Of Disney+ In Its Recent Failures

Direct-To-Streaming Models Make Films Almost Too Accessible

Both Luca and Turning Red were released directly to Disney+ during the pandemic. While this made it easier to access the films, only those with the streaming service could watch the movies at the time of their release. In the past, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger implicated Disney+ in Pixar’s recent failures, saying there was no longer an urgency to see a movie in theaters, as films could now be streamed whenever. He also admitted that some of Pixar’s films released during the pandemic could be considered “creative misses.”

Luca, Turning Red, and Soul received theatrical re-releases in early 2024. But, with the poor performances of Lightyear and Elemental post-pandemic, it is clear that audiences have become accustomed to watching films from their own devices. Acknowledging this shift, Morris said Pixar doesn’t plan to premiere any other films via streaming. Instead, it intends to use the platform for the launch of shows. This new model might work, as Inside Out 2, Pixar’s latest theatrical release, is projected to premiere impressively.

Focusing On “Mass Appeal” Is A Huge Mistake For Pixar

Pixar Struggles To Tell A Universal Story With Relatable Specifics

After the failures of its original-content autobiographical films, Pixar shifted back to its classic formula. 2023’s Elemental, for example, asked, “What if the elements had feelings?” However, despite this attempt to recreate their mass appeal non-autobiographical films, Elemental still bombed at the box office. After this happened, Jim Morris told Bloomberg, “I thought it was a good film with a Pixar feel, so when it didn’t work, that was like, ‘Whoa.’ I was thinking, ‘Do people just not want to see the kind of film we make anymore? Is that done?’”

Pixar’s greatest strength has always been its ability to create emotionally resonant stories that appeal to audiences of all ages. While not everyone will always be able to relate, their films are rewarding for those who appreciate the depth and nuance of the storytelling. Based on the performance of some of its recent films, like Luca and Turning Red, both autobiographical movies about identity, versus Elemental, a non-specific general appeal film, Pixar’s current strategy swings between storytelling being too specific or too universal.

This could change with Pixar’s 2025 film, Elio. The movie will follow Elio, who is mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador of Planet Earth. While the fantastical idea of aliens belongs in a typical Pixar film, the film may also include personal and autobiographical elements, as Elio himself is on the cusp of teenagehood (much like Luca and Mei). Undoubtedly, the movie will be a coming-of-age story, likely with a parental relationship subplot, much like Luca and Turning Red. This means that Elio could be an ideal way for Pixar to continue exploring personal stories, while also incorporating the universal themes that have made it so successful.

Sources: Bloomberg, The Numbers