For many, Pixar’s canceled film Newt was a curiosity, but it ended up helping Inside Out. Announced by Disney as far back as 2008 and scrapped shortly after, Pixar’s newt described itself as an animated romantic comedy surrounding themes of conservation, biology, and the struggles of scientists to save species from extinction. Although preceded by other films, such as Brave, in 2015, Disney released the mind-bending Inside Out, allowing Newt to fade into obscurity as one of the Pixar projects that could’ve been.
Sometimes for something new to be made, something else must end, and in the case of Inside Out, it came about because Newt never reached theaters. Behind-the-scenes production troubles with Newt and a changing of the guard brought Inside Out’s story to the table. It’s a strange tale of trying to capture lightning in a bottle and continue Pixar’s tradition of emotional storytelling, giving insight into their creative process that leaves people questioning what could’ve been.
Pixar’s Newt Could’ve Been Great
Despite having strong similarities to Rio – and thus risking looking too close to the prior film – Newt could’ve been one of Pixar’s best movies. In the past, Pixar have shown a talent for exploring the natural world and a fondness for environmental issues. Monsters Inc. cleverly played with the idea of clean energy vs. fossil fuel dependency in a colorful world, Wall-E emotionally encapsulated the toxic treatment of the environment, and A Bug’s Life charmingly personified creatures most people consider repulsive. A comedy about a species whose future depends on two amphibians who don’t love each other was within Pixar’s wheelhouse, and likely could’ve been a quirky cult classic. Humanizing their protagonists, whether they’re toys, fish, or bugs, was what every Pixar movie did best, and although focusing on Inside Out instead was a good call, it wasn’t to say Newt couldn’t have been a Disney classic with the right talent behind it.
Why Pixar Made The Right Call Picking Inside Out
Once attached to Pixar alumni Gary Rydstrom, who worked on projects such as the short film “Lifted,” Newt went through Pixar’s usual creative process. It was written, rewritten, discussed, and debated, going through several concepts like every film before. However, somewhere in the development process, the Pixar creatives, or “The Brain Trust,” took Rydstrom off Newt for unknown reasons and felt the project wasn’t working. Originally envisioned as a reboot of Newt, Pixar brought in Monsters Inc. and Up director Pete Docter. In a 2014 interview (via The Tim Ferriss Show), Pixar Animation Studios president Ed Catmull recalled Docter’s comments on the status of Newt: “…since we’re restarting, I have an idea which I think is even better, which is a completely different idea.” That “completely different idea” was a story told from the point of view of emotions personified, which became an original movie, Inside Out. Unique, cerebral, critically praised, and beloved by audiences, Inside Out was a success. Among the top-ten highest-grossing Pixar films and Deadline’s “Most Valuable Blockbusters” of 2015, Inside Out‘s success is owed to the fact that Newt halted development and this opportunity allowed Inside Out to make it to theaters.
It’s a sad but true fact that not all films are destined for cinema, and that sometimes the creative process means sacrificing anticipated projects so something more ambitious can bloom. Between the stories of the Newt movie’s production and the concept art released, it’s unfortunate the film never had a chance to shine, leaving Pixar’s audience asking themselves what it could have been like, and wondering about Pixar’s other canceled movies. However, Newt‘s cancelation at least meant that the production of Inside Out has an even more intriguing history, complete with important lessons to teach about finding inspiration, embracing creativity, and understanding there’s no shame in starting anew.
