If someone is asked in some quiz show or contest which studio has changed the history of animation in the last two decades, the answer is obvious: pixar.
However, there are empires that last for centuries, and others that come and go faster, leaving an indelible mark. Pixar right now is playing to be one of the first or second.
The study that surprised the world first in 1995 movie All-CGI animation is having its worst moment at the box office and with critics alike.
elementaryhis last betdidn’t get over the bad reception he already had light year in both directions. In fact, he had the worst first weekend in studio history.
There are many questions about why this happens:
- Has Pixar lost its magic by failing to attract a new wave of great creators?
- Did Disney, who bought him in 2006, absorb some of his talent?
- Does the proximity of releases between theaters and Disney Plus affect you, where Soul (2020) served as a testing ground?
- Or is the public simply demanding other types of stories today because pixar formula became predictable?
Well, let’s try to evaluate each.
The data don’t lie: Pixar is in decline
If we look at its box office and critical data, the picture becomes clear. incredible 2 And toy story 4 were his two biggest box office hitsmore than 1000 million collections, as well as good reviews.
Both sequels. If we want to find the last original greater than this number, we must resort to an irresistible CoconutDefinitely his last original masterpiece.
Then the truth is that the pandemic has come: cut premiere forward And Soul, which, as we said, went straight to Disney Plus. After, Luke, blushes and the aforementioned light year And elementarythe last two are especially little valued.
light year it stayed at just 225 million, a really low figure despite being released in 2022 when COVID-19 wasn’t such a big deal anymore. Does the proximity of the premiere to Disney Plus affect you?
Astronaut Toy Story was first released on June 17, 2022, and on the platform on August 3. Elemental, for its part, was released on June 16 and won’t be available until early August.
Pixar has lost its essence?
It’s as subjective as it would be embarrassing to ask your current directors and writers.
The truth is that if we look at the great names of Pixar during the golden years, we see a certain consistency and repetition, with John Lasseter and Brad Bird top the list of creators and permanent directors.
In the latter, although there are repeated names, their number has increased dramatically. Peter Sohn, Pete Docter or Angus MacLainethey have been his vanguard in recent years, but among a much larger list of names.
Despite this, it does not interfere Pixar formula weight after all, it weighs more than the names, which doesn’t lead to the next question: if Disney has absorbed – and therefore remained dry – Pixar.
Pixar’s history is marked by three great names and a few more that often overlap first. Edwin Catmull (Virginia, 1945) computer scientist but animation lover who eventually became president of Pixar and Disney’s animation division until 2018 when he retired, John Lasseter (Los Angeles, 1957), director of Toy Story and the great crusade propagandist from the most conservative branch of Disney animation; and Steve Jobs (San Francisco, 1955), founder of Apple, who also ended up saving Pixar financially when he was expelled from his own company.
Since then, the studio has maintained a legacy and its way of working on stories. Catmull, the longest-serving president, writes in his book SA Creativity What:
“Creativity has to be present at every stage of the process. It is not enough to have a group of smart people. They must work effectively together. And to do that, they have to create a culture that allows them to do it.”
Ed Catmull
Disney swallowed it? From new ideas to sequels
in 2017 Atlantic Ocean already predicted that Pixar has been losing soul and power ever since it was acquired by Disney.
When Disney bought Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion, it promised to respect Pixar’s culture. and save it as a separate object. However, as time went on, Disney’s influence on Pixar became more and more evident.
One of the most notable changes was Pixar’s approach to sequels. Prior to the Disney acquisition, Pixar was known for its innovation and originality, rarely releasing sequels. However, since 2010, the share of sequels produced by Pixar has increased significantly. which, however, is a common occurrence in the industry.
The truth is, if we’re left with only results, latest Disney Animated Movies, frozen 2 or zoohas much better results both economically and critically.
Whether Pixar has lost its magic is subjective and depends on who you ask. However, data suggests that Pixar is no longer the undisputed leader in the field of animation it was before.
Perhaps it’s time for Pixar to rethink its culture and refocus on what made it great in the first place: tell original and emotionally resonant stories to audiences of all ages. However, for now, his plans seem to be proceeding cautiously after these setbacks: he has already confirmed toy story 5.
Source: Hiper Textual
