The Head of Pixar Says No Way to Live-Action Remakes...For Now

Sequels used to be a dirty word at Pixar Animation Studios. Though Toy Story 2 was an early masterpiece for the studio, the original distribution agreement between Disney and Pixar made sequels a toxic concept. Forr starters, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner refused to consider Toy Story 2 as part of Pixar's six-movie deal with Disney. Per Eisner, that deal only covered original films, not follow-ups. Additionally, even if Pixar left Disney, the Mouse House had permanent sequel rights to titles like Toy Story and The Incredibles. This was a critical factor in Disney and Pixar initially quitting talks for further collaborations after 2006. It also initially inspired the dearth of sequels in the Pixar canon across the studios' first ten movies. Why would there be a plethora of follow-ups if Pixar wasn't properly compensated for such projects?

Eventually, Disney plunked just over $7 billion to purchase Pixar. That's when Toy Story 3 finally happened. And Cars 2. And Monsters Univeristy, And Finding Dory. And...you get the picture. Sequels weren't originally a central point of focus for Pixar. In the 2000s, the sequel's dedication to original films (borne out of contractual problems with Disney) made the label a strikingly different competitor to DreamWorks Animation, which milked every hit movie for endless sequels and small-screen programs. Cut to the 2020s and we're all staring down the barrel of Toy Story 5. Things change over time. Maybe the same will be true for Pixar CCO/Soul director Pete Docter's current comments about live-action remakes of Pixar movies.

Talking to Time Magazine, Docter was informed of a popular online petition for Josh O'Connor to play Linguini in a live-action remake of Ratatouille. This concept stemmed from Disney's endless streak of live-action remakes of classic movies, which have included projects like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and 2019's realistically-animated Lion King boondoggle. Docter was asked by Time whether or not Pixar had ever entertained the idea of applying the same approach that resulted in dead-eyed CG lions to stories like Toy Story and Monsters Inc. Docter firmly said no and further stated such projects baffled him. Docter went on to note that...

""I like making movies that are original and unique to themselves. To remake it, it’s not very interesting to me personally....so much of what we create only works because of the rules of the [animated] world...The worlds that we’ve built just don’t translate very easily.""

- Pixar CCO Peter Docter

These comments echo observations from animation veterans about how stylized stories meant to populate the world of animation could work in live-action. Lilo & Stitch director Chris Sanders, for instance, expressed concern in 2020 that a live-action remake would be challenging on many fronts. In particular, Sanders felt it'd be difficult to sell the audience on the idea of people buying blue alien Stitch as a dog in a live-action context. Animation is a vibrant and wonderful medium of storytelling. Stories often exist in this realm because they could never get properly rendered in the real world. The confines of reality would hold back all the emotional, visual, and thematic possibilities of these yarns.

Pixar's stories, with their yapping fish, lovestruck robots, and helpful skeletons, are perfectly made for the animation medium. Docter is dead-on in observing there's little in the way of creative or visual possibilities in remaking these stories with flesh-and-blood people. Plus, if Disney wants to exploit the Toy Story brand name, a new animated sequel can be produced. Live-action remakes aren't necessary even from the most cynical capitalistic perspective (though Disney is currently simultaneously embarking on animated Moana II and a live-action Moana remake).

The only worrisome thing here is that Pixar once seemed averse to sequels. That aversion was informed more by contractual disputes than anything else, granted. However, Pixar's original library of titles was still light on franchise fare. Now a recent Bloomberg profile of Pixar suggests Pixar will embrace sequels regularly. Inside Out 2 is prepped to be one of June 2024's biggest releases. Toy Story 5 is headed to theaters in June 2026. Further Incredibles and Nemo installments will inevitably clog theaters to provide the studio something tantamount to a financial safety net. Times change. What's deemed a cash grab one day becomes the cornerstone of your company the next.

This isn't to say that Docter is "lying" with these comments or that Pixar is guaranteed to become a factory producing only live-action remakes. However, that is a possibility one should be cognizant of, especially since Disney remains committed to these cursed projects that chew up and spit out all the joys of animated cinema. Everyone keep your guard up and cross your fingers that Docter's distaste for live-action remakes sticks around at Pixar for the long haul. God knows we don't want to end up with a "live-action" Cars remake dominating pop culture.