Pixar Animation is one of the most influential and game-changing studios in the history of animation. They changed the filmmaking landscape with the release of their debut feature film, Toy Story, in 1995, which was the first entirely CG-animated feature film to be produced by a major studio. Over the course of the three decades since then, Pixar has produced hit after hit. Currently, the studio’s filmography consists of 26 feature films in addition to a number of different shorts and Disney+ originals. They’ve produced classics such as the Toy Story series, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E, Inside Out, Up, Coco and so many more.
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Unlike most other major studios, Pixar was initially hesitant to make any sequels to their films. With the sole exception of the Toy Story series, which has consistently been a high point for the studio, they didn’t release their first sequel until Cars 2 in 2011. Since then, there seems to have been a general change in mindset at the studio. Sequels have become commonplace for Pixar now. Most of their classics have received a follow-up of some kind in the last decade. While several of these films have been successful at the box office, the overall brand of Pixar has been somewhat tainted by this newfound desire to produce sequels. Here’s how Pixar’s sequels are harming the company and why they should avoid producing more moving forward:
The Sequels They Have Made
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Even in the early days of Pixar, when they purposely avoided making sequels, an exception was always made for Toy Story. After the success of the first movie in ’95, they immediately began working on a sequel. Toy Story 2 ended up being the third film released by Pixar, with A Bug’s Life being produced between the two films. After the second Toy Story, though, the studio would return to original films and produce a streak of seven brand-new ideas before eventually returning to Toy Story 3 over a decade later. To put that in perspective, across Pixar’s first ten films, Toy Story 2 was the only sequel to be produced. However, of the next ten movies that followed, six of them were sequels.
Those six sequels, released between 2010 and 2018, were Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Monsters University (technically a prequel), Finding Dory, Cars 3 and The Incredibles 2. The original films produced in this same time period were Brave, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, and Coco. After that, it appeared that Pixar would be shifting away from sequels again, as executives at the studio confirmed that they were hoping to return to original stories for the foreseeable future. Toy Story 4 would end up being the next film that was released, but that was then followed by another extended streak of original films. Four original films (Onward, Soul, Luca and Turning Red) were produced before Pixar went back to their recognizable series with the Toy Story spin-off Lightyear in the summer of 2022. Currently, Pixar seems to be in the habit of producing sequels just about as often as they do originals. The next two Pixar films set for release, Elemental and Elio will be new stories, but they will be followed by a sequel to 2015’s Inside Out in the summer of 2024.
Almost Never as Good as the First
The issue with Pixar’s sequels is the same issue that frequently turns up with pretty much any movie sequel. They are very rarely as good as the original. Pixar has a reputation for producing some of the most beloved animated movies of all time. That’s a high bar, and it can be incredibly difficult to follow up a movie in that category with something just as good. Looking back at the sequels they’ve produced over the last decade, very few of them stand as tall as the original films that preceded them. Monsters University was a fun but mostly mediocre prequel; the Cars sequels were…the Cars sequels, it’s easy to forget that Finding Dory even exists, and The Incredibles 2, while certainly being the most entertaining of the bunch, still doesn’t come remotely close the quality of the original Incredibles film.
As seems to be consistently be the case, though, an exception can be made for Toy Story. Somehow Pixar managed to produce four Toy Story movies that are all varying degrees of excellent. Obviously, the first one is a classic, but Toy Story 2 expands upon the best parts of it at every opportunity, Toy Story 3 is an immensely emotional conclusion to that story, and Toy Story 4 serves as an outstanding epilogue of sorts to the series. They’re all great, and if the rest of Pixar’s sequels managed to consistently be this good, then the studio wouldn’t have a problem. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Pixar’s sequels are almost always a step-down from their predecessors, and they are frequently not remotely as interesting as the new original films the studio produces.
This would be fine if Pixar was a generic animation studio, but they aren’t. They have a longstanding reputation as the industry standard. By producing lackluster sequels as often as they do, Pixar is diluting its brand with films that aren’t up to the high expectations that are set for them. By becoming overly reliant on disappointing sequels, there isn’t really anything that separates Pixar from the pack. Beyond that, poor sequels can also impact the way audiences view the first films in each respective series. The dullness of Finding Dory unfairly reflects on Finding Nemo, one of Pixar’s best, and makes that name less exciting than it once was. Pixar needs to be more careful and considerate with the sequels they produce, as they need to be sure they are only producing sequels when there is a genuinely great story to tell, rather than just a recognizable name that more money can be squeezed out of. That’s a key part of why some people are nervous about Inside Out 2. The first film was an all-timer for Pixar, and a lackluster sequel to it could make it feel less special long-term.
Strength With New Stories
If Pixar wants to continue its dominance as the top animation studio out there, they need to remain committed to telling exciting new stories that embrace and forward the medium of animation. Thankfully, the studio still seems to be doing this for the most part. Their recent streak of original stories has provided some of the best films the studio has produced in years. Soul was a stirring and empowering statement on pursuing one’s dreams, Luca was a delightful little seaside adventure that harkened back to what made Pixar great to begin with and Turning Red saw the studio embracing new voices and approaches to animation outside their typical style. While all of that was followed with the perfectly-fine spin-off Lightyear, the two upcoming original stories, Elemental and Elio will hopefully continue that hot streak of originality.
Nobody’s favorite Pixar movie is a sequel. That is, once again, unless it’s one of the Toy Story movies. On the whole, though, by sticking to what they are best at and staying focused on exploring new stories, Pixar will be able to maintain the edge that it has over the animation industry in the US. The world of animation has gotten a lot more crowded in recent years, as other studios have really started stepping up their game to produce some truly outstanding animated features. Both films from Dreamworks in 2022, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, were regarded as some of the best that studio has produced in years. Meanwhile, Sony Picture Animation has also started delivering the goods with the likes of both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. the Machines in just the last couple of years. On top of that, the growing popularity of anime in the West has made audiences a lot more aware of the potential that animation has as a medium.
Pixar’s sequels can be fun. They can be decently entertaining while watching them. But they don’t carry the same long-term love that Pixar’s original stories often do. Pixar’s original films are often the ones to really push boundaries and see the studio explore new ideas. By getting too honed-in on producing sequels, Pixar forgets to innovate. They forget what makes them Pixar. If they get too stagnant by producing more lackluster sequels one after the next, another studio is going to snatch the animation crown from them sooner than later.
