Including the just-released “Soul,” over the past decade, Pixar has released 13 feature films. And of those 13 features, more than half of them (seven to be exact) are sequels. For a production company that began with nothing but original stories and created some of the most iconic animated films of all time, this is shocking, to say the least. But according to Pixar’s boss, Pete Docter, that’s going to change, as the studio attempts to focus on more original stories. Although, sequels are a necessity.
In a profile over at THR, Pete Docter, the new Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, says he understands the studio found itself too focused on sequels over the past decade. And though Docter wants the future of Pixar to be filled with original ideas, sequels are a necessity for success.
“In the past we had a big run of sequels, too many in a row,” said Docter. “Now we have a lot of original stuff, which I’m personally excited about, but for financial safety, we probably should have a few more sequels in there. Sometimes it’s tough, because the creative projects have a life of their own, and they either take off or they don’t.”
As mentioned, there have been 7 sequels over the past 10 years at Pixar, including new films in the “Cars,” “Monsters Inc,” “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Incredibles” franchises. And for the vast majority of these films, they have been major box office hits and some have even earned various awards. It’s clear that fans love sequels, and sequels make money. But it’s good to know that Pixar is looking to expand beyond sequels in the future.
How is Pixar expanding? Well, outside of future films such as “Turning Red,” “Luca,” and yes, a ‘Toy Story’ spinoff film, “Lightyear,” the studio is also going to be heavily involved in Disney+. And that means Pixar is going to have to produce more content than ever before.
“We were asked early this year to up our game and produce more. So we stepped up and we’re basically doing as much for streaming as we are in theatrical release,” said Docter.
While sequels and spinoffs seem to be here for the foreseeable future, it’s reassuring to know that the CCO of Pixar understands that his company needs to focus on new stories and new voices. So, let’s just hope the “financial safety” of sequels won’t be a necessity in the future.