Disney's Success Now Depends on Pixar, New Series Announced

To say things have been tumultuous at the Walt Disney Studio would be an understatement, but Pixar might have just made the first advancement toward normalcy.

Poor box office performance, lackluster critical reception, and numerous rescheduling and delay announcements have put Disney in a very uncomfortable position, and fans are beginning to lose faith in the House of Mouse. However, every cloud has a silver lining. Leave it to Pixar to come out swinging with a glimmer of hope.

Given the recent track record with Elemental (2023), which had an underwhelming initial release, earned its $200 million budget back and then some with $486,735,727 at the worldwide box office, it makes sense that Disney would rely on Pixar Animation Studio to gain some ground after a season flops.

Related: Pete Docter Talks Replacing John Lasseter as Pixar Creative Head

Pixar’s Win or Lose was initially announced as the studio’s next project for Disney+. Similar to Monsters at Work, it would have been a TV series rather than a feature film. The series had previously been canceled despite never getting a major reveal, but Pixar has recently revived the project.

Win or Lose: Pixar Pulls Disney Out of the Gloom

While not much is known about the series at this time, an official description by Disney reads as follows,

“‘Win or Lose,’ Pixar Animation Studios’ first-ever original series, follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. The series reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each character—the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire—with incredibly funny, very emotional and uniquely animated perspectives. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced by David Lally.”

While this is certainly exciting news, there might actually be a bigger picture here. As Disney has struggled with its identity for the past two or three years, this could be a sign that the studio should revisit old, discarded projects.

If Win or Lose picks up and becomes a success, which many naturally hope it will, it could lead to other abandoned projects by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar coming back to life. Any Disney fan or armchair animation historian worth his salt knows that both studios have a backlog of canceled projects still waiting to be brought back to life.

Related: ‘Toy Story’s Woody Finally Gets His Own Wild West Adventure

Although it is pure speculation at this point, movies like Gigantic, Newt, King of the Elves, and more might have a second chance to see the light of day. It’s not a definite yes or a definite no, but un-cancelling anything at Disney or Pixar is a bold move by both studios.

ITM reached out to Disney for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publishing.

Do you think Pixar’s new series could start a movement? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!