Credit: PixarUh-oh! Pixar Animation Studios is in hot water after participating in a recent viral video trend that has left fans less than impressed.
Pixar, once the great bastion of animated entertainment, has stumbled rather remarkably in the last few years. Ever since the introduction of Disney+ in 2019 and the pandemic years that followed, Pixar Animation Studios has struggled to maintain its position as an industry leader.
And in an effort to hop on a current viral video trend doing the rounds on social media, Pixar has instead sparked the fury of fans who drowned the comments with negative messages towards the filmmaking studio.
Sharing to its 9.5 million followers, Pixar posted a reel involving two employees making various comments about working at the famed studio. “We’re Pixar employees. Of course, we cry at work. Our movies are emotional, okay?” is how the video opens, with the pair of employees going to make similar “of course” statements throughout. What was seemingly meant to capture the charm of Pixar turned into a dragging contest in the comments section as other social media users flooded the video with their own observations. Watch here:
We’re Pixar Employees
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One of the most liked comments, by the way of @baby_addams, reads: “We’re Pixar employees! Of course, they fired 75 of us last year, including the person responsible for saving the only remaining copy of Toy Story 2 after we deleted it!”
What is most shocking is that this comment rings true. In June 2023, Pixar laid off 75 employees as part of The Walt Disney Company’s billion-dollar budget cuts, orchestrated by Disney CEO Bob Iger after his return in late 2022. As for Toy Story 2, the 1999 animated sequel was accidentally deleted by a Pixar employee, only to be saved by Technical Director Galyn Susman from a backup copy she had on her device at home.
Susman was fired as part of the layoffs in 2023.
Another comment on the video, this time from @jennaofgenovia, acknowledges the behavior of former Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief John Lasseter: “We’re Pixar employees. [Of course] we got unwanted sexually charged hugs from John Lasseter.”
Lasseter, known for directing hits like Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), and the first two movies in the Cars franchise, was removed from The Walt Disney Company in 2018 following a six-month sabbatical in late 2017. This came after Pixar insiders came forward detailing sexual misconduct in the workplace, including reports of grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes. Lasseter left the House of Mouse in 2018 and has been serving as Head of Animation at Skydance since 2019.
Other comments focused on the news about the layoffs, as more are expected in 2024. Variety confirmed in early January 2024 that more layoffs will be happening at Pixar in the second half of the year, with initial expectations being that 20% of the workforce will be let go. Although that number is reportedly higher than what Disney executives are actually considering.
It’s true that Pixar has not had a huge hit since Toy Story 4 (2019) crossed the billion-dollar mark almost five years ago. The launch of Disney+ also saw future releases like Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022) all debut on the streaming service and not in theaters. Lightyear (2022) saw the studio’s splashy return to the big screen, but the Pixar film proved too divisive to really bring home the bucks.
Related: Fans Likely Horrified, May Boycott Pixar After Recent Announcement
The studio’s most recent release, Elemental (2023), has been on a remarkable journey. After being deemed a failure in its early days in theaters, the animated film became a sleeper hit and has since gone on to acquire close to $500 million at the global box office as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
What do you think of Pixar’s video? Hit or miss? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!