Credit: PixarInside Out 2 (2024) is kicking things into gear for Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, but could the celebration be premature? Pride goeth before a fall, as the saying goes.
At the time of writing, Pixar’s latest film has generated some much-needed success as it climbs the box office numbers, taking in over $200 million at the theaters. However, if both Disney and Pixar want to keep this momentum, they need to learn from their mistakes.
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Recently, rumors of a Sheriff Woody solo film have appeared on social media, semi-evoking flashbacks to the soul-crushing flop that was Lightyear (2022). While these rumors seem to be nothing more than that, Pixar needs to learn from the past to avoid yet another disaster piece after climbing back on top.
Resting on Their Laurels
There’s no denying that Inside Out 2 is one of Pixar and Disney’s most notable successes in some time. Although the former previously had a reputation for being Disney’s source of more intense and emotional films, many of its more recent offerings have failed to live up to expectations.
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Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), and even the moderately successful Elemental (2023) might have been creative endeavors, but they were far from what Pixar was used to cranking out. Somewhere along the way, the studio lost its focus and began pursuing more alternative storylines rather than the family-friendly features they were known for.
Not only did Inside Out 2 reunite emotions like Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) in Riley’s head, but it reignited the Disney family feature—something many fans have felt like they were missing for years.
Lightyear seems to be the most grievous offender, and its mixed reviews came from an audience expecting more of a Toy Story angle than something that looked like a Disneyfied Mass Effect game. Even Pixar head Pete Docter knew something was off after the film premiered years ago.
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In an interview with The Wrap, Docter shared that audiences had completely different expectations from the sci-fi film they received.
Docter shared,
“Even if they’ve read the material in the press, it was just a little too distant, both in concept, and I think in the way that characters were drawn, that they were portrayed… it was much more of a science fiction. And [director] Angus [MacLane], to his credit, took it very seriously and genuinely and wanted to represent those characters as real characters. But the characters in ‘Toy Story’ are much broader, and so I think there was a disconnect between what people wanted, expected and what we were giving to them.”
When audiences were promised a Toy Story spinoff, they naturally expected more from the minds behind the beloved animated classic. Of course, cutting Tim Allen from arguably his most iconic role could have been the first big tell that something was wrong.
To be fair, a Toy Story spinoff or sequel with Woody taking center stage really wouldn’t be out of pocket for Pixar. After all, one of the major plot points of Toy Story 2 (1999) was that Woody’s Roundup never had the “finest hour” finale it deserved.
While the rumors about a potential Woody solo film are likely false, that’s not to say the material isn’t there. Even so, it might not be the right time for Pixar to start experimenting again.
Learning From Lightyear
Inside Out’s sequel worked so well because it went back to basics—to the emotional (pun totally intended) family-friendly feature formula that made Pixar a household name.
In a recent interview, Pete Docter said it best when approached about the film’s potential.
“I can’t imagine having a better chance at a big box office than this because it’s a known movie and characters that meant something to people and a really funny cast—and hopefully something meaty at the heart of it that you can take home as well.”
It’s a “known movie” with characters “that mean something to people.” It’s something the audience has invested in before the previews even start. Additionally, the intense new emotions depicted in the film also project a sort of universal experience more audiences can relate to.
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Does that mean we will never see a Sheriff Woody movie? Not necessarily, but Pixar is in the process of focusing onto what served them the best. After a few more hits, like the recent trip to Riley’s subconscious, things might start to branch out.
Do you think Pixar is on the rebound? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!