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Credit: Disney/PixarAs Disney continues to purge their original streaming content, it looks like another victim has officially been claimed: a mysterious Pixar project that was slated to arrive on Disney+ as early as next year.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the Walt Disney Company, which is currently wrapped up in political lawsuits thanks to its ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on top of plummeting stock prices and a string of box office flops, all of which are pointing to disaster for the brand if higher-ups can’t turn things around—and soon.
Pixar’s recently-released Elemental (2023) became the studio’s second-worst opening of all time, while Disney and Lucasfilm’s latest Indiana Jones adventure, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), has had somewhat of an unremarkable opening weekend in its international markets.
To save money, Disney is currently undergoing a historic content purge on their streaming service, Disney+, to avoid paying residuals and licensing fees, with TV shows including Lucasfilm’s ill-fated Willow, Big Shot, Turner & Hooch, and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers being erased from the platform in recent weeks. And according to a new report, more cancelations are to come.
Today, The Wrap revealed that Disney+ “quietly canceled” a spinoff of Pixar’s upcoming animated series, Win or Lose, which was announced at Disney’s Investor Day in 2020. The Pixar original series is set to become the company’s first long-form animated show and will follow a middle school softball team called “The Pickles” as they prepare for their high-stakes championship game.
According to the streamer’s official synopsis, Win or Lose follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters and reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each one. The show is directed, written, and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates and is currently slated to arrive on Disney+ in December 2023.
Apparently, Disney and Pixar had enough confidence in the upcoming series to plan a spinoff stemming from Win or Lose, but Disney+ shelved it before an official announcement could be made. However, the same report from The Wrap explained that the show could potentially still come out further down the line, but in the form of a feature film rather than an episodic series.
Although its spinoff was canceled before it could even see the light of day, Disney is certainly justified in thinking that Win or Lose could be a big hit amongst audiences. The show will reportedly differ from other Pixar projects stylistically because of its lower budget, but early footage has been described as “striking.” Considering that it is still a Pixar project at heart with Toy Story 4 storyboard artists Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates at the helm, this isn’t exactly surprising.
As of now, an official reason as to why Disney decided to scrub the Win or Lose spinoff from its upcoming release plans remains unknown, but it’s likely due to the company wanting to cut costs where it can. This means allocating resources to better-known projects, at least for the time being.
Who knows? Maybe if Pixar’s Win or Lose becomes the streamer’s next smash hit original series, we can expect to see its axed spinoff arrive in the near future.
What do you think of Disney canceling yet another original series? Do you agree with the company’s decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below.