PIXAR Animation Studios has decided to play it safe with its future films, leaning more toward the style of Inside Out 2. Film director Pete Docter opened up about Disney 's new approach to filmmaking after some of its recent movies received low box office numbers. Following the releases of Elemental and Lightyear , and with millions of dollars lost, Pete said the studio felt immense disappointment and needed to pivot for future storytelling.
“There was a real and intense period of self-scrutiny and feeling like we messed up in some way,” the chief creative officer of Pixar told Bloomberg . He added that Disney executives would steer away from autobiographies and focus more on a "commonality of experience" in order to have mass appeal. "I don't think we can ever let ourselves off the hook of making sure that we deliver the best possible and most relatable films," Pete explained.
Some of Pixar’s recent films have all been inspired by their directors' personal experiences in some way. Luca, released in 2021, was influenced by Enrico Casarosa’s childhood in Italy , while the 2022 film Turning Red was based on Domee Shi’s relationship with her mother. Elemental, released last year, was also influenced by the racial discrimination Peter Sohn faced as an immigrant.
As for Lightyear, the 2022 spinoff from the Toy Story franchise flopped and lost millions upon its release. Disney currently has a few sequels in the works, including Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 . The Moana sequel.
