In the mid-to-late ’90s and throughout the 2000s, when Pixar established itself as one of the premier forces in Hollywood, the animation studio made a name for itself by producing a string of critically acclaimed original movies that resonated with audiences. During this era, Pixar’s creativity knew no bounds, as the talented team of filmmakers crafted heartfelt stories revolving around everything from monsters who scare kids to pay the bills, a family of superheroes, and a rat who dreams of becoming a chef. There was a time when the latest Pixar film was a guaranteed box office draw regardless of subject matter, but that isn’t the case anymore. In the post-pandemic landscape, Pixar’s originals have struggled commercially.
According to The Wrap, Pixar’s Hoppers, which hit theaters this March, underperformed at the box office. Worldwide, it brought in $389.5 million against its $150 million production budget. That puts it “slightly shy of break-even.” The outlet cited Hoppers‘ box office run as a reason for the latest wave of layoffs at Pixar.
Hoppers got off to a strong start at the box office, scoring the best opening weekend for an original animated film since Coco in 2017 ($45.3 million domestically). It also earned positive reviews, with many praising it for its distinct style and blend of heart and humor, making it a breath of fresh air for Pixar. Sadly, that reception did not translate into the strongest legs, and it’s disappointing to hear that the film fell short of breaking even. It sounds like Disney was hoping for more of a turnout, as Hoppers was scheduled in a less competitive early March window. It avoided The Super Mario Galaxy movie and the glut of summer releases, but that wasn’t enough to turn it into a smash.
It would be one thing if Hoppers was just a one-off in Pixar’s filmography, but it’s the latest instance of a concerning trend. Last summer, Elio bombed out of theaters by earning just $154.2 million worldwide. Before that, Elemental got off to a slow start ($29.6 million domestically) but was able to turn things around thanks to solid word of mouth. It finished its run with $496.4 million, a good number but still middle of the pack by Pixar’s lofty standards. In contrast, sequels like Inside Out 2 and Toy Story 5 have been mega hits; the former was the highest-grossing film of 2024 with $1.698 billion worldwide, and the latter is well on its way to joining that club. The takeaway here is obvious; Pixar’s sequels remain as big a draw as ever, but audiences aren’t showing up in full force for the original titles. It makes sense for sequels to fare better at the box office, but this is still worrisome.
If Pixar’s original movies keep underperforming, it could lead to a situation where Disney becomes wary of giving new ideas the green light, choosing instead to favor the safer bets of established franchises. This would be an upsetting turn of events considering Pixar’s rich history of making great original films. Fortunately, for the time being, there appears to be a healthy mix between follow-ups and originals. The likes of Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 are in development, and so are new concepts like Ono Ghost Market and Pixar’s first musical. However, should Gatto underwhelm next spring, Pixar originals could become rarer. The film industry is a business, and it isn’t sustainable for a studio to keep falling short of expectations.
The pandemic is likely to blame for Pixar’s changing fortunes. During that time, Disney released three consecutive Pixar films (all original titles) straight to Disney+ for no extra cost. This conditioned the audience to watch new Pixar movies at home, and once they became accustomed to that, it’s impossible to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Franchise sequels are still massive moneymakers because of the familiarity; parents know if their children like Toy Story or Inside Out, so there’s a level of comfort bringing them to the next installment in theaters. Original ideas are riskier from that perspective, and the presence of streaming makes it easier to be more selective and wait for certain titles to hit home media. Pixar never truly recovered from this, and it’ll be interesting to see if an original film ever hits the heights of Coco, The Incredibles, or Up again.
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