Summary
Disneyis fixing a controversial strategy that has hurt its Pixar movies over the past four years, andit’s doing so by releasingPixar’s first original TV show. At D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney unveiled the trailer for a project calledWin or Lose.Centered on a middle school softball team approaching their championship game,Win or Losewill debut on Disney+ on December 6.Win or Loseis obviously big news for Pixar fans, especially those hoping to see more original content from the beloved animation studio.
It’s also a big deal for Pixar’s movie releases, which have faced unpredictable returns in recent years. AlthoughInside Out 2broke multiple box office records— and evenreclaimed one that Pixar lost 10 years ago— it’s an anomaly among the studio’s other recent releases. Prior toInside Out 2’s 2024 debut, Pixar had multiple flops, fromLightyeartoTurning Red. A number of these didn’t land because of a controversial release strategy, butWin or Losesuggests Disney’s doing away with that approach.
All 29 Pixar Movies Ranked From Worst To Best (Including Elio)
From Toy Story to Elio, how do all 29 of Pixar’s animated movie releases rank from worst to best? Does your favorite rank in our top 3?
Pixar’s New TV Show Suggests Disney Will Stay Away From A Controversial Release Strategy
Win Or Lose’s Disney+ Debut Means Pixar Movies Can Debut In Theaters
Many of Pixar’s struggles over the past four years stem from Disney’s streaming release strategy, which saw several of Pixar’s movies skipping theaters and going straight to Disney+. This is how Disney released Pixar’sSoul, Luca,andTurning Red. None of these movies are considered massive successes for the studio despite receiving positive feedback from critics and audiences alike. Disney’s streaming release strategy has been heavily criticized since its inception, butWin or Losesuggests Pixar is moving away from it.
Win or Loseconfirms that Pixar will have Disney+ exclusive content going forward, which should eliminate the need for any of its feature films to go straight to streaming.
Win or Losesuggests that Pixar will have Disney+ exclusive content going forward, which should eliminate the need for any of its feature films to go straight to streaming. Disney likely wants all its brands to have a presence on Disney+, which puts Pixar in a predicament. But with Pixar producing TV shows,there’s no reason for any of the studio’s movies to skip out on theatrical runs. And bothElementalandInside Out 2saw success by going to theaters first, so it seems Pixar is moving in the right direction.
Why Premiering Pixar Movies On Disney+ Didn’t Work
Pixar Movies No Longer Felt Like Events
Releasing Pixar movies straight to Disney+ made sense at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it didn’t necessarily work as a long-term strategy. With the studio’s films debuting on the streaming service,they no longer felt like major events. Movies likeToy Story, Finding Nemo,andThe Incredibleswere incredibly hyped at the time of their release, drawing viewers to theaters to see them. This was even more true of their sequels, which went on to become some ofPixar’s highest-grossing movies of all time.
By contrast,films likeSoulandLucahad relatively quiet releases. Those who kept up with Pixar movies or were regularly on Disney+ knew about them, but they didn’t make the same splash as their predecessors. This could be because Disney’s straight-to-video sequels had a reputation for being less impressive than their predecessors in the past. It’s also more difficult to profit from releasing movies directly to streaming. This couldn’t have helped Pixar’s situation, so it’s no surprise the studio is returning to its old release strategy.
Does Pixar Producing TV Content Make Its Movie Releases Less Special?
This Could Create A Balance Issue For Pixar
AlthoughWin or Losemakes it less likely Disney will premiere Pixar movies on Disney+, it does create another potential problem for the animation studio. Pixar producing television content could make its movie releases feel less special, having a negative effect on their bottom line.We’ve already seen this happen with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as viewers started getting superhero fatigue around the time the franchise expanded to movies and Disney+ shows. Of course, Pixar is a much different beast than the MCU, so this approach may benefit it.
Pixar producing television content could make its movie releases feel less special, having a negative effect on their bottom line.
In fact,Pixar is probably the franchise that could gain the mostfrom having theatrical releases and Disney+ shows. All the releases in the MCU andStar Warsuniverse have continuity. This makes fans feel the need to keep up with every show and movie that drops, which gets overwhelming. Pixar is less likely to have this problem, as its franchises don’t overlap with one another. It’s also geared towards a younger audience, which will pushDisneyto keep things less complicated. Only time will tell how this strategy goes, butWin or Loseis a promising sign.
