Pixar is planning to “reboot” two of its greatest movies

Fans of classic Pixar movies can brace themselves for a new era of the studio, as they’re reportedly preparing to reboot two of their biggest movies: The Incredibles and Finding Nemo.

As reported by Bloomberg, the reboots are being considered as part of a strategy by Pixar president Jim Morris to revitalize the flagging animation juggernaut, which has been struggling after more than a decade of box office dominance.

The catalyst for these reboots was the dismal opening weekend for Elemental. While the film did open at #2 (only being beaten by The Flash, which also opened that weekend), Elemental’s $30 million opening was the worst in Pixar’s history.

“We were all kind of gut-punched, and it was tough on morale,” Pixar president Jim Morris told Bloomberg about Elemental. “I thought it was a good film with a Pixar feel, so when it didn’t work, that was like, ‘Whoa.’ I was thinking, ‘Do people just not want to see the kind of film we make anymore? Is that done?’ ”

The solution, of course, is to abandon new IPs and return to the old ones that made Pixar the name it is. That led them to the decision to reboot superhero movie franchise The Incredibles and underwater comedy Finding Nemo.

In a way, it makes sense. Five of the last six Pixar projects — Elemental, Turning Red, Luca, Soul, and Onward — were new properties, and all five have struggled to find an audience. (The sixth project, Toy Story pseudo-prequel Lightyear, fared better but was nowhere near the success of previous Pixar films.)

Compare that to the two films immediately preceding Onward: Toy Story 4 and The Incredibles 2. Both films performed well at the box office, crossing the mythical $1 billion threshold and becoming critical hits.

Of course, there are some caveats as to why those films struggled where others soared, and it’s not just brand recognition. Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 2 were released in 2018 and 2019, respectively, when Disney+ was in its infancy, and theaters were your only option.

It’s important to also remember that the three lowest performers of the bunch — Soul, Luca, and Turning Red — were released directly onto streaming during global restrictions. All three films didn’t see a theatrical release until 2024.

The lockdown had a lasting impact on the movie-going experience in general, and the audience has yet to find their way back. The economy has also ravaged the experience, making it more expensive and daunting than ever to take the whole family out to the cinema.

For the time being, fixing the Disney output is a daunting task. It’s led to a line-wide delay for the MCU, hoping for a big return in 2025. Meanwhile, previous films seen as surefire hits like Avatar and Star Wars were delayed for years.

Pixar’s next film and the first of its new era will be Inside Out 2, which releases June 14. It’s lined up to be the biggest opening of 2024 in a year dominated by big films, but its performance could very well determine Pixar’s creative future, for better or for worse.