Pete Docter Talks Pixar’s Struggles In Theaters, Reaction to “Elemental”
Ahead of the release of their newest film, “Elemental”, Pixar head Pete Docter sat down to discuss the state of Pixar, if original films can still be successful, and what he thought of the early reviews coming out of Cannes.
According to the head honcho, one of the problems facing Pixar is that the studio has “trained audiences” that their films will eventually be available on Disney+. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pixar titles such as “Soul”, “Luka” and “Seeing Red” were all released straight to streaming.
Source: Pixar.fandom.com
“In the long run, there’s been a bit of a mixed blessing because we’ve trained audiences that these films will be available for you on Disney+. And it’s more expensive for a family of four to go to a theater when they know they can wait and it’ll come out on the platform.” He said.
We’re trying to make sure people realize there’s a great deal you’re missing by not seeing it on the big screen. In the case of “Elemental,” it’s a beautiful spectacle, there’s detail everywhere. I think you feel it more and it’s a better experience. There’s the shared experience as well, that you get to see it in a room with strangers, and there’s something about the energy that comes from other people that makes the whole experience more vibrant and interesting.”
Photo: Disney/Pixar
How To Get Audiences Back
With Elemental heading towards a disappointing opening weekend, Docter has put a lot of thought into getting audiences back into movie theaters.
Despite other studios’ success with films such as “Into the Spider-Verse”, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” or “Minion: Rise of Gru”, Disney and Pixar have been unable to have that kind of success in a post-pandemic world.
“I think families with kids are more reluctant. It’s not just health, it’s the cost. It is not a cheap outing to go to the theater and buy popcorn. It’s a great time, but they really are very selective about what they’re going to go see. That’s where it is tougher to have original films because if you’re going to bet on something, you’re probably going to say, “I’ve seen that before. I know I like it and let’s go with the sequel,” Doctor opined.
A Disappointing Reception At Cannes
The troubles for “Elemental” began when the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Closing out the festival, “Elemental” received a tepid response from the audience and mediocre reviews from critics.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Although the film received a seven-minute standing ovation, that is more of a formality than a sign of encouragement at the famous French film festival. For his part, however, Docter was confused by the response.
“That was a confusing half-hour there. The film played, we got a seven-minute standing ovation, and you could feel the love beaming down from the audience to Pete. They really responded to it. Then the embargo lifted and some of the reviews were pretty nasty. I guess there are probably a lot of reasons for that. This is our 27th film. For some reason, we seem to be critiqued not only based on other movies but on our own stuff. So, people will say, “Oh, it’s not as good as my favorite Pixar film, whatever that is.”
Photo: Disney/Pixar
On one hand, that’s flattering, and it’s also kind of a tough position to be in and very tricky. I’m not sure that we would say we regret going to Cannes or anything like that. It was such a fantastic audience of film lovers.”
Photo: Disney
While Pixar will surely hope that “Elemental” has long legs in theaters and becomes a success, the studio also knows that it has a sequel to the extremely “Inside Out” to bank on. Until then, Pixar will have to lick their wounds and wait.
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