Can Pixar Turn It Around?
“Elemental” didn’t just struggle at the box office this weekend, it belly-flopped.
The film brought in a domestic haul of just $29.5 million, by far the worst in Pixar’s nearly 30-year history.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Previous low marks “The Good Dinosaur” ($39 million) and 2020’s “Onward” ($39 million) easily beat the studio’s newest offering, leaving many to wonder what has gone wrong for Pixar.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Pixar was the gold standard of the movie industry. Not only did the studio release hit after hit, but they did so with films that were often groundbreaking in their visuals and unmatched in their storytelling.
Photo: Disney
Now, the studio has released three straight box office duds in a row. In addition to the aforementioned “Onward”, last year saw the studio’s “Lightyear” fail to make a mark at the theaters.
Did Disney+ Kill Pixar?
That leaves the question, can Pixar recover?
“It’s going to be difficult, but it’s not a mountain they can’t climb,” says Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “It’ll just be perilous.”
While Pixar has struggled mightily at the box office, the studio did release three critically acclaimed films during the pandemic, “Soul”, “Luca” and “Turning Red”.
At a time when moviegoers had more or less abandoned the box office, Disney used Pixar as a way to drive customers to its Disney+ service.
Image: Disnye/Pixar
This has led many Pixar defenders to make the excuse that families have been trained to watch Pixar films in the comfort of their own homes.
“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,” Pixar head Pete Docter recently stated.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
“In fairness,” says Shawn Robbins, the chief analyst at Box Office Pro, “the shifting of consumer behavior is less on the Pixar team itself and more on the former Disney leadership that siphoned three of the animation hub’s films to streaming as part of a broader strategy.”
While families have certainly enjoyed watching their favorite Pixar films on DIsney+ that doesn’t explain the studio’s recent failures.
Can Original Films Succeed?
While other films such as “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” have had record-breaking box office runs, Pixar has floundered
The problem for the studio may be that their original films are not the anticipated events that they once were.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
“‘Elemental’ is not based on established IP,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Of the recent animation titles, this is clearly the most challenging to open.”
In the end, it is likely a multitude of variables that have put Pixar in peril.
On one hand, families are perhaps not as willing to go spend money at the movie theater, when they can wait for it to come to streaming.
Photo: Pixar
Additionally, many insiders have questioned whether or not Pixar’s promotional team has done its job. Despite a premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival, “Elemental’s” arrival in theaters was a quite one.
The Movies Aren’t Good Enough
Last but not least, however, Pixar needs to look at the films it is making. “Elemental” failed to wow critics before the film arrived in theaters, with its over-done story about a couple who falls in love, despite their obvious differences.
Photo: Disney+
“Reviews for original movies need to knock your socks off to cut through the noise,” says Bock. “There are a lot of choices out there.”
In the end, if Pixar makes better films, audiances will return. It wasn’t too long ago that original Pixar films like “Inside Out” “Up” and “Coco” were wowing audiances and critics alike.
Photo: Disney
The studio will have time before their next film “Elio” arrives in theaters on March 1. Until then, it is back to the drawing board.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
