Hmm, yes and no to a couple of your bits.
Pixar at the end of the day, albeit massive cultural phenomenons, still resonate best as a studio of artists and storytellers. They must have lost their touch somewhere after the acquisition of Disney and perhaps some of these sequels were more under the rule of Disney than Pixar actually wanting to do them. Also keep in mind how long all of these movies take to get made. Even though Cars 2 bombed, movies like Finding Dory were already long in development. It's not that Pixar is not listening to their core fans crying for an end to these sequels, it's just that many of these films were already well in development and they can't just be cancelled at a certain point just because fans are crying fowl.
I believe Pixar is very aware of fan pleas and criticisms. I believe The Incredibles 2 is a true nod to the fan service. It just took Brad Bird a long while before he actually came up with a meaningful story that will without a doubt expand the universe. Respectfully, Brad Bird chose to wait for the right idea to come by than just rush into it for the sake of fans.
I believe now that the post-Cars 2 batch is getting closer and closer to the end of its production lapse-cycle, Pixar is now promising that after The Incredibles 2 they're going back to form with making original films again.
http://www.rotoscopers.com/2016/07/02/pixar-developing-four-original-movies/
While they only this year announced it, I can tell you this was already a part of their plan for years but now it's relevant for public announcement.
It's kinda like how Disney is in their golden age once more, since Tangled. If Bob Iger became the new CEO of Disney in 2005 and many say he saved Disney, then why did it take five years before we got Tangled in 2010? It's all about production time. It takes an average of four to five years for one animated film to get made. He had it all planned out how Disney will get redeemed from the beginning of his leadership, but it took time and patience before we got to see the results. That time and patience has really paid-off significantly cause now we have Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, Frozen, Zootopia and Moana.
Back at Pixar the same is said for them but for the opposite reasons. Their time will come again, but first we must endure the bad plans before we get back to the gold.
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OpinionsByLennon
8 years ago
I can easily tell you why Cars 3 will be coming out and that's toy sales! And even though those movies are basically pretty colors made for pre-school kids adults still watch it anyway... No matter how bad it might be! Just take a look at the first teaser trailer and all the comments it's gathered. Lighting had a accident, omg noooo! And oh wow this looks dark, I'll have to check it out Is repeated again and again and again. It's genius marketing and even though it'll very likely be just as lame as the other two films were (especially Cars 2) it won't matter as they know good and well they'll pack a theater without a lot of trouble and sell a lot more junk. And a lot of this is because people and critics alike have this idea that Pixar is the greatest animation studio of all time and
can do no wrong. Disney knows this also and takes full advantage of it.
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crazyllamathing
8 years ago
I hope you read everything I had to say. It will take Disney and Pixar about five years to respond to any criticism, because that's about as much time as it takes to develop a film. They function on a rotational development cycle, where many other productions overlap the same cycle. So for Cars 2 to have bombed, it's development was shared with possibly six other films being developed at the same time, all scheduled respectively for the consistency of the [attempt] of releasing at least one film per year.
Cars 3 really looks like Pixar's shameless attempt to recapture the glory that the first three Toy Story films made. It took the world away how Toy Story 3 emboldened the overall theme that was explored since the very first film - the theme of growing up - and Toy Story 3 turned that theme into reality.
With Cars 3, it's pretty obvious whichever poetic significance they're striving for. We get it, in the first Cars movie, Lightning McQueen was spirit-coached by an ex-champion of the track, forced to retire his racing career following a traumatic accident and injury. Cars 3 will be the same thing but Lightning McQueen taking on the roll of what was Hudson Hornet. There's a thematic circle they're clearly going for. But the only problem Cars 3 has that pretty much solidifies it will never capture the flame as the original Toy Story trilogy, is that Cars so far has ranged from average to terrible. Even if Cars 3 miraculously ended up getting in the 90%'s on Rottentomatoes that wouldn't matter because of how terribly inconsistent the whole series is. Toy Story worked because they were consistently amazing and all built off each other whereas Cars is an identity crisis no one really wants.
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OpinionsByLennon
8 years ago
Yes I've been reading what you've said. And I'll touch base on one more thing then I've got to run. Being in development and actually animated are two different things. A good example of this was Zootopia that was in development hell for five years, and few scenes were animated even only to have the script thrown out. The actual film was painstakingly animated of the course of a year however. At any time before that John Lasseter would of pulled the plug on it as certainly they would not have gone the Tangled route all over again. Films are delayed or canceled all the time by studios during production, even animated ones. If Lasseter and Disney didn't think it would sell a lot of useless junk or make a quick buck trust me they would of stopped this long before! Obviously Disney knows they've got a goldmine in Cars already or they would've built "Cars Land" at Disneyland and themed whole section of "The Art and Animation Resort" at Disney World.
I don't like it any more than you do as I loathe Cars! But as a business owner myself I understand why Disney is doing it! And I'll repeat: long as people by it and watch it they'll keep making it.
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crazyllamathing
8 years ago
I feel like you are making John Lasseter out to be a larger shill than he actually is. Sure, he loves toys and he loves to show off his collection, and I know his love for toys is responsible for the creations like The Brave Little Toaster (his original idea), Toy Story and Cars - but he at least puts heart into his own passions. His love for toys he'd love to see his own creations become them as well.
Sure, that comes off terribly like a businessman, but John Lasseter showcases his ideals through passion more than shoving toys down people's throats for the sake of money. I believe Disney has had a lot more role in pushing toys out. After all, it is Disney that forced Pixar to make Toy Story 2 in the first place. It was John Lasseter and Pixar that had to jump in front of the speeding bullet train that was Disney in the first place, to completely scrap the terrible story idea Disney was about to go with in contempt that if Pixar had to do a sequel at all then they better make sure it was done right. A third time it happened with Toy Story 3. It was about to be a Disney-manned production and Pixar had to stop them once more.
Notice how that weird diversion in the Cars universe, Planes, is all made by Disney. Pixar wanted no part in it. It was Disney that decided to capitalize on more toys for the Cars world.
It was Disney that tried to stop Pixar from making Ratatouille, WALL-E and Up - because they were deemed "unmarketable", but it was John Lasseter that had faith in these productions that kept them afloat.
Furthermore, Pixar treats cancellation as the absolute last resort. To them that is like a suicidal decision and if they could refrain from cancelling features even down to the last wire, they will. To this date, the only Pixar project that has ever been cancelled, was "Newt". The Good Dinosaur, while that one could have definitely been cancelled after all that development hell, they insisted it get released just to get it done and over with than calling it a complete waste of time.
John Lasseter must be given credit. If it weren't for his legacy and his own passions in the medium, we wouldn't have Zootopia quite the way it is now, if we'd have it at all, and I know Zootopia as it is now is something you are more than proud of.
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OpinionsByLennon
8 years ago
John Lasseter is the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering. He is the boss and he is the one that makes these decisions and answers for them. In fact he reports directly to Disney Chairman and CEO Robert Iger, bypassing Disney's studio and theme park executives. I don't think you realize how powerful he actually is. Basically he gets what he wants and he does what he feels is best for the company. Disney obviously likes him as he's been credited for saving Disney Animation and has been in charge of all animated projects since 2007. Don't look for that to change any time soon!
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crazyllamathing
8 years ago
I agree, and it sure as hell was a long and rough road for him to get to where he is now.
I do think he is one of the best things to happen to Disney in a long time, and even if he made movies like Cars. I see quite well it's his baby first and foremost. I find he's made movies that cater to his inner-child more than anything. Cars is just one of those things not everyone was on that same page. But I gotta give him respect for he does things in the name of what he likes to do on top of the fact he helped overthrow that grim Michael Eisner in replacement of Bob Iger. The influence of his first Toy Story film set the prime example for all animators and storytellers of today. His influence even extends beyond Disney. It's not unheard of we'll hear people look at animated films of other studios and say "that's Pixar-esque." It's not unheard of we'll hear people think a Dreamworks Animated film is a Pixar film. That's impact right there for you.
He's the second major Disney pioneer since Walt himself.
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