Summary
PixarChief Content Officer Pete Docter addresses why the animation studio won’t develop live-action remakes. FromThe Little MermaidtoThe Lion King, many ofDisney animation’s beloved movies have been adapted into live-action remakes in recent years. Critical reception varies from the live-actionJungle Book’s 94% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes to the live-actionPinocchio’s 28%. Some of these re-imaginings have been financially lucrative for Disney, including the live-actionLion King, which grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. Speculation that Pixar could do the same with some of their beloved animated movies has been prevalent ever since this trend at Disney began.
In an interview withTime Magazine, Docter was asked if Pixar has considered developing live-action remakes for any of their films. The question was asked in light ofChallengersstar Josh O’Connor expressing his love for Pixar’sRatatouilleand an ongoing fan campaign to cast the actor as Alfredo Linguini in a live-actionremake. Despite the public interest in such projects, Docter explained whyPixar is not interested in live-action remakes. Check out his response below:
No, and this might bite me in the butt for saying it, but it sort of bothers me. I like making movies that are original and unique to themselves. To remake it, it’s not very interesting to me personally.
No Live-Action Remakes Is A Smart Move For Pixar
There Is Too Much Of A Risk To Remake Pixar Movies
Pixar made a name for itself by telling original stories through cutting-edge animation. From Pixar’s first fully computer-animated feature-length film,Toy Story, to its mostrecent releaseInside Out 2, the studio hascontinually found visually innovative ways to tell meaningful and imaginative storiesthat can be understood and enjoyed by all ages. Whether the studio is crafting a sequel, spinoff, or an entirely new premise, this approach has remained consistent, with Pixar maintaining its quality even when the box office returns did not meet expectations.
Twenty-nine years later,Toy Storyremains a beloved film, and even those without the benefit of becoming part of a franchise, includingRatatouille, Wall-E, andCoco, continue to be celebrated.
Live-action remakes would undermine too much of what defines Pixar, from taking away the animation to overly relying on stories that have already been told. AToy StoryorInside Outsequel provides new opportunities for animation and storytelling, whereas a live-action remake would be expected to simply rehash what the studio has already achieved, but in a less satisfying form. Live-action remakes are criticized when they deviate from the source material while also being criticized for making changes that stray too far from the original story, placing them in a generally unwinnable situation.
Pixar’s 9 Biggest Box Office Bombs Explained
Pixar is known for box office hits and critically acclaimed films, but not all of its great animated movies have found such commercial success.
One of Pixar’s greatest strengths is how the films stand the test of time. Twenty-nine years later,Toy Storyremains a beloved film, and even those without the benefit of becoming part of a franchise, includingRatatouille, Wall-E, andCoco, continue to be celebrated. The live-actionJungle BookandLion Kingmay have found their respective critical and financial success, butnone ofDisney’s live-action reimaginingshave formed a legacy or enduring fanbase akin to most Pixar films.
