Audiences are still buzzing from Hoppers, and Pixar is already sketching the next slate of stories. A recent Wall Street Journal report unraveled the studio’s roller‑coaster decade, early hits like Turning Red and Luca shifted to Disney+, while theatrical misfires such as Lightyear and Elio stumbled at the box office. After a rough patch, the studio reclaimed its stride with 2024’s Inside Out 2, a $1.7 billion juggernaut that reminded everyone why Pixar’s storytelling still resonates.
Pete Docter, the chief creative officer, is quoted as wanting Pixar to stay “useful” to Disney, which means balancing the tried‑and‑true formula with fresh experiments. The WSJ disclosed three projects that haven’t been officially announced yet.
First, there’s Ono Ghost Market, a film inspired by Asian legends about supernatural bazaars where the living and the dead mingle. It started as a TV series before being elevated to feature‑length status, promising a blend of folklore and modern animation that could feel like a cultural anthology.
Second, Pixar is venturing into uncharted territory with its first musical, still untitled, helmed by Domee Shi, the director behind Turning Red. Shi’s background in vibrant, character‑driven narratives suggests the musical will fuse emotional beats with catchy numbers, potentially redefining how animated movies handle song.
Both titles are slated to arrive after Gatto, a project slated for March 2027.
On the sequel side, the studio is quietly developing Monsters Inc. 3. The franchise’s last theatrical outing was Monsters University in 2013, and it recently resurfaced through the two‑season Disney+ series Monsters at Work, which wrapped in 2024. A third installment makes sense, especially with other legacy franchises like Toy Story and The Incredibles already earmarked for continuations. The report hints that Monsters Inc. 3 may follow Coco 2, projected for 2029.
The hot take: Pixar’s safest bet isn’t more sequels, it’s to double down on original concepts like Ghost Market and the musical, even if that means taking bigger creative risks.
All three projects signal that Pixar is carving a hybrid roadmap: honoring beloved universes while daring to explore new mythologies and formats, ensuring the studio stays both familiar and forward‑thinking for the next generation of viewers.
Via The Future of Pixar Includes Ghosts, a Musical, & ‘Monsters Inc 3’
Gladstone is a tech virtuoso, boasting a dynamic 25-year journey through the digital landscape. A maestro of code, he has engineered cutting-edge software, orchestrated high-performing teams, and masterminded robust system architectures. His experience covers large-scale systems, as well as the intricacies of embedded systems and microcontrollers. A proud alumnus of a prestigious British institution, he wields a computer-science-related honours degree.