Pixar announced an exciting lineup of upcoming Disney Plus series and films set for theatrical release. With stories that bring back beloved characters as well as all new original stories, Pixar is set to deliver some amazing content in the years to come. Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, began his presentation talking about the upcoming film Soul which will debut on Disney Plus on Christmas Day. Along with Soul a new Pixar Sparkshorts will also debut called Burrow, which follows a rabbit attempting to build her dream home.
PIXAR’S UPCOMING THEATRICAL RELEASES
Pixar also has two original new films on the horizon that are set for theatrical release. Both of these original films are being helmed by directors of past Pixar shorts. Enrico Casarosa, who wrote and directed the short La Luna, will be directing Luca. Luca is set on the Italian Riviera and Docter described the film as “a love letter to Enrico’s home country of Italy and a celebration of the universal themes of friendship.”
The film will follow Luca and his best friend Alberto during an unforgettable summer full of fun, but with that Pixar twist Luca is not all that he seems. Luca and Alberto’s fun is threatened by a deeply kept secret, he is actually a seas monster from an underwater world. Luca is set to hit theaters in June 2021.
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The second original film, Turning Red, will be directed by Domee Shi who won an Academy Award for her Pixar short Bao. Turning Red follows May a thirteen-year-old girl dealing with the awkwardness of being a teenager, but unlike other teens when she gets overly excited May turns into a gigantic red panda ala the Incredible Hulk. This coming of age comedy is set to hit theaters in Spring of 2022.
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The last theatrical release that was announced might be the most exciting as it has its roots all the way back in the original Toy Story. Lightyear will tell the origin story of the original Buzz Lightyear and how he went from a young test pilot to the space ranger fans know and love. This film has its roots in the creation of the character Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.
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Docter explains that Buzz was always envisioned as a toy based on an exciting film within the Toy Story world and now fans will get to see that film. Now, if that wasn’t enough to get fans pumped, it was also announced that Buzz Lightyear will be voiced by none other than Chris Evans. Lightyear will be directed by Angus McLane and is set to premiere in theaters Summer 2022.
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Pixar also has quite a bit of new content coming to Disney Plus with fan favorite characters and an all new original long form animated series. The first five episodes of Pixar’s documentary series, Inside Pixar, are available now. Inside Pixar gives fans a never before seen look into Pixar Studios and will have new episodes available in the coming months. It was also announced that a new collection of mini-shorts called Pixar Popcorn will come to Disney Plus in January 2021. Pixar Popcorn will feature fan favorite characters in new “bite sized” stories created by the Pixar animators.
While it’ll be fun to watch beloved Pixar characters in Pixar Popcorn, two new animated series will bring back beloved characters from Up and Cars for all new stories. The first is Dug Days a spin-off of the critically acclaimed film Up. Dug Days will follow Dug the talking dog who is now living with Carl after their adventure in the South American jungle.
Dug will be facing new adventures in suburbia including fireworks, puppies, and of course squirrels. In a clip from one of the episodes Dug is excitedly playing with a litter of puppies, but soon realizes he may have gotten himself in over his head. Dug Days is set to premiere on Disney Plus in the Fall of 2021.
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Another Disney Plus series will be a spin-off of one of Pixar’s successful franchises, Cars. The Cars series will follow best friends Lightning McQueen and Mater as they take a road trip across the country. The boys will meet new characters and explore new locations in the episodes, but not to worry familiar faces will also be featured when Mater and Lightning’s friends check in on them during their adventure. The new Cars series is set to debut on Disney Plus in Fall 2022.
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Pixar also has their first ever original long form animated series debuting on Disney Plus, Win Or Lose. Win Or Lose is being written and directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates who came up with the idea while working together on Toy Story 4. Hobson and Yates realized they would have very different impressions of the same meeting which developed into Win Or Lose.
Win Or Lose follows a co-ed middle school softball team in the week leading up to their big championship game. Each 20-minute episode will follow a different character during that week. During the presentation Docter said “it’s not really so much about softball as it is a comedy about love, rivalry, and the challenges we all face in our struggle to win at life.” Win Or Lose is set to debut on Disney Plus in Fall 2023.
The Disney Investor Day Presentation was full of exciting news from Star Wars, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and more. You can watch the full Disney Investors Day presentation here. Are you excited about the upcoming Pixar films and Disney Plus series? Which one is your favorite? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media.
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Source: Walt Disney Company
