It is generally held that Zootopia, Frozen, and Moana are some of Disney’s best works. But among these blockbuster movies that began as stand-alones, some argue that unnecessary sequels like Zootopia 2, Frozen 3, and Moana 2 are being established as alternatives to fresh stories that could truly display Disney’s creativity. Disney is one among many animation studios projected to release sequels to several of their classic films in the next few years. Thus, it begs the question: How do Dublin High students feel about these continuations of their beloved childhood movies? Are they excited for their favorite animated characters to undertake new journeys? Or are these studios simply leaning on their former creations for lack of better content?
In June 2019, Pixar Animation Studios released Toy Story 4, the fourth installment of their Toy Story series. Despite the producers’ hope that the film would take off as a love story, it faced backlash from many fans. In 2019, several viewers posted that the fourth film was “unnecessary” and that the third film could have very well concluded the franchise. The third installment, crafting a tender story of growing up, follows the main character, Andy, a kind-hearted and loyal boy who has matured and is getting ready to go to college. Evidently, Andy doesn’t need his toys anymore. The toys were his childhood favorites and his drift from them reveals an unfortunate truth: people grow up and things change. The movie ends with Andy passing on his toys to Bonnie, a four-year-old girl with a vivid imagination, knowing that they will be in good hands. It created the ideal ending to a well-loved series.
Then Toy Story 4 was released. It was then revealed that Bonnie did not end up loving Andy’s toys as expected. Rather, she gets attached to Forky, a homemade toy fashioned from a plastic fork. Fans argued that this additional plot was unnecessary and that Woody’s separation from the rest of the toys at the end of the film did not fit in with the theme of companionship conveyed in the previous movies.
“Toy Story 4 felt like Pixar was just trying to make some extra money,” said one DHS student. However, not all sequels are received in a negative light. “Inside Out 2 was a great movie,” the student elaborated. “It was fun to see how Riley grew up into this awkward teenager after the first movie.”
Indeed, six weeks after its release, Inside Out 2 earned nearly 598 million dollars domestically and 1.46 billion dollars globally. It now stands as Pixar’s highest-grossing film. And it is one among many. Finding Dory, released in June of 2016, soon broke several box office records and generated over a billion dollars worldwide. Incredibles 2 made 182.7 million during its opening weekend, breaking the record for animated films at the time. As for Frozen 3, fans are unsure what to expect. However, given that the second movie was ranked as the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, the odds of a positive response are in Disney’s favor. “I’m not sure what else is left to cover in Frozen 3, but I’m still excited,” another Dublin High Student shared.
When done correctly, spinning a tale that extends beyond the previous installments of a franchise can play in a studio’s favor. However, as of now, animation studios are piggybacking off of their previous creations that generated desirable revenue. Indeed, Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar, to name a few, are releasing a myriad of films and unveiling a multitude of plots that fans once deemed impossible. It is time for animators to recognize that after a certain point, repetition negatively impacts reputation.
