Pete Docter on Pixar’s Expectations for Sequels

Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, recently shared insights into what the animation giant seeks in its sequels.

With sequels to The Incredibles and Toy Story and a spinoff series for Inside Out in the pipeline, Docter elaborated on the studio’s approach to follow-up films.

“It’s a combo, because of course, we’re making these for the audience, not for ourselves, so you want to know if they’ll be well-received,” Docter said in an interview. “Then, we do have a sort of guideline or guardrail that if we get a certain way in it’s not feeling like it’s about something new and substantive, then we’ll cut bait. So, it’s imperative that something feels like, ‘Oh, this is furthering the story!’”

Docter emphasized that the heart of any sequel lies in exploring uncharted territories. “I was talking about something that we didn’t explore in the first one. Or, something deeper that we didn’t explore about the human condition or our own experiences in life,” he added.

While Pixar has successfully ventured into sequels, Docter recently stated that the studio has no plans to create live-action versions of its animated films.

“No, and this might bite me in the butt for saying it, but it sort of bothers me,” he revealed. “I like making movies that are original and unique to themselves. To remake it, it’s not very interesting to me personally.”

Creating a live-action film, especially one involving a rat, according to Docter, “would be tough.” He elaborated, “So much of what we create only works because of the rules of the [animated] world.”

Explaining further, he said, “So if you have a human walk into a house that floats, your mind goes, ‘Wait a second. Hold on. Houses are super heavy. How are balloons lifting the house?’ But if you have a cartoon guy and he stands there in the house, you go, ‘Okay, I’ll buy it.’ The worlds that we’ve built just don’t translate very easily.”

Docter’s remarks provide a glimpse into the creative decisions behind Pixar’s well-loved animated universe. As the studio continues to develop sequels and new content, it remains committed to delivering unique, original stories that resonate with audiences.

Source: Particlenews