In 1995, an animation studio in Emeryville, California, changed the film industry when it released one of the most iconic animated films ever. Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story was the first film made entirely from computer animation. While fans appreciated the new style of animation, they loved the story even more: What do our toys do when we aren’t around?Apparently, they come to life! And fans loved the story so much that Disney made three more Toy Story films, with Toy Story 5 currently in the works and slated for release in 2026.Credit: Disney/PixarRelated: Tim Allen Reveals Major ‘Toy Story 5’ News!Since then, Pixar has released a number of successful films that are loved by fans. Films like Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Coco (2017) are still very popular with fans and featured in Disney theme parks around the world.Unfortunately, over the past several years — primarily since the COVID-19 pandemic — Pixar films have really struggled at the box office and with the fans.Just a couple of weeks before the pandemic shut down movie theaters around the world, Disney and Pixar released Onward. The film was moved to Disney+ after theaters shut down, and that was really where the problems seemed to begin.Credit: Disney/PixarRelated: Pixar Made ‘Elemental’ 10 Times, Hoping It Wouldn’t FlopPixar’s next three films — Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022) didn’t even make it into theaters, instead being sent straight to Disney+. Then, when Pixar finally went back to the big screen with the 2022 film Lightyear, things went horribly wrong. Disney reportedly lost more than $100 million on the Chris Evans-led film, which was panned by critics and fans alike.To be fair to Pixar, they have also seen some resounding success, particularly with Inside Out 2 (2024). The highly anticipated sequel was the most successful movie of 2024 and is the second-highest-grossing animated film ever.Unfortunately, one hit movie every few years isn’t what keeps studios alive and thriving.Credit: Disney/PixarRelated: Pixar Writer Confirms Exciting News For ‘Inside Out 3’!These recent struggles have led many fans to wonder what exactly happened to Pixar? How did it go from making movies that were almost guaranteed to be a success to struggling to put out a movie fans will sit in theaters for?One fan thinks that the trouble started when Pixar moved away from the storytelling they were known for. While Pixar films could have heavy themes, like Up’s references to infertility and death, the overarching story was typically lighthearted and fun.Now, however, they think the films have storylines that are way too serious, not allowing the viewer to escape for a little while.“Why does no one care about Elio?”Pixar used to be “what if toys had feelings?” or “what if rats cooked?” Now it’s “what if a socially awkward 13-year-old had trauma?” It’s like they forgot the assignment.“Why does no one care about Elio?”Pixar used to be “what if toys had feelings?” or “what if rats cooked?” Now it’s “what if a socially awkward 13-year-old had trauma?” It’s like they forgot the assignment.— Disney Glimpses (@disneyglimpses) June 21, 2025Related: Life Lessons We Can Learn From Pixar FilmsElio is Pixar’s latest original story about a young boy who is abducted by aliens who believe that he is Earth’s representative for the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization.Sadly, Elio is expected to perform very poorly at the box office, marking yet another failure in Pixar’s attempt at original storytelling.X user Disney Glimpses noted that Pixar seems to be trying too hard to make movies relatable to younger audiences, but those audiences aren’t interested in films that are like their real lives.Yeah, Lasseter leaving changed things, but it’s not rocket science. Stop chasing coming-of-age metaphors and just make weird stuff talk again. Give a spatula anxiety or something.Maybe they’re trying to be “relatable” now. But kids don’t crave their own reality—they crave escape. They don’t want to process trauma. Let the story come first. Stop forcing this stuff!Maybe they’re trying to be “relatable” now. But kids don’t crave their own reality—they crave escape. They don’t want to process trauma. Let the story come first. Stop forcing this stuff!— Disney Glimpses (@disneyglimpses) June 21, 2025One commenter noted that they thought part of the problem is with Pixar’s recent titles. The movies sound interchangeable, so fans don’t distinguish them or think they are going to be any different from one another.I’d like to point out another, lesser issue. The titles have become nondescript. “Luca” could have been Miguel’s grandmother’s name. “Elio” could have been the Italian sea monster kid. “Coco” could have been the alien abductee. By the titles, these movies *sound* interchangeable.Another commenter noted that the movies seem to have shifted from showing to telling, which doesn’t keep audiences as invested or have as big of an emotional effect.Psychological development should the result of action. I’ve seen to many films where the main character is only talking about family acceptance while the world in the background is exploding. Up was a very emotional movie but no one was talking about traumas, its all action.Credit: PixarUnfortunately for Pixar, even films praised by critics and audiences have failed to perform. 2023’s Elemental was loved by fans for the story it told, but a lot of those fans waited until it hit Disney+, and the movie had a very weak box office performance. It was then that we were warned that if fans continue to stay home, those kinds of original films will not be made anymore.However, Pixar is not ready to give up on original storytelling just yet. The studio has five films coming up, and two of them — Hoppers (2026) and Gatto (2027) — are original stories. The other three films are sequels — Toy Story 5 (2026), Incredibles 3, and Coco 2; the dates of the last two are still undetermined.Do you think that Pixar has gotten away from the storytelling that made it one of the most successful studios in the world? Does it need to change the kinds of films it makes? Or do fans need to show more support and not wait for the movies to premiere on Disney+? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!The post Pixar Fans Pinpoint Where New Movies Went Wrong, Why They Flop appeared first on Inside the Magic.