The animation industry needs more original films, not sequels
By AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS — arts@theaggie.org
There is currently an ongoing trend in the animation industry: sequels. More specifically, sequels, threequels and tetralogies of films that do not need another installment. As children, we were told that the princesses lived happily ever after and that’s it. But not anymore. Instead, studios such as Disney and DreamWorks are choosing to continuously produce installments of blockbuster films at the expense of original stories.
This year alone, three of the highest grossing animated films were all sequels or tetralogies. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” have made a combined box office of nearly $3 billion worldwide. Moreover, this November “Moana 2” is slated for a Thanksgiving release, a primetime slot that will no doubt make millions for Disney.
Although these sequels are often a financial success, they oversaturate the movie production field and can bar the production of new, original movies.
This can happen due to two reasons: either there isn’t any promotion for the non-sequel films or it is shucked to streaming services. The biggest culprit of this act is Disney and their treatment of their subsidiary Pixar Animation Studios. During the pandemic, Pixar provided audiences with original stories such as “Turning Red,” “Luca” and “Soul” despite being released on the Disney+ streaming service. Once audiences returned back to the theaters, however, Pixar stopped producing original films once again.
The first Pixar film released post-pandemic was “Lightyear,” a prequel to Pixar’s first film franchise, “Toy Story.” Despite the love for the original “Toy Story” films, the movie bombed at the box office, causing Pixar executives to go back to the drawing board.
Additionally, two Disney animated films were released and performed poorly as well due to minimal promotion: “Strange World” (2022) and “Wish” (2023). As a result of expectations not being met repeatedly, Disney and Pixar returned to what is most comfortable: pre-existing properties that are known to make money, otherwise known as “Moana 2” and “Inside Out 2.”
“Inside Out 2” is now the highest grossing film of 2024. Its success, while a win for Pixar and Disney, is a worrisome sign for the future of animation.
At the D23 Expo this year, the conference hosted yearly to announce Disney’s newest projects across their subsidiaries of Marvel and Pixar, they confirmed more sequels. It was announced that “Frozen 3,” “Frozen 4,” “The Incredibles 3” and “Toy Story 5” are slated to be released by 2030. Other than Disney, “Shrek 5,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “The Super Mario Brothers: 2” are also slated to be released by 2026.
Despite expectations not being met for original films, studios should not give up on producing them. There are plenty of new original animated films releasing soon such as “The Wild Robot,” “Piece by Piece” and “Transformers One,” that deserve the same recognition as all of the sequels from this year.
Although sequels make millions, it’s only a matter of time before audiences lose interest in these beloved characters. These studios need to realize what made them stand out was their original stories. By only producing sequels, they are tabling their ability to creatively produce new, rich narratives.
Written by: Aaliyah Español-Rivas — arts@theaggie.org
