10 Popular Pixar Movies That Need A Sequel

Pixar movies are incredibly popular, and many of them have become beloved classics. While some movies like Toy Story and Finding Nemo have received multiple sequels, others like Brave, Inside Out, and Ratatouille have not.

Pixar is a subsidiary studio of The Walt Disney Company focusing on computer-animated family-friendly films. The studio’s first film, Toy Story, has been central to its success with viewing audiences and currently is a franchise spanning four films as well as Disney Parks rides and spin-off shorts. Recently announced is another sequel, the upcoming Toy Story 5.

Disney has recently announced that they want to focus on their “unrivaled brands” meaning some of their key franchises are now due to a sequel. Whilst the viewing audience is often divided on sequels it’s interesting to see how IMDb rates the existing Pixar movies which currently don’t have a sequel and whether this can predict what we will see more of, next!

Why do some movies fail to have a follow up? There are several reasons why this might be the case:

1. Story resolution: Sometimes, a movie’s story is resolved in a way that doesn’t lend itself to a sequel. For example, Brave tells the story of Merida’s journey to find her place in the world and repair her relationship with her mother. By the end of the movie, Merida has achieved her goals, and there isn’t an obvious next step for her story.
2. Creative direction: Pixar is known for being a studio that values creative integrity over commercial success. This means that they may choose not to make a sequel to a movie even if it would be financially lucrative, if they feel that a sequel would compromise the integrity of the original story.
3. Box office performance: While box office success isn’t the only factor that Pixar considers when deciding whether to make a sequel, it can be an important one. If a movie doesn’t perform as well as expected, it may be less likely to get a sequel.
4. Time constraints: Pixar is a busy studio, and they often have multiple projects in the works at the same time. This means that they may not have the time or resources to devote to a sequel for every movie they make.
5. Creative diversity: Pixar is also committed to creating diverse stories and characters, and they may want to focus on telling new stories rather than revisiting old ones.

Ultimately, the decision to make a sequel to a Pixar movie is a complex one that involves a variety of factors. While some movies like Brave, Inside Out, and Ratatouille may never get sequels, fans can still enjoy the original movies and the impact they’ve had on popular culture.

10 ‘Brave’ (2012)

Brave is Pixar’s only foray into Princess films with this tale set in Scotland. Merida is a princess like no other and this isn’t your classic Disney Princess film. The film explores the balance between taking your fate into your own hands and being selfish.

Pixar is known for exploring other worlds and topics different from those generally shown in cinemas and different even from the classic fairytales of Disney animation. With an IMDb rating of 7.1/10 this is still a highly-ranked film to find itself at the bottom of our list.

9 ‘A Bugs Life’ (1998)

A Bugs Life takes viewers down the world of bugs, exploring what happens when an ant leaves Ant Island and travels to the big Bug City to find some help to stick up for the little people/ants against the big bullies/grasshoppers of the world. Pixar tries to show audiences that even the littlest people can have a big impact if we all work together.

This movie was popular at the time of its release but perhaps suffered with the release of Antz around a similar time. It’s been a long time since its release, and it’s unlikely we will see a sequel now.

8 ‘Luca’ (2021)

Two young sea monsters form a friendship and test their bond as they try to live in a small Italian town that hates sea monsters. From making friends with a human child to entering a pasta-eating competition these outsiders try everything they can to both fit in and escape.

Luca took audiences to the shores of Italy at a time when travel was difficult and opened the world through their screens. Whilst only receiving an IMDb rating of 7.4/10 the pure escapism in the film leaves it popular with audiences. Although perhaps less suited to a sequel than other stories Pixar has explored.

7 ‘Onward’ (2020)

Onward is set in a fantasy land of mermaids and centaurs but focuses on a brotherly relationship between two elves who find themselves not really getting along but needing to cooperate to participate in a quest to see their father one last time. Whilst set in a fantasy world, and with many references to the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, the story is mostly focused on familial friction.

Audiences had big hopes for Onward, but it fell perhaps a little flat and only garnered an IMDb rating of 7.4/10. With a trailer that promised fantasy species in a magic land but basically showed every clip exploring this leaving little else of it in the film and a story that left the audience divided it was perhaps a little disappointing.

6 ‘Soul’ (2020)

Pixar took on the difficult topic of death in its jazz-inspired story of Soul. Exploring what it means to really be alive this film delved deep into, non-religious, options for life both before and after death as well as asking viewers to question if they were really living at all.

Released during the pandemic and only on Disney Plus Soul, it potentially, didn’t get the attention it deserved at release, although it will now forever be associated with bringing relief to a difficult time in our history. It has a high IMDb rating of 8/10 but perhaps isn’t the first Pixar that pops into the mind of the audience.

5 ‘Ratatouille’ (2007)

After Remy the rat accidentally ends up in a Paris kitchen he helps the hapless human Linguini live up to his father’s name. Staring a rat with a passion for cooking and set in Paris, Ratatouille shows audiences that no matter what or who you are you can follow your passions.

Ratatouille is as popular as ever with audiences and now features in multiple Disney Parks across the world. With this and its high rating, it could be prime for a sequel, but the story of the original film is one of Pixar’s finest examples of a perfectly rounded, complete ending.

4 ‘Inside Out’ (2015)

Inside Out has a very different concept which really proved popular with viewing audiences. Set inside the main characters’ heads the story explores how emotions control and change the way we think, act, and remember memories. Within the film, it switches from what Riley does in ‘reality’ and then the internal reasons why.

Inside Out is actually due a sequel to be released in 2024 and with an IMDb rating of 8.2/10 it’s not surprising! This film had loads of potential for future sequels as everyone has their own internal dialogue and some of the original film’s most popular moments were showing the dynamics between how different people react to different situations depending on which emotion ‘controlled’ them.

3 ‘UP’ (2009)

UP is a heartwarming story that explores what one man, Carl, will do for the woman he loves, Ellie, even when she is no longer living. Showing audiences that adventure is out there no matter your age, UP deep dives into the psyche of how many people come to feel as they grow older and touches the hearts of many of its viewers.

With one of the cutest couples in Pixar movies and a tear-jerking start, this film quickly became iconic for its stunning visual styles, bright colors, and ability to make you feel. UP has an IMDb rating of 8.3/10 and a follow-on series of shorts on Disney Plus, released shortly before the actor who played Carl sadly passed away.

2 ‘Coco’ (2017)

Coco explores the devastating effect of secrets and misunderstandings. Focusing on family and the celebration of The Day of the Dead, the story is full of color, light and often difficult themes. Miguel, Coco’s great-grandson, journeys into the Land of the Dead to explore why his family hates music so much and to see if he can make things right again, so he can follow his heart.

Coco is a slightly more recent addition to the Pixar universe and is very popular as it sympathetically explores and shows another culture than viewing audiences tend to see on cinema screens. With its high ratings and high level of popularity, it is possible this film may inspire further sequels.

1 WALL-E (2008)

Wall-E focuses on the story of an adorable trash robot in a dystopian future where humans have filled the Earth with rubbish to the point they must let robots clean it up whilst they cruise around the world in space endlessly, getting fatter and lazier as the years go by. Interestingly the main characters have very few words available to them as the robots can only repeat their name to communicate, yet they still manage to articulate their feelings well to viewing audiences.

With an IMDb rating of 8.4/10 this film ranks highly among many Disney films and shows the popularity of the central characters. These characters currently don’t feature in any spin-offs and although popular with audiences it seems unlikely there will be a sequel as the story was succinctly finished within the film. This can always be changed though!