Is Pixar's new film direction "inspired" by a recent animated hit?

Pixar has just announced a bold new animated movie and it’s not hard to see what recent hit film has influenced it! Is this a new direction for the company?

It’s striking to realize that this November marks the 30th anniversary of Toy Story changing the entire animation landscape. Before then, hand-drawn animation was the established norm, but Toy Story began the CGI takeover that’s now become the standard for the industry.

Disney did try for a revival with 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, but its box office disappointment meant back to CGI with hits like Tangled and Frozen. That’s cut down on Pixar’s once distinctive place in the business.

Not helping was how DreamWorks and other studios soon followed Pixar’s lead and, in some cases, could outdo it in terms of box office and awards success. Pixar has seen some low points in the last few years, with some fine movies like Luca and Turning Red banished to Disney+ while Lightyear was a flop.

The company did rebound with Inside Out 2 and hopes for the upcoming Elio. Also, there will be another Toy Story film, but Pixar did surprise with news of their next release and how it’s something different for them: 2-D animation.

What is Gatto?

As part of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival event, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter shared details of the company’s next project, which included Gatto, set to premiere in 2027.

Directed by Enrico Casarosa, who also crafted Luca, the film follows Nero, a water-hating black cat living in the picturesque city of Venice, Italy, who befriends Maya, a lonely street musician. But Gatto’s debt to a feline mobster may complicate things. 

The movie is notable as a mix of typical Pixar computer animation with hand-drawn painted graphics. Reportedly, the test footage shown wowed the audience by being far different than Pixar’s usual style, gorgeous and gripping. 

Luca was arguably one of Pixar’s better recent movies that deserved a theatrical run in 2021. Casarosa obviously wants to showcase more of his native land and Venice itself is perfect for an animated film. 

The story sounds a little tricky but can work as the comedy of a cat who hates water in one of the most famous water-filled cities in the world should be good. It seems like another great Pixar entry but it’s also obvious how it’s being influenced by a recent animated success.

Is Pixar copying Flow? 

One of 2024’s best animated movies didn’t come from Pixar or, for that matter, any American studio. Flow was a Latvian, French, and Belgian co-production that quickly became a sensation.

The dialogue-free film focuses on a cat and other animals trying to survive a flooded post-apocalyptic landscape. The stunning animation and powerful story led to massive critical acclaim, with Flow winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. 

It’s not hard to make comparisons between two movies starring cats set in water-based locales. That’s not to say Pixar is ripping off Flow, as it’s likely Gatto has been in the works for a few years, and it’s too common for competing films with near-identical plots to be developed at the same time. 

It’s also not the first time Disney has been accused of “ripping off” another film, as seen by the decades-old “Lion King vs Kimba” talk. Still, Pixar may have been working on Gatto long before anyone knew about Flow, so it’s not a direct copy.

However, one has to wonder if Pixar’s decision to have Gatto in this “painted” style is majorly influenced by Flow’s success. There is going to be the Pixar touch of talking animals, yet the animation seems far different than what we’d expect from the company, more vibrant and artistic. 

There’s been talk for a while on whether Disney is overdue to return to hand-drawn animation over CGI. 2D animation has a distinctive style and heart that CGI lacks and computer graphics becoming so commonplace has taken away that special ingredient that made early Pixar so groundbreaking. 

This looks to be a step in the right direction for Pixar. Good as their last films have been, it’s also been far too formulaic and looking too much alike. A film with a unique design like Gatto means Pixar is willing to evolve in order to survive. 

We still need to learn more as the film is a couple of years away from release but if Gatto succeeds, it can lead to a bold new era for Pixar, one majorly needed to remind everyone how this company is still tops in the animation game.

Pixar's Gatto premieres in 2027!