The creative team behind Toy Story 5 has no interest in a live-action version of the iconic Pixar franchise.
When speaking with BAFTA, director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins were asked about the potential of a live-action Toy Story film, akin to Disney’s Lilo & Stich remake. However, Stanton and Collins seemed to be repulsed by the idea, and actively denounced such a concept.
“I hope not, please god, no,” said Collins. “Don’t say that loudly. You know that Disney is going to be like… [makes silly face]. No. The answer is hard no.”
“That’s like a hat on top of a hat,” said Stanton. “I hope not.”
Stanton and Collins are Pixar veterans who have been with the company since the 90s. Disney, meanwhile, has drawn fire for its upcoming live-action remake of Moana, a film that was originally only released a decade ago. Although people seem to largely dislike the concept of retreading animated films in live-action, they have often (but not always) performed well at the box office.
Disney’s remakes of The Lion King and Lilo & Stitch both made over a billion dollars at the box office, while The Jungle Book remake made $966 million. DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon remake made $636 million, almost $150 million more than the original film on a similar budget. There have been some duds, like the remake of Snow White, but it seems like there hasn’t been a failure big enough to scare studios away from these remakes yet.
However, Pixar seems protective of its IP and is actively opposed to remaking its films in a different medium. Whether they could talk Disney down from the idea if it came about remains to be seen, though. Toy Story remains strong as an animated franchise, as Toy Story 5 just released with massive success at the box office. The film raked in $312 million at the global box office in the first weekend and will likely continue to pull in the big bucks throughout the summer.
IGN gave Toy Story 5 a 7/10, noting that despite any issues it may have, “Toy Story 5 manages to pull off an adventurous and resonant conclusion. With a handful of new characters adding some fresh batteries to the mix, and sidelining the right legacy characters at the right time, the fifth installment of Pixar’s main event finds another good way to wrap up. At least until the inevitable Toy Story 6…”
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
