In recent years, Pixar has mostly shifted its focus from completely original films to producing sequels of their beloved classics but one sleeper hit from 2023 deserves to be the next sequel they release. It’s understandable why the studio has chosen to make so many sequels since they typically bring in the biggest box office. Toy Story is preparing for its fifth installment while Inside Out, Cars, and The Incredibles are among its current franchises.
However, it’s actually Elemental that should be the next sequel the studio puts out. The film is classic Pixar, telling a touching and heartwarming story in the middle of a unique world. Elemental is set in a world populated by elements of nature, like fire and water, who are anthropomorphic, and follows two characters from different sides of that world coming together. It turned out to be a bigger hit than expected.
Elemental Was Pixar’s First True Sleeper Hit
Elemental Picked Up Steam After A While
It’s hard for a studio like Pixar to put out a sleeper hit. Based on name value alone, the films they produce tend to be hits as even their lowest-grossing films have surpᴀssed $300 million outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic is exactly why Elemental‘s success was so surprising. During that time, Pixar movies struggled with Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all grossing under $125 million thanks to simultaneous releases on Disney+.
Even 2022’s Lightyear disappointed despite being connected to the Toy Story brand. So an original story like Elemental seemed bound to struggle and initially, it did. Coming in under projections in its opening week, Elemental ended up catching on due to word of mouth. The film saw surges in later weeks and Elemental ended up grossing nearly $500 million, proving that it had legs.
Pixar Must Make Elemental 2 Part Of Its Upcoming Slate
It’s The Perfect Sequel To Produce
A criticism often lobbied at Pixar sequels is that many of them haven’t been necessary or don’t add much to the overall story. That was the case for maligned releases like Cars 2 and even well-received ones like Toy Story 4, given that the third entry ended perfectly. That wouldn’t be an issue with Elemental 2, though, because the world of the film is ripe with so many stories to tell. Ember and Wade’s life beyond the limits of Element City is interesting, as would be a story where they’d be brought back for a crisis.
Pixar will need sequels of later movies and Elemental‘s box office run proved it has an audience that Turning Red or Luca doesn’t seem to.
Pixar has relied on sequels in recent memory, but they also can’t keep going back to their early hits forever. There’s already concern about why Toy Story 5 is happening, while Incredibles 3 will even have a different director behind it. Coco 2 is exciting but Pixar will need sequels of later movies and Elemental‘s box office run proved it has an audience that Turning Red or Luca doesn’t seem to. That makes Elemental 2 almost a no-brainer for Pixar’s near future.
