Soul and Luca both skipped theaters and went straight to Disney+. After being made available to subscribers for no extra charge, we later heard that some inside Pixar were unhappy that their movies had been released this way, especially with Disney Animation's Raya and the Last Dragon debuting on "Premier Access" and Encanto receiving a traditional theatrical release.
Last week, we learned that Turning Red, the movie that looked set to bring Pixar back to the big screen, would debut on Disney+ on March 11, once again bypassing theaters altogether.
Insider has since managed to speak to employees within the studio who tell them, "It's safe to say that we're all feeling extremely disappointed. Until today, we all thought 'Turning Red' would be our return to the big screen, and everyone at the studio was so excited about it being this film in particular. It was quite a blow."
Another says it was a "shock" when it was announced that Turning Red would be released this way, adding: "Sucks, but I get it." It also seems not everyone is against the idea, with one staffer acknowledging, "With Omicron infections so high, I haven't heard anyone say the decision to pivot to streaming is wrong."
Turning Red doesn't exactly seem like "classic" Pixar and, COVID aside, The Batman would likely steamroll it at the box office. Sources also tell the site that these Pixar movies have resulted in a "huge upside for Disney+ in its effort to land more subscribers and keep existing ones." As of right now, Lightyear is expected to be released in theaters in June.
As noted, Turning Red will arrive on Disney+ on March 11, later this year.
About The Author:
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.