Should Disney/Pixar make a Shared Universe?

[Cli-Fi]

And what would that even look like? Pixar is not interested in sequels. That much has been clear ever since it began. It takes years and years and years for the corporate honchos over in that studio to even begin to contemplate a sequel (Incredibles 2) to any one of those movies which are obviously close to their creators' hearts. They stick to their guts whether the public wants them to or not.

With all the hype about Shared Universe's these days and the shocking success of Marvel Studios. It would seem an easy way out for Pixar, if within the next few years they release a movie with so much fandom that the idea warrants it. EG: Not Frozen.

Remember, Iron Man was a shocking success and hardly anyone knew about Marvel's future plans for superheros. Before the Tobey Maguire Spireman films, most of Marvel's movies were considered bad, by just about everyone. Iron Man itself did a pretty good job of making people want more Iron Man, but not necessarily more Marvel. But then, Marvel made Thor, and the rest is history...

What advantages would this system be for Pixar? Well, everyone loves all the Pixar characters, some more than others, but almost all of them are beloved. Secondly, I would like to highlight a theory that has been talked about by Disney fans ever since Toy Story. It's actually already called the Pixar Shared Universe Theory. I assume, it is only a theory because Pixar hasn't even come out and said it. So no I did not come up with this idea. And it seems Disney did, already. The Easter Eggs are there, but Disney refuses to say one way or another. Leaving the mystery open ended, and the go-to slogan, "creative expression," or "shout-outs to other movies." In this day and age that's a pretty thin line. But then, again Marvel leaves in much more obvious Easter Eggs than the Pixar Theory has.

If the Pixar Theory, is really just a theory. Then, perhaps a future shared universe by Pixar Characters would confuse those fans who invested into this theory.

What say you? Do you see some type of Pixar shared universe coming in the future? I mean they do a good enough job with world building anyway.

 

[Overread]

Pixar works by building a good solid story, but their stories also work very well because the story is very contained unit. It starts, develops into the middle and builds to the finish and ends. The classic how to tell a story approach that works and they do it very well. The result is that writing after that point can feel very forced.

It's the difference between a stand alone book and the first book of a series; the stand alone completes itself within itself. Meanwhile the first book might complete A story arc, but it will have several others that only just started and which are incomplete. It leaves all those loose ends that are not tied up and which are left for the future film; unknowns which the viewer/reader wants to explore further.

Thing is the western system always ties those up unless they are going to produce a sequel - in stark contrast many anime from Japan will often leave many story elements unfinished or will leave room to build more into the end very easily. Part of this (esp in series) is a result of cut budgets and because series follow manga which are oft not finished either so the story gets left at a half-way-point. But even those that fully complete oft like to leave material for the future.




As for a tie-in I think it would be silly. That is to say tie-in films tend to be silly and humorous and not taken seriously. This is normally because you have to take insanely huge jumps to bring things together - although a most modest one would be to use Toy Story and use "toys" of the other films within that world-set (its probably the most easy to do it with without huge leaps of world breakingness to achieve).

As for the single universe theory of Pixar, honestly I think they just like to leave "easter eggs" in their films for a bit of fun.

 

[tinkerdan]

Hey sequels happen; I don't care how much they say they don't or won't; they simply do.

One way to avoid it is to be certain everyone dies at the end. Everyone dies, well except for Ripley, you can see where this is heading right?

The shared universe thing is as possible as multiverse thing in real life and it's all just a thought experiment so don't sweat it.

 

[J Riff]

Kill Ripley! Heh. Incredibles2 will be fun, it's a good premise. Marvel Superflix are not as exciting as the comic books were. I read my last Marvel comix around age 12, I think. I remember that The Juggernaut has just appeared. How it is that adults have been reconditioned to watch duperhero movies by the dozen is beyond me.
Doc Strange could be good, if they ever run out of fans for the Fantasic Avenging Spider-Hulks.