Just when we began to think that Pixar’s days were over in Hollywood, the studio pulled Inside Out 2 out of its magical hat and completely flipped its fortune. Not only did the sequel to the original 2015 entry save the acclaimed animation studio, but it also validated Bob Iger’s decision to prioritize sequels of popular franchises from Disney and Pixar.
Crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood strikes, and a slew of commercial failures after Toy Story 4, Pixar needed a win at any cost. That win came in the form of Inside Out 2, which has become the highest-grossing animated movie ever, minting over $1.682 billion. From the outside, Pixar’s resurgence feels like one of Hollywood’s classic redemption stories.
However, there are plenty of workers behind Inside Out 2 who are not sure how to feel about the sequel’s record-shattering success. In May, Pixar reportedly fired 175 workers, representing 14% of its staff. It’s particularly sad for the employees who were laid off before the sequel was released. They won’t be able to benefit from the bonuses coming out of the movie’s success.
According to IGN, animators on Inside Out 2 “were working seven days a week.” IGN talked with 10 former Pixar employees who got laid off in May. One of those employees revealed the “horrendous” working conditions at the studio during the production of the Inside Out sequel.
“Ridiculous amounts of production workers, just people being tossed into jobs they’d never really done before… It was horrendous.” Another former employee declared this scenario as “the largest crunch in the studio’s history.”
As a result, most of the former Pixar employees are facing financial hardships. “I would venture that at least 95% of the people that got laid off are financially f*cked right now,” one of the former employees said.
IGN also reveals that Pixar is resistant to change and heavily depends on its Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter. Aside from the financial pressure, sources say the studio is reluctant to push boundaries. Moreover, some big internal figures want to stay as far away as possible from LGBTQ topics or themes, resulting in edits to Inside Out 2.
“The internal culture of Pixar right now is really rough,” according to a former Pixar employee. “There is just an incredible amount of people who are like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ “
Pixar lost its footing in the animated feature market after Toy Story 4 (2019). In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio had to pull Onward from theatres. As a result, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red were released both in theatres and on the Disney+ streaming service.
Pixar then tried to reclaim its position in the animated world with Lightyear, but it failed miserably, as the Chris Evans-led film earned only $226 million globally during its theatrical run. Elemental barely saved itself at the box office, collecting a modest $496 million against its $200 million budget. This is why Inside Out 2 was nothing short of “a life-and-death situation” for the animation juggernaut, according to a former employee.
The allegations against Pixar highlight a troubling trend in the animation industry: success often comes at the expense of its workers. By pushing employees to their limits, Pixar demonstrated a desperate need for a hit like Inside Out 2. Given the film’s box office success, it’s unlikely the studio will change its approach anytime soon.