4 Pixar Movies That Flopped at the Box Office

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Pixar Animation Studios stands as one of the most respected studios within the vast landscape of Hollywood. With a three-decade long history of creating unique full-length movies, it’s inevitable that their reputation may have softened somewhat due to the sheer volume of films produced over the years. Nevertheless, this studio remains iconic for delivering some of the biggest and most celebrated motion pictures (both animated and live-action) ever made. From “Finding Nemo” to “Ratatouille,” “Soul,” and numerous others in between, Pixar’s enduring reputation is truly impressive.

While Pixar Animation Studios is renowned for its successful animated films, it’s worth noting that even this prestigious studio has had its fair share of flops. Over time, they’ve produced four movies that were financial disappointments at the box office. The causes behind these underperforming films differ significantly, but as we eagerly await the release of Elio, let’s keep in mind that even a studio with a legacy like Pixar can experience significant setbacks at the box office.

Among the list, three Pixar films – Soul, Luca, and Turning Red – were released exclusively on Disney+ rather than in traditional cinemas for public viewing.

1) The Good Dinosaur

Approximately twenty years following the successful debut of Toy Story over Thanksgiving in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios suffered their first significant flop at the box office. This underperforming film was The Good Dinosaur, which was directed by Peter Sohn and faced numerous challenges on its journey to the big screen. Originally slated for release in May 2014, it was delayed by 18 months, and most of its original cast was replaced during production. Unfortunately, despite hopes that The Good Dinosaur might become an unexpected box office triumph, it did not achieve this goal.

Contrary to expectations, the film “Good Dinosaur,” which had a budget of $175 million, earned only $332.2 million globally. This figure included a meager $123.08 million from its domestic release, marking it as the first Pixar movie that failed to gross over $150 million in North America during its 20th anniversary, suggesting less-than-optimal results for this significant milestone in the “Toy Story” series.

2) Cars 3

Since 2010, with “Toy Story 3,” Pixar Animation Studios has found success by returning to sequels. However, the story of “Cars 3” in 2017 serves as a warning that relying solely on established brand names may not guarantee box office success. Following the lukewarm reception of “Cars 2,” there wasn’t as much interest in additional adventures featuring Lightning McQueen. Globally, “Cars 3” earned $383.93 million against a budget of $175 million. This fell short of the global earnings of the first “Cars” film, even when considering inflation, which was particularly noticeable compared to the over $700 million grossed by other Pixar sequels from the 2010s.

3) Onward

The rapid spread of COVID-19 significantly impacted the box office performance of the movie “Onward.” After only three weekends in cinemas, the global health crisis forced the closure of movie theaters worldwide. Unfortunately, “Onward” wasn’t experiencing strong ticket sales even before the pandemic began discouraging people from visiting multiplexes. The film’s first domestic weekend in March 2020 was among the poorest opening weekends for a Pixar release ($39.1 million). Early international box office results were also unpromising for this costly production. Additionally, while reviews were generally positive, they suggested that word-of-mouth might not be enthusiastic enough to offset these underwhelming opening figures.

4) Lightyear

The film titled Lightyear, being the first Pixar movie to be released exclusively in theaters since Onward two years prior, carried high expectations as well as a substantial $200 million budget – one of the highest for Pixar productions. Regrettably, Lightyear fell short across the board, earning a disappointing global gross of $226.42 million. Domestically, it managed only $118.3 million, which was less than what Toy Story 4 earned during its opening weekend in 2019. Numerous factors contributed to this film’s underperformance at the box office, much like many other flops.

The main reason for Lightyear‘s struggles at the box office was its darker tone and marketing that focused on nostalgia, making it more appealing to adults. Additionally, there was uncertainty about what the film entailed and where Buzz Lightyear’s friends from the Toy Story movies were. The competition from other summer 2022 animated children’s movie blockbusters like Minions: The Rise of Gru and mixed audience reactions only added to its difficulties. Contrary to expectations, Lightyear failed to elevate the Toy Story franchise to new heights; instead, it demonstrated how poorly Pixar movies can perform at the global box office.

Lightyear is now streaming on Disney+.

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2025-06-04 18:44