TL;DR: Pixar’s latest original, Elio, opened to just $21 m in the US (worst ever for the studio), part of a broader slump for non-franchise kids’ films. In contrast, familiar sequels/remakes like Inside Out 2, Moana 2 and How to Train Your Dragon are raking in billions.
Studios seem stuck in “IP or bust” mode—audiences (especially kids) gravitate to what they know, and original scripts often get over-tinkered by committees, resulting in convoluted plots that can’t grip viewers. The era of breakout, toy-selling new classics like Toy Story or Frozen feels to be on pause.
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