Editing Pixar (section)

== History ==
=== Early history ===
[[File:Pixar Computer - computer history museum 2013-04-11 23-46.jpg|thumb|A Pixar computer at the [[Computer History Museum]] in [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]] with the 1986–95 logo on it]]
Pixar got its start in 1974, when [[New York Institute of Technology]]'s (NYIT) founder, [[Alexander Schure]], who was also the owner of a traditional animation studio, established the [[New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab|Computer Graphics Lab]] (CGL) and recruited [[computer scientists]] who shared his ambitions about creating the world's first computer-animated film.{{source needed|date=July 2024}} [[Edwin Catmull]] and Malcolm Blanchard were the first to be hired and were soon joined by [[Alvy Ray Smith]] and [[David DiFrancesco]] some months later, who were the four original members of the Computer Graphics Lab, located in a converted two-story garage acquired from the former [[Vanderbilt family|Vanderbilt]]-[[Whitney family|Whitney]] estate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ph/nyit/masson/nyit.html|title=Brief History of the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab|publisher=[[Carnegie Mellon University]]|access-date=January 1, 2016|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172409/http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ph/nyit/masson/nyit.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://reader.epubee.com/books/mobile/94/946de10224fd23c2bba70bfd0d61afd7/text00001.html |title=Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries |access-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031020650/http://reader.epubee.com/books/mobile/94/946de10224fd23c2bba70bfd0d61afd7/text00001.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Schure invested significant funds into the computer graphics lab, approximately $15 million, providing the resources the group needed but contributing to NYIT's financial difficulties.<ref name="The Story Behind Pixar">{{cite web|url=http://mixergy.com/interviews/the-story-behind-pixar-with-alvy-ray-smith/|title=The Story Behind Pixar – with Alvy Ray Smith|publisher=mixergy.com|access-date=December 25, 2015|archive-date=December 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226014247/http://mixergy.com/interviews/the-story-behind-pixar-with-alvy-ray-smith/|url-status=live}}</ref> Eventually, the group realized they needed to work in a real [[film studio]] to reach their goal. [[Francis Ford Coppola]] then invited Smith to his house for a three-day media conference, where Coppola and [[George Lucas]] shared their visions for the future of digital moviemaking.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WOwyRnZ1oxoC&pg=PA137 |page=137 |title=Moving Innovation: A History of Computer Animation |isbn=978-0-262-01909-5 |last1=Sito |first1=Tom |year=2013 |publisher=MIT Press |access-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324060148/https://books.google.com/books?id=WOwyRnZ1oxoC&pg=PA137 |url-status=live }}</ref>

When Lucas approached the group and offered them a job at his studio, six employees moved to [[Lucasfilm]]. During the following months, they gradually resigned from CGL, found temporary jobs for about a year to avoid making Schure suspicious, and joined the Graphics Group at Lucasfilm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/2014/cgi-story-the-development-of-computer-generated-imaging/|title=CGI Story: The Development of Computer Generated Imaging|date=June 8, 2014|publisher=lowendmac.com|access-date=October 23, 2015|archive-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125043804/http://lowendmac.com/2014/cgi-story-the-development-of-computer-generated-imaging/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://design.osu.edu/carlson/history/PDFs/NYITMagazineOutofthisWorld|title=ID 797 – History of Computer Graphics and Animation|publisher=[[Ohio State University]]|access-date=October 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110013620/http://design.osu.edu/carlson/history/PDFs/NYITMagazineOutofthisWorld|archive-date=January 10, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Graphics Group, which was one-third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm, was launched in 1979 with the hiring of Catmull from NYIT,<ref name="Pixar story">{{cite web| author =Hormby, Thomas| publisher =Low End Mac| title =The Pixar Story: Fallon Forbes, Dick Shoup, Alex Schure, George Lucas and Disney| date =January 22, 2007| url =http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/pixar-story-Lucas-Disney.html| access-date =March 1, 2007| archive-date =August 14, 2013| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130814014138/http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/pixar-story-lucas-disney.html| url-status =live}}</ref> where he was in charge of the Computer Graphics Lab. He was then reunited with Smith, who also made the journey from NYIT to Lucasfilm, and was made the director of the Graphics Group. At NYIT, the researchers pioneered many of the CG foundation techniques — in particular, the invention of the [[alpha channel]] by Catmull and Smith.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Alvy Ray|author-link=Alvy Ray Smith|title=Alpha and the History of Digital Compositing|url=http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring12/cos426/papers/Smith95c.pdf|publisher=Princeton University—Department of Computer Science|access-date=December 22, 2013|date=August 15, 1995|archive-date=August 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810024634/http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring12/cos426/papers/Smith95c.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Over the next several years, the CGL would produce a few frames of an experimental film called ''[[The Works (film)|The Works]]''. After moving to Lucasfilm, the team worked on creating the precursor to [[RenderMan Interface Specification|RenderMan]], called REYES (for "renders everything you ever saw"), and developed several critical technologies for CG — including [[particle effects]] and various animation tools.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Everything You Ever Saw {{!}} Computer Graphics World|url=https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2009/Volume-32-Issue-2-Feb-2009-/Everything-You-Ever-Saw.aspx|date=February 2009|access-date=2022-02-13|volume=32|website=www.cgw.com|archive-date=September 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923142535/https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2009/Volume-32-Issue-2-Feb-2009-/Everything-You-Ever-Saw.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[John Lasseter]] was hired to the Lucasfilm team for a week in late 1983 with the title "interface designer"; he animated the short film ''[[The Adventures of André & Wally B.]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/15/magazines/fortune/pixar_futureof_fortune_052906/index.htm|title=What will Pixar's John Lasseter do at Disney – May. 17, 2006|website=archive.fortune.com|access-date=September 29, 2019|archive-date=September 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929035659/https://archive.fortune.com/2006/05/15/magazines/fortune/pixar_futureof_fortune_052906/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In the next few years, a designer suggested naming a new digital compositing computer the "Picture Maker". Smith suggested that the laser-based device have a catchier name, and came up with "Pixer", which after a meeting was changed to "Pixar".<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Brian Jay |title=George Lucas: A Life |date=2016 |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-316-25744-2 |pages=289–90}}</ref> According to [[Michael Rubin (author)|Michael Rubin]], the author of ''Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution'', Smith and three other employees came up with the name during a restaurant visit in 1981, but when interviewing them he got four different versions about the origin of the name.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://neomodern.medium.com/the-birth-of-pixar-4f125824b1c2 |title=The Birth of Pixar – M. H. Rubin – Medium |date=November 26, 2020 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923142536/https://neomodern.medium.com/the-birth-of-pixar-4f125824b1c2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1982, the Pixar team began working on special-effects film sequences with [[Industrial Light & Magic]]. After years of research, and key milestones such as the Genesis Effect in ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' and the Stained Glass Knight in ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'',<ref name="Pixar story" /> the group, which then numbered 40 individuals, was spun out as a corporation in February 1986 by Catmull and Smith. Among the 38 remaining employees were Malcolm Blanchard, David DiFrancesco, [[Ralph Guggenheim]], and Bill Reeves, who had been part of the team since the days of NYIT. [[Tom Duff]], also an NYIT member, would later join Pixar after its formation.<ref name="Pixar Founding Documents" /> With Lucas's 1983 divorce, which coincided with the sudden dropoff in revenues from ''[[Star Wars]]'' licenses following the release of ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', they knew he would most likely sell the whole Graphics Group. Worried that the employees would be lost to them if that happened, which would prevent the creation of the first computer-animated movie, they concluded that the best way to keep the team together was to turn the group into an independent company. But [[Moore's Law]] also suggested that sufficient computing power for the first film was still some years away, and they needed to focus on a proper product until then. Eventually, they decided they should be a hardware company in the meantime, with their [[Pixar Image Computer]] as the core product, a system primarily sold to governmental, scientific, and medical markets.<ref name="Pixar Founding Documents" /><ref name="The Story Behind Pixar" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://alvyray.com/Pixar/PixarMyth3.htm|title=Alvy Pixar Myth 3|publisher=alvyray.com|access-date=December 25, 2015|archive-date=October 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022164533/http://www.alvyray.com/Pixar/PixarMyth3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> They also used [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]] computers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2000-07-28|title=Pixar Selects Silicon Graphics Octane2 Workstations|url=https://www.hpcwire.com/2000/07/28/pixar-selects-silicon-graphics-octane2-workstations/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=HPCwire|language=en-US|archive-date=September 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923142540/https://www.hpcwire.com/2000/07/28/pixar-selects-silicon-graphics-octane2-workstations/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1983, [[Nolan Bushnell]] founded a new computer-guided animation studio called Kadabrascope as a subsidiary of his [[Chuck E. Cheese's]] Pizza Time Theatres company (PTT), which was founded in 1977. Only one major project was made out of the new studio, an animated Christmas special for [[NBC]] starring Chuck E. Cheese and other PTT mascots; known as "Chuck E. Cheese: The Christmas That Almost Wasn't". The animation movement would be made using [[inbetweening|tweening]] instead of traditional cel animation. After the [[video game crash of 1983]], Bushnell started selling some subsidiaries of PTT to keep the business afloat. [[Sente Technologies]] (another division, was founded to have games distributed in PTT stores) was sold to [[Bally Technologies|Bally Games]] and Kadabrascope was sold to Lucasfilm. The Kadabrascope assets were combined with the Computer Division of Lucasfilm.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/19841001/136.html|title=When The Magic Goes|magazine=Inc.|date=October 1, 1984|last=Coll|first=Steve|access-date=March 5, 2017|archive-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630201439/https://www.inc.com/magazine/19841001/136.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Coincidentally, one of [[Steve Jobs]]'s first jobs was under Bushnell in 1973 as a technician at his other company [[Atari]], which Bushnell sold to [[Warner Communications]] in 1976 to focus on PTT.<ref name="intoday1">{{cite magazine|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-visit-gave-a-vision-to-steve-jobs/1/154785.html |title=An exclusive interview with Daniel Kottke |magazine=India Today |date=September 13, 2011 |access-date=October 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506051820/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-visit-gave-a-vision-to-steve-jobs/1/154785.html |archive-date=May 6, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref> PTT would later go bankrupt in 1984 and be acquired by [[ShowBiz Pizza Place]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Oates|first=Sarah|date=1985-07-15|title=Chuck E. Cheese Gets New Lease on Life|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1985/07/15/chuck-e-cheese-gets-new-lease-on-life/e8d2c211-98fd-4ff8-b086-624a21a964cb/|access-date=2022-01-01|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=March 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327025434/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1985/07/15/chuck-e-cheese-gets-new-lease-on-life/e8d2c211-98fd-4ff8-b086-624a21a964cb/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Independent company (1986–1999) ===
[[File:Luxo Jr in Pixar Fest Hong Kong 2021.jpg|thumb|A ''[[Luxo Jr. (character)|Luxo Jr.]]'' figure display in [[Hong Kong]] ]]

In 1986, the newly independent Pixar was headed by President [[Edwin Catmull]] and Executive Vice President [[Alvy Ray Smith]]. Lucas's search for investors led to an offer from [[Steve Jobs]], which Lucas initially found too low. He eventually accepted after determining it impossible to find other investors. At that point, Smith and Catmull had been declined by 35 venture capitalists and ten large corporations,<ref>{{cite web |author=Kieron Johnson |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/294821 |title=Pixar's Co-Founders Heard 'No' 45 Times Before Steve Jobs Said 'Yes' |publisher=Entrepreneur.com |date=April 28, 2017 |access-date=April 11, 2018 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023232838/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/294821 |url-status=live }}</ref> including a deal with [[General Motors]] which fell through three days before signing the contracts.<ref name="Early Days">{{Cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-real-story-of-pixar|title=The Real Story of Pixar}}</ref> Jobs, who had been edged out of [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] in 1985,<ref name="Pixar Founding Documents" /> was now founder and CEO of the new computer company [[NeXT]]. On February 3, 1986, he paid $5&nbsp;million of his own money to George Lucas for technology rights and invested $5&nbsp;million cash as capital into the company, joining the board of directors as chairman.<ref name="Pixar Founding Documents" />{{Sfn|Paik|2015|p=52}}

In 1985 while still at Lucasfilm, they had made a deal with the Japanese publisher [[Shogakukan]] to make a computer-animated movie called ''Monkey'', based on the [[Sun Wukong|Monkey King]]. The project continued sometime after they became a separate company in 1986, but it became clear that the technology was not sufficiently advanced. The computers were not powerful enough and the budget would be too high. As a result, they focused on the computer hardware business for years until a computer-animated feature became feasible according to [[Moore's law]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/04/how-pixar-used-moores-law-to-predict-the-future/|title=How Pixar Used Moore's Law to Predict the Future|last=Smith|first=Alvy Ray|date=April 17, 2013|magazine=Wired|access-date=February 13, 2019|issn=1059-1028|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626230514/https://www.wired.com/2013/04/how-pixar-used-moores-law-to-predict-the-future/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2008/11/22/pixars-film-that-never-was-monkey.html|title=Pixar's film that never was: "Monkey"|last=Price|first=David A.|date=November 22, 2008|website=The Pixar Touch|language=en|access-date=February 13, 2019|archive-date=February 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214061543/http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2008/11/22/pixars-film-that-never-was-monkey.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the time, [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] made the decision to develop more efficient ways of producing animation. They reached out to Graphics Group at Lucasfilm and to [[Digital Productions]]. Because of the Graphics Group's deeper understanding of animation, and Smith's experience with paint programs at NYIT, it convinced Disney they were the right choice. In May 1986 Pixar signed a contract with Disney, who eventually bought and used the Pixar Image Computer and custom software written by Pixar as part of its [[Computer Animation Production System]] (CAPS) project, to migrate the laborious ink and paint part of the 2D animation process to a more automated method.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xFIEEAAAQBAJ&q=Roller+Coaster+Rabbit&pg=PA87 Disney Stories: Getting to Digital]</ref> The company's first feature film to be released using this new animation method was ''[[The Rescuers Down Under]]'' (1990).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fully-digital-feature-film/ |title=First fully digital feature film |work=[[Guinness World Records]] |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |access-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923142539/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fully-digital-feature-film/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Drew |title='The Rescuers Down Under': The Untold Story of How the Sequel Changed Disney Forever |url=https://collider.com/disney-rescuers-down-under-history-explained/ |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=December 16, 2020 |access-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923010018/https://collider.com/disney-rescuers-down-under-history-explained/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a bid to drive sales of the system and increase the company's capital, Jobs suggested releasing the product to the mainstream market. Pixar employee John Lasseter, who had long been working on not-for-profit short demonstration animations, such as ''[[Luxo Jr.]]'' (1986) to show off the device's capabilities, premiered his creations to great fanfare at [[SIGGRAPH]], the computer graphics industry's largest convention.<ref name="Ohio">{{cite web|access-date=April 22, 2008|url=http://excelsior.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~carlson/history/tree/pixar.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703022605/http://excelsior.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~carlson/history/tree/pixar.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 3, 2017|title=Pixar Animation Studios |publisher=[[Ohio State University]] }}</ref>

However, the Image Computer had inadequate sales<ref name="Ohio" /> which threatened to end the company as financial losses grew. Jobs increased investment in exchange for an increased stake, reducing the proportion of management and employee ownership until eventually, his total investment of $50&nbsp;million gave him control of the entire company. In 1989, Lasseter's growing animation department which was originally composed of just four people (Lasseter, [[William Reeves (animator)|Bill Reeves]], [[Eben Fiske Ostby|Eben Ostby]], and [[Samuel J Leffler|Sam Leffler]]), was turned into a division that produced computer-animated commercials for outside companies.<ref name="PixarTimeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/faq/faq.htm|title=COMPANY FAQS|publisher=Pixar|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060702123318/http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/faq/faq.htm|archive-date=July 2, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-UHNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|title=To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios|first=Karen|last=Paik|date=November 3, 2015|publisher=Chronicle Books|via=Google Books|isbn=978-1-4521-4765-9|page=58|access-date=August 18, 2017|archive-date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324060148/https://books.google.com/books?id=-UHNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usask.ca/greenandwhite/issues/2007/winter2007/features/cover_story.php |title=Toy Stories and Other Tales |publisher=[[University of Saskatchewan]] |access-date=August 18, 2017 |archive-date=August 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807194547/http://www.usask.ca/greenandwhite/issues/2007/winter2007/features/cover_story.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 1990, Pixar sold its hardware division, including all proprietary hardware technology and imaging software, to Vicom Systems, and transferred 18 of Pixar's approximately 100 employees. In the same year Pixar moved from [[San Rafael, California|San Rafael]] to [[Richmond, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pixar-Animation-Studios-Company-History.html |title=Pixar Animation Studios—Company History |publisher=Fundinguniverse.com |access-date=July 8, 2011 |archive-date=March 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304201614/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pixar-Animation-Studios-company-History.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Pixar released some of its software tools on the open market for Macintosh and Windows systems. [[RenderMan (software)|RenderMan]] is one of the leading 3D packages of the early 1990s, and [[Typestry]] is a special-purpose 3D text renderer that competed with RayDream.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

During this period of time, Pixar continued its successful relationship with [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]], a studio whose corporate parent would ultimately become its most important partner. As 1991 began, however, the layoff of 30 employees in the company's computer hardware department—including the company's president, Chuck Kolstad,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hem.passagen.se/des/hocg/hocg_1990.htm |title=History of Computer Graphics: 1990–99 |publisher=Hem.passagen.se |access-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050418100713/http://hem.passagen.se/des/hocg/hocg_1990.htm|archive-date=April 18, 2005}}</ref> reduced the total number of employees to just 42, approximately its original number.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/02/business/hard-times-for-innovator-in-graphics.html |title=Hard Times For Innovator in Graphics |work=The New York Times |date=April 2, 1991 |access-date=July 8, 2011 |first=Lawrence M. |last=Fisher |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115235344/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/02/business/hard-times-for-innovator-in-graphics.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 6, 1991, Steve Jobs bought the company from its employees and became the full owner. He contemplated folding it into NeXT, but the NeXT's co-founders refused.<ref name="Early Days"/> A few months later Pixar made a historic $26&nbsp;million deal with Disney to produce three computer-animated feature films, the first of which was ''[[Toy Story]]'' (1995), the product of the technological limitations that challenged CGI.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/toy-story-4-animation-bts-behind-scene-1447615 |title=The Illusion and Emotion Behind 'Toy Story 4' – Newsweek |website=[[Newsweek]] |date=July 5, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-date=July 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719204633/https://www.newsweek.com/toy-story-4-animation-bts-behind-scene-1447615 |url-status=live }}</ref> By then the software programmers working on RenderMan and IceMan, and Lasseter's animation department, which made television commercials (and four Luxo Jr. shorts for ''[[Sesame Street]]'' the same year), were all that remained of Pixar.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUx4qErdynIC&pg=PT68|page=68|title=Ten Steps Ahead: What Smart Business People Know That You Don't|first=Erik|last=Calonius|date=March 31, 2011|publisher=Headline|via=Google Books|isbn=978-0-7553-6236-3|access-date=August 18, 2017|archive-date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324060149/https://books.google.com/books?id=EUx4qErdynIC&pg=PT68|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite the income from these projects, the company still continued to lose money and Steve Jobs, as chairman of the board and now owner, often considered selling it. As late as 1994, Jobs contemplated selling Pixar to other companies such as [[Hallmark Cards]], [[Microsoft]] co-founder [[Paul Allen]], and [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] CEO and co-founder [[Larry Ellison]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Price|first1=David A.|title=The Pixar Touch: The making of a Company|date=2008|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|location=New York|isbn=978-0-307-26575-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780307265753/page/137 137]|edition=1st|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780307265753/page/137}}</ref> After learning from New York critics that ''Toy Story'' would probably be a hit, and confirming that Disney would distribute it for the 1995 Christmas season, he decided to give Pixar another chance.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1995/09/18/206099/index.htm | title=Steve Jobs' Amazing Movie Adventure Disney Is Betting on Computerdom's Ex-Boy Wonder to Deliver This Year's Animated Christmas Blockbuster. Can He Do for Hollywood What He Did for Silicon Valley? | work=[[CNNMoney]] | first=Brent | last=Schlender | date=September 18, 1995 | access-date=August 3, 2020 | archive-date=March 21, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321235606/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1995/09/18/206099/index.htm | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | access-date=April 22, 2008 | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/23/BAGDKEBPAB1.DTL | title=Pixar tells story behind 'Toy Story' | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | first=C.W. | last=Nevius | date=August 23, 2005 | archive-date=March 15, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315223917/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2005%2F08%2F23%2FBAGDKEBPAB1.DTL | url-status=live }}</ref> Also for the first time, he took an active leadership role in the company and made himself CEO.<ref>[https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Gentoomen%20Library/Computer%20History/Apple%20Confidential%202.0%20The%20Definitive%20History%20of%20the%20World%27s%20Most%20Colorful%20Company.pdf Apple Confidential 2.0 ("Jobs jumped in with both feet")]</ref> ''Toy Story'' grossed more than $373&nbsp;million worldwide<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=toystory.htm "Toy Story"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812125040/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=toystory.htm |date=August 12, 2019 }}. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 10, 2010.</ref> and, when Pixar held its [[initial public offering]] on November 29, 1995, trading as "PIXR" on [[NASDAQ]], it exceeded [[Netscape]]'s as the biggest IPO of the year. In its first half-hour of trading, Pixar stock shot from $22 to $45, delaying trading because of unmatched buy orders. Shares climbed to {{US$|49|round=-1|about=yes}} and closed the day at $39.<ref><Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, page 291>
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060702123318/http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/faq/faq.htm "Company FAQ's"]. Pixar. Retrieved March 29, 2015.</ref>

The company continued to make the television commercials during the production of ''Toy Story'', which came to an end on July 9, 1996, when Pixar announced they would shut down its television commercial unit, which counted 18 employees, to focus on longer projects and interactive entertainment.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/09/business/the-media-business-pixar-plans-end-to-commercials.html THE MEDIA BUSINESS;Pixar Plans End To Commercials]</ref><ref>[https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Toy-Story-Maker-Did-Well-In-2nd-Quarter-2973218.php `Toy Story' Maker Did Well In 2nd Quarter – SFGATE]</ref>

During the 1990s and 2000s, Pixar gradually developed the "Pixar Braintrust", the studio's primary creative development process, in which all of its directors, writers, and lead storyboard artists regularly examine each other's projects and give very candid "notes", the industry term for [[constructive criticism]].<ref name="Catmull">{{cite news|last1=Catmull|first1=Ed|title=Inside The Pixar Braintrust|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3027135/lessons-learned/inside-the-pixar-braintrust|access-date=September 28, 2014|work=Fast Company|publisher=Mansueto Ventures, LLC|date=March 12, 2014|archive-date=February 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203120258/https://www.fastcompany.com/3027135/lessons-learned/inside-the-pixar-braintrust|url-status=live}}</ref> The Braintrust operates under a philosophy of a "filmmaker-driven studio", in which creatives help each other move their films forward through a process somewhat like [[peer review]], as opposed to the traditional Hollywood approach of an "executive-driven studio" in which directors are [[Micromanagement|micromanaged]] through "mandatory notes" from development executives outranking the producers.<ref name="Wloszczyna">{{cite news|last=Wloszczyna|first=Susan|title='Wreck-It Ralph' is a Disney animation game-changer|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/10/31/wreckitralph-disney-movie-animation/1667373/|access-date=April 5, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=October 31, 2012|archive-date=June 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628001739/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/10/31/wreckitralph-disney-movie-animation/1667373/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pond|first=Steve|title=Why Disney Fired John Lasseter—And How He Came Back to Heal the Studio|url=https://www.thewrap.com/john-lasseter-disney-fired-frozen-healed-studio-oscarwrap-down-wire|access-date=April 5, 2014|newspaper=The Wrap|date=February 21, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102422/http://www.thewrap.com/john-lasseter-disney-fired-frozen-healed-studio-oscarwrap-down-wire|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Catmull, it evolved out of the working relationship between Lasseter, [[Andrew Stanton]], [[Pete Docter]], [[Lee Unkrich]], and [[Joe Ranft]] on ''Toy Story''.<ref name="Catmull" />

As a result of the success of ''Toy Story'', Pixar built a new studio at the Emeryville campus which was designed by PWP Landscape Architecture and opened in November 2000.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

=== Collaboration with Disney (1999–2006) ===
Pixar and Disney had disagreements over the production of ''[[Toy Story 2]]''. Originally intended as a direct-to-video release (and thus not part of Pixar's three-picture deal), the film was eventually upgraded to a theatrical release during production. Pixar demanded that the film then be counted toward the three-picture agreement, but Disney refused.<ref>{{Cite news|access-date=April 22, 2008|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000804/4035397/sequels-to-toy-story-tail-go-straight-to-video|title=Sequels to 'Toy Story,' 'Tail,' 'Dragonheart' go straight to video.|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|first=John|last=Hartl|date=July 31, 2000|archive-date=September 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928113108/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000804&slug=4035397|url-status=live}}</ref> Though profitable for both, Pixar later complained that the arrangement was not equitable. Pixar was responsible for creation and production, while Disney handled [[Film marketing|marketing]] and distribution. Profits and production costs were split equally, but Disney exclusively owned all story, character, and sequel rights and also collected a 10%-15% distribution fee.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite news |date=January 29, 2004 |title=Pixar dumps Disney |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=https://money.cnn.com/2004/01/29/news/companies/pixar_disney/ |access-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref>

The two companies attempted to reach a new agreement for ten months and failed on January 26, 2001, July 26, 2002, April 22, 2003, January 16, 2004, July 22, 2004, and January 14, 2005. The proposed distribution deal meant Pixar would control production and own the resulting story, character, and sequel rights, while Disney would own the right of first refusal to distribute any sequels. Pixar also wanted to finance its own films and collect 100% profit, paying Disney the 10%-15% distribution fee.<ref name="Dumps Disney">{{Cite news|access-date=July 26, 2015|url=https://money.cnn.com/2004/01/29/news/companies/pixar_disney/|title=Pixar dumps Disney|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=January 29, 2004|archive-date=May 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512115008/https://money.cnn.com/2004/01/29/news/companies/pixar_disney/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, as part of any distribution agreement with Disney, Pixar demanded control over films already in production under the old agreement, including ''[[The Incredibles]]'' (2004) and ''[[Cars (film)|Cars]]'' (2006). Disney considered these conditions unacceptable, but Pixar would not concede.

Disagreements between Steve Jobs and Disney chairman and CEO [[Michael Eisner]] caused the negotiations to cease in 2004, with Disney forming [[Circle Seven Animation]] and Jobs declaring that Pixar was actively seeking partners other than Disney.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=April 22, 2008 |url=https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2004/01/62104 |title=Pixar Says 'So Long' to Disney |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 29, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502150349/http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2004/01/62104 |archive-date=May 2, 2008 }}</ref> Despite this announcement and several talks with [[Warner Bros.]], [[Sony Pictures]], and [[20th Century Fox]], Pixar did not enter negotiations with other distributors,<ref name="Grover, Ronald">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf2004129_4222_db035.htm |title=Steve Jobs's Sharp Turn with Cars |author=Grover, Ronald |work=Business Week |date=December 9, 2004 |access-date=February 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311001731/http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf2004129_4222_db035.htm |archive-date=March 11, 2007}}</ref> although a Warner Bros. spokesperson told [[CNN]], "We would love to be in business with Pixar. They are a great company."<ref name="Dumps Disney" /> After a lengthy hiatus, negotiations between the two companies resumed following the departure of Eisner from Disney in September 2005. In preparation for potential fallout between Pixar and Disney, Jobs announced in late 2004 that Pixar would no longer release movies at the Disney-dictated November time frame, but during the more lucrative early summer months. This would also allow Pixar to release DVDs for its major releases during the [[Christmas shopping season]]. An added benefit of delaying ''Cars'' from November 4, 2005, to June 9, 2006, was to extend the time frame remaining on the Pixar-Disney contract, to see how things would play out between the two companies.<ref name="Grover, Ronald" />

Pending the Disney acquisition of Pixar, the two companies created a distribution deal for the intended 2007 release of ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]'', to ensure that if the acquisition failed, this one film would be released through Disney's distribution channels. In contrast to the earlier Pixar deal, ''Ratatouille'' was meant to remain a Pixar property and Disney would have received a distribution fee. The completion of Disney's Pixar acquisition, however, nullified this distribution arrangement.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=April 22, 2008 |url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/06/26/pixar_perfectionists_cook_up_ratatouille/ |title=Pixar Perfectionists Cook Up 'Ratatouille' As Latest Animated Concoction |publisher=Star Pulse |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027104117/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/06/26/pixar_perfectionists_cook_up_ratatouille/ |archive-date=October 27, 2007 }}</ref>

=== Walt Disney Studios subsidiary (2006–present) ===
After extended negotiations, Disney ultimately agreed on January 24, 2006, to buy Pixar for approximately $7.4&nbsp;billion in an [[Stock swap|all-stock deal]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/disney_pixar_deal/ | date=January 24, 2006 | publisher=CNN | title=Disney buys Pixar | first=Paul R. | last=La Monica | access-date=August 3, 2020 | archive-date=March 3, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303164557/https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/disney_pixar_deal/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Following Pixar [[shareholder]] approval, the acquisition was completed on May 5, 2006. The transaction catapulted Jobs, who owned 49.65% of total share interest in Pixar, to Disney's largest individual shareholder with 7%, valued at $3.9&nbsp;billion, and a new seat on its board of directors.<ref name="Walt-Disney-Company-May-2006-8-K">{{cite web |url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1392/119312506103659/filing-main.htm |title=Walt Disney Company, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date May 8, 2006 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-date=May 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513152521/http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1392/119312506103659/filing-main.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="agrees">{{Cite news|access-date=April 22, 2008|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/25disney.html?_r=1&oref=slogin|title=Disney Agrees to Acquire Pixar in a $7.4&nbsp;Billion Deal|work=The New York Times|first=Laura M.|last=Holson|date=January 25, 2006|archive-date=May 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512072822/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/25disney.html?_r=1&oref=slogin|url-status=live}}</ref> Jobs' new Disney holdings exceeded holdings belonging to Eisner, the previous top shareholder, who still held 1.7%; and Disney Director Emeritus [[Roy E. Disney]], who held almost 1% of the corporation's shares. Pixar shareholders received 2.3 shares of Disney common stock for each share of Pixar common stock redeemed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holson |first=Laura M. |date=2006-01-25 |title=Disney Agrees to Acquire Pixar in a $7.4 Billion Deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/disney-agrees-to-acquire-pixar-in-a-74-billion-deal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240226065323/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/disney-agrees-to-acquire-pixar-in-a-74-billion-deal.html |archive-date=2024-02-26 |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

As part of the deal, John Lasseter, by then Executive Vice President, became [[Creative director|Chief Creative Officer]] (reporting directly to president and CEO [[Bob Iger]] and consulting with Disney Director Roy E. Disney) of both Pixar and [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] (including its division [[Disneytoon Studios]]), as well as the Principal Creative Adviser at [[Walt Disney Imagineering]], which designs and builds the company's [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|theme parks]].<ref name="agrees" /> Catmull retained his position as President of Pixar, while also becoming President of Walt Disney Animation Studios, reporting to Iger and [[Dick Cook]], chairman of the [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]]. Jobs's position as Pixar's chairman and chief executive officer was abolished, and instead, he took a place on the Disney board of directors.<ref name="buys Pixar">{{Cite news|access-date=April 22, 2008|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/disney_pixar_deal/|title=Disney buys Pixar|publisher=CNN|date=January 24, 2006|first=Paul R.|last=La Monica|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303164557/https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/disney_pixar_deal/|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the deal closed in May 2006, Lasseter revealed that Iger had felt that Disney needed to buy Pixar while watching a parade at the opening of [[Hong Kong Disneyland]] in September 2005.<ref name="Schlender">{{cite news|last=Schlender|first=Brent|title=Pixar's magic man|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/15/magazines/fortune/pixar_futureof_fortune_052906/index.htm|access-date=April 20, 2012|publisher=CNN|date=May 17, 2006|archive-date=July 15, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715081233/http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/15/magazines/fortune/pixar_futureof_fortune_052906/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Iger noticed that of all the Disney characters in the parade, none were characters that Disney had created within the last ten years since all the newer ones had been created by Pixar.<ref name="Schlender" /> Upon returning to Burbank, Iger commissioned a financial analysis that confirmed that Disney had actually lost money on animation for the past decade, then presented that information to the board of directors at his first board meeting after being promoted from COO to CEO, and the board, in turn, authorized him to explore the possibility of a deal with Pixar.<ref name="Issacson1">{{cite book|last1=Issacson|first1=Walter|title=Steve Jobs|date=2013|publisher=Simon and Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4516-4854-6|page=439|edition=1st paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6e4cDvhrKhgC&pg=PA439}}</ref> Lasseter and Catmull were wary when the topic of Disney buying Pixar first came up, but Jobs asked them to give Iger a chance (based on his own experience negotiating with Iger in summer 2005 for the rights to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] shows for the fifth-generation [[iPod Classic]]),<ref name="Issacson2">{{cite book|last1=Issacson|first1=Walter|title=Steve Jobs|date=2013|publisher=Simon and Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4516-4854-6|page=438|edition=1st paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6e4cDvhrKhgC&pg=PA438}}</ref> and in turn, Iger convinced them of the sincerity of his feeling that Disney needed to re-focus on animation.<ref name="Schlender" />

[[File:John Lasseter-Up-66th Mostra.jpg|thumb|[[John Lasseter]] and his wife Nancy appear with characters from ''[[Up (2009 film)|Up]]'' at the 2009 [[Venice Film Festival]].]]
Lasseter and Catmull's oversight of both the Disney Feature Animation and Pixar studios did not mean that the two studios were merging, however. In fact, additional conditions were laid out as part of the deal to ensure that Pixar remained a separate [[Legal entity|entity]], a concern that analysts had expressed about the Disney deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1001039/000119312506012082/dex21.htm|publisher=[[United States Securities and Exchange Commission|Securities and Exchange Commission]]|title=Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among The Walt Disney Company, Lux Acquisition Corp. and Pixar|date=January 24, 2006|access-date=April 25, 2007|archive-date=April 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414104009/http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1001039/000119312506012082/dex21.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=June 2020}} Some of those conditions were that Pixar [[Human resources|HR]] policies would remain intact, including the lack of employment contracts. Also, the Pixar name was guaranteed to continue, and the studio would remain in its current [[Emeryville, California]], location with the "Pixar" sign. Finally, branding of films made post-merger would be "Disney•Pixar" (beginning with ''Cars'').<ref>{{Cite news|access-date=April 22, 2008|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OKTB&p_theme=oktb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10F4A5FB9BD5E290&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Sale unlikely to change Pixar culture|publisher=Inside Bay Area|first1=Matthew|last1=Bunk|date=January 21, 2006|archive-date=May 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514093945/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OKTB&p_theme=oktb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10F4A5FB9BD5E290&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Jim Morris (film producer)|Jim Morris]], producer of ''[[WALL-E]]'' (2008), became general manager of Pixar. In this new position, Morris took charge of the day-to-day running of the studio facilities and products.<ref name="manager">{{Cite news | access-date=September 10, 2008 | url=https://variety.com/2008/digital/features/millstein-to-head-disney-animation-1117991985/ | title=Morris and Millstein named manager of Disney studios | first=Marc | last=Graser | work=Variety | date=September 10, 2008 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914115408/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991985.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | archive-date=September 14, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

After a few years, Lasseter and Catmull were able to successfully transfer the basic principles of the Pixar Braintrust to Disney Animation, although meetings of the Disney Story Trust are reportedly "more polite" than those of the Pixar Braintrust.<ref name=THRPixarVSDisney>{{cite news|last=Kilday|first=Gregg|title=Pixar vs. Disney Animation: John Lasseter's Tricky Tug-of-War|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixar-disney-animation-john-lasseters-661752|access-date=December 4, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 4, 2013|archive-date=February 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210005414/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixar-disney-animation-john-lasseters-661752|url-status=live}}</ref> Catmull later explained that after the merger, to maintain the studios' separate identities and cultures (notwithstanding the fact of common ownership and common senior management), he and Lasseter "drew a hard line" that each studio was solely responsible for its own projects and would not be allowed to borrow personnel from or lend tasks out to the other.<ref name="Bell">{{cite news|last=Bell|first=Chris|title=Pixar's Ed Catmull: interview|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/pixar/10719241/Pixars-Ed-Catmull-interview.html|access-date=April 5, 2014|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=April 5, 2014|archive-date=April 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406070821/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/pixar/10719241/Pixars-Ed-Catmull-interview.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Zahed">{{cite news|last=Zahed|first=Ramin|title=An Interview with Disney/Pixar President Dr. Ed Catmull|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/people/an-interview-with-disneypixar-president-dr-ed-catmull/|access-date=April 5, 2014|newspaper=Animation Magazine|date=April 2, 2012|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407084516/http://www.animationmagazine.net/people/an-interview-with-disneypixar-president-dr-ed-catmull/|url-status=live}}</ref> The rule ensures that each studio maintains "local ownership" of projects and can be proud of its own work.<ref name="Bell" /><ref name="Zahed" /> Thus for example, when Pixar had issues with ''Ratatouille'' and Disney Animation had issues with ''[[Bolt (2008 film)|Bolt]]'' (2008), "nobody bailed them out" and each studio was required "to solve the problem on its own" despite knowing that there were personnel at the other studio who theoretically could have helped.<ref name="Bell" /><ref name="Zahed" />

==== Expansion and John Lasseter's exit (2010–2018) ====
On April 20, 2010, Pixar opened [[Pixar Canada]] in the downtown area of [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pixar Canada sets up home base in Vancouver, looks to expand |url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Pixar+Canada+sets+home+base+Vancouver+looks+expand/2927398/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422042245/http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Pixar%2BCanada%2Bsets%2Bhome%2Bbase%2BVancouver%2Blooks%2Bexpand/2927398/story.html |archive-date=April 22, 2010 |access-date=April 20, 2010 |work=The Vancouver Sun |location=Canada}}</ref> The roughly 2,000 square meters studio produced seven short films based on ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' and ''[[Cars (franchise)|Cars]]'' characters. In October 2013, the studio was closed down to refocus Pixar's efforts at its main headquarters.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 8, 2013 |title=Pixar Canada shuts its doors in Vancouver |work=[[The Province]] |url=http://blogs.theprovince.com/2013/10/08/pixar-canada-shuts-its-doors-in-vancouver/ |url-status=dead |access-date=October 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424044457/http://blogs.theprovince.com/2013/10/08/pixar-canada-shuts-its-doors-in-vancouver/ |archive-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref>

In November 2014, Morris was promoted to president of Pixar, while his counterpart at Disney Animation, general manager Andrew Millstein, was also promoted to president of that studio.<ref name="Graser">{{cite news|last1=Graser|first1=Marc|title=Walt Disney Animation, Pixar Promote Andrew Millstein, Jim Morris to President|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/walt-disney-animation-pixar-promote-andrew-millstein-jim-morris-to-president-1201359728/|access-date=November 18, 2014|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Business Media]]|date=November 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121224901/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/walt-disney-animation-pixar-promote-andrew-millstein-jim-morris-to-president-1201359728|archive-date=November 21, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Both continued to report to Catmull, who retained the title of president of both Disney Animation and Pixar.<ref name="Graser" />

On November 21, 2017, Lasseter announced that he was taking a six-month leave of absence after acknowledging what he called "missteps" in his behavior with employees in a memo to staff. According to ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' and ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Lasseter had a history of alleged sexual misconduct towards employees.<ref name="hollywoodreporter_20171121A">{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseters-pattern-alleged-misconduct-detailed-by-disney-pixar-insiders-1059594|title=John Lasseter's Pattern of Alleged Misconduct Detailed by Disney/Pixar Insiders|last=Masters|first=Kim|date=November 21, 2017|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=November 24, 2017|archive-date=November 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121205514/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseters-pattern-alleged-misconduct-detailed-by-disney-pixar-insiders-1059594|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost_20171121A">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/11/21/disney-animation-guru-john-lasseter-takes-leave-after-sexual-misconduct-allegations/|title=Disney animation guru John Lasseter takes leave after sexual misconduct allegations|last=Zeitchik|first=Steven|date=November 21, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=November 21, 2017|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143555/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/11/21/disney-animation-guru-john-lasseter-takes-leave-after-sexual-misconduct-allegations/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/he-who-not-be-named-can-john-lasseter-ever-return-disney-1105297|title=He Who Must Not Be Named": Can John Lasseter Ever Return to Disney?|last=Masters|first=Kim|date=April 25, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=May 1, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503214552/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/he-who-not-be-named-can-john-lasseter-ever-return-disney-1105297|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 8, 2018, it was announced that Lasseter would leave Disney Animation and Pixar at the end of the year, but would take on a consulting role until then.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/business/media/john-lasseter-leaves-disney.html|title=Pixar Co-Founder to Leave Disney After 'Missteps'|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|date=June 8, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=June 8, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609033127/https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/business/media/john-lasseter-leaves-disney.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Pete Docter was announced as Lasseter's replacement as chief creative officer of Pixar on June 19, 2018.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/pete-docter-jennifer-lee-lead-pixar-disney-animation-1121432 | title = Pete Docter, Jennifer Lee to Lead Pixar, Disney Animation | first = Borys | last = Kit | date = June 19, 2018 | access-date = June 19, 2018 | work = The Hollywood Reporter | archive-date = August 16, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180816163929/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/pete-docter-jennifer-lee-lead-pixar-disney-animation-1121432 | url-status = live }}</ref>

==== Sequels and financial success (2018–2019) ====
On June 15, 2018, ''[[Incredibles 2]]'' was released, setting a record for widest opening weekend worldwide and domestic for an animated film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2018-06-18 |title='Incredibles 2' Record $183M Beats 'Captain America: Civil War' Opening & Lifetime Totals Of 'Cars 3', 'A Bug's Life' |url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/incredibles-2-tag-superfly-weekend-box-office-1202411262/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306024917/https://deadline.com/2018/06/incredibles-2-tag-superfly-weekend-box-office-1202411262/ |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> The film would eventually gross $1.2&nbsp;billion worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Incredibles 2 (2018) – Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Incredibles-2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316230541/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Incredibles-2#tab=summary |archive-date=March 16, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=The Numbers}}</ref> On October 23, 2018, it was announced that Catmull would be retiring. He stayed in an adviser role until July 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=October 23, 2018 |title=Pixar Co-Founder Ed Catmull to Retire |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixar-founder-ed-catmull-retire-1154569 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024025917/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixar-founder-ed-catmull-retire-1154569 |archive-date=October 24, 2018 |access-date=October 24, 2018 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> On January 18, 2019, it was announced that Lee Unkrich would be leaving Pixar after 25 years although he would return to the studio a few years later.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/coco-director-lee-unkrich-leaving-pixar-25-years-1177411 | title='Toy Story 3,' 'Coco' Director Lee Unkrich Leaving Pixar After 25 Years (Exclusive) | first=Borys | last=Kit | date=January 18, 2019 | access-date=January 18, 2019 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | archive-date=January 19, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119035629/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/coco-director-lee-unkrich-leaving-pixar-25-years-1177411 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Huston |first=Caitlin |date=March 20, 2025 |title='Coco 2' Set For 2029 Release In Theaters |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/coco-2-2029-release-pixar-theaters-1236169129/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320175308/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/coco-2-2029-release-pixar-theaters-1236169129/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> On June 21, 2019, ''[[Toy Story 4]]'' was released, surpassing the widest opening worldwide weekend record that ''Incredibles 2'' set.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=2019-06-23 |title=Box Office: 'Toy Story 4' Dominates With $118 Million Debut |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/toy-story-4-opening-weekend-box-office-1203250954/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404144120/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/toy-story-4-opening-weekend-box-office-1203250954/ |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The film would make over $1&nbsp;billion and win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toy Story 4 (2019) – Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Toy-Story-4-(2019) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617015329/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Toy-Story-4-(2019) |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=The Numbers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitten |first=Sarah |date=2020-02-10 |title='Toy Story 4' wins best animated feature Oscar at 92nd Academy Awards |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/09/toy-story-4-wins-best-animated-feature-oscar-at-92nd-academy-awards.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207121417/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/09/toy-story-4-wins-best-animated-feature-oscar-at-92nd-academy-awards.html |archive-date=December 7, 2022 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> During the [[D23 (Disney)|2019 D23 Expo]], Pixar announced that their next film, ''[[Soul (2020 film)|Soul]]'', would release in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Radulovic |first1=Petrana |last2=Patches |first2=Matt |date=2019-08-24 |title=Pixar's latest film Soul is a metaphysical comedy with the studio's first black lead |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/24/20827001/pixar-soul-jamie-foxx-cast-plot-description |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617015621/https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/24/20827001/pixar-soul-jamie-foxx-cast-plot-description |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> Ahead of the launch of [[Disney+]], Pixar debuted ''[[SparkShorts]]'', experimental shorts done by Pixar staff.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schellong |first=Megan |date=April 17, 2019 |title=Pixar's SparkShorts Set Out To Ignite More Diversity in Animation |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/17/709644139/pixars-sparkshorts-set-out-to-ignite-more-diversity-in-animation |access-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330205625/https://www.npr.org/2019/04/17/709644139/pixars-sparkshorts-set-out-to-ignite-more-diversity-in-animation |archive-date=March 30, 2023}}</ref>

==== COVID-19, Disney+ releases, and some financial struggles (2020–present) ====
Pixar released ''[[Onward (film)|Onward]]'' on March 6, 2020. However, due to the start of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the film underperformed at the box office and was released onto rental digital services on March 20, and later on [[Disney+]] on April 3.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gemmill |first=Allie |date=2020-03-20 |title=Onward: Pixar's Animated Fantasy Coming to Disney+ and Digital Early |url=https://collider.com/onward-digital-release-disney-plus-details/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214031910/https://collider.com/onward-digital-release-disney-plus-details/ |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> Due to the pandemic, ''Soul'' was moved to November 2020, and ultimately released on December 25, 2020, on Disney+ at no additional cost to subscribers, and later became the first animated streaming film to win the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=2020-10-08 |title=Pixar's 'Soul' Bypasses Theaters, Sets Disney+ Christmas Debut |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/pixars-soul-bypasses-theaters-sets-disney-christmas-debut-4074069/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011125640/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixars-soul-bypasses-theaters-sets-disney-christmas-debut |archive-date=October 11, 2020 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Pixar's next two features, [[Luca (2021 film)|''Luca'']] and ''[[Turning Red]]'', were also released free on Disney+ in June 2021 and March 2022, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2021-03-23 |title=Disney Shifts 'Black Widow' & 'Cruella' To Day & Date Release In Theaters And Disney+, Jarring Summer Box Office |url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/black-widow-cruella-disney-plus-theaters-day-and-date-release-1234720116/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323183840/https://deadline.com/2021/03/black-widow-cruella-disney-plus-theaters-day-and-date-release-1234720116/ |archive-date=March 23, 2021 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2022-01-07 |title=Pixar's 'Turning Red' Skips Theaters & Heads To Disney+ |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/turning-red-skips-theaters-disney-premiere-1234906438/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108021845/https://deadline.com/2022/01/turning-red-skips-theaters-disney-premiere-1234906438/ |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, several Pixar employees anonymously criticized Disney's decision to release their films direct to Disney+.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2021-04-28 |title=Pixar Staff Speaks Out Against Disney Moving Its Films to Streaming Only: 'It's Hard to Grasp' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/pixar-staff-slams-disney-moving-films-streaming-1234633910/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617021210/https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/pixar-staff-slams-disney-moving-films-streaming-1234633910/ |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref>

''[[Lightyear (film)|Lightyear]]'', Pixar's first movie to return to theaters was released in June 2022. The film became a [[Box-office bomb|box-office failure]] with ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' calculating the film lost the studio $106&nbsp;million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2023-04-14 |title=The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2022: Deadline's Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/biggest-box-office-bombs-2022-lowest-grossing-movies-1235325138/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520001416/https://deadline.com/2023/04/biggest-box-office-bombs-2022-lowest-grossing-movies-1235325138/ |archive-date=May 20, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2022, Jonas Rivera was promoted to Executive VP of Film Production at Pixar overseeing all film and streaming production.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=2022-09-15 |title=Jonas Rivera, Producer of 'Inside Out' and 'Toy Story 4,' Promoted to Executive VP Film Production at Pixar (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/toy-story-4-up-producer-jonas-rivera-pixar-executive-1235221419/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924123338/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/toy-story-4-up-producer-jonas-rivera-pixar-executive-1235221419/ |archive-date=September 24, 2022 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2022, Disney CEO Bob Iger noted that they would rely more on the Pixar brand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=CNBC Exclusive: CNBC Transcript: Disney CEO Bob Iger Speaks with CNBC's David Faber on "Squawk on the Street" Today |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/09/cnbc-exclusive-cnbc-transcript-disney-ceo-bob-iger-speaks-with-cnbcs-david-faber-on-squawk-on-the-street-today.html |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> In June 2023, Disney laid off 75 employees including the director of ''Lightyear'' [[Angus MacLane]], and the film's producer Galyn Susman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chmielewski |first=Dawn |date=2023-06-04 |title=Exclusive: Walt Disney's Pixar targets 'Lightyear' execs among 75 job cuts |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/walt-disneys-pixar-animation-eliminates-75-positions-2023-06-03/ |access-date=2023-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611103120/https://www.reuters.com/business/walt-disneys-pixar-animation-eliminates-75-positions-2023-06-03|archive-date=June 11, 2023}}</ref>

During that same month, [[Elemental (2023 film)|''Elemental'']] was released. During the film's opening weekend, Docter stated that Pixar "trained audiences that these films will be available for you on Disney+".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tangcay |first=Jazz |date=2023-06-16 |title=Pixar Boss Pete Docter Says the Studio 'Trained' Families to Expect Disney+ Debuts, 'Elemental' Buzz at Cannes Was 'Confusing' |url=https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/pixar-pete-docter-disney-elemental-cannes-inside-out-1235646648/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617024809/https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/pixar-pete-docter-disney-elemental-cannes-inside-out-1235646648/ |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Despite opening below projections, ''Elemental'' ultimately made a box office comeback by early August 2023, crossing $400&nbsp;million at the worldwide box office. Disney's [[Vice president#In business|EVP]] of Theatrical Distribution Tony Chambers stated "After a disappointing opening weekend, we're really pleased that audiences have discovered what a great movie it is."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/pixar-elemental-box-office/|title=How Pixar's 'Elemental' Kept Its Fire Burning at the Box Office|website=The Walt Disney Company|date=August 7, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2023|archive-date=August 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825062023/https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/pixar-elemental-box-office/|url-status=live}}</ref> That same month, Morris said "at the box office we're looking at now, [the film] should do better than break even theatrically. And then we have revenue from [[Disney Streaming|streaming]], [[Disney Experiences|theme parks]] and [[Disney Consumer Products|consumer products]]. This will certainly be a profitable film for the Disney company."<ref name="Rubin">{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=August 9, 2023 |title=Pixar President on 'Elemental's' Unlikely Box Office Rebound: 'This Will Certainly Be a Profitable Film' |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixar-elemental-box-office-rebound-1235691248/ |access-date=August 9, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=August 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825062111/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixar-elemental-box-office-rebound-1235691248/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2023, it was announced that ''Soul'', ''Turning Red'' and ''Luca'' would be released in theaters in the United States in the first quarter of 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreau |first=Jordan |date=2023-12-05 |title=Pixar's 'Soul,' 'Turning Red' and 'Luca' Coming to Theaters After Disney+ Debuts During Pandemic |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixar-soul-turning-red-luca-theaters-1235822031/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

In January 2024, it was reported that Pixar's staff would face imminent layoffs by 20 percent, reducing the studio's workforce to less than 1,000 employees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Sarah |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/11/as-disney-pushes-towards-streaming-profitability-pixar-to-undergo-layoffs-in-2024/ |title=As Disney pushes toward streaming profitability, Pixar to undergo layoffs in 2024 |website=[[TechCrunch]] |date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111233848/https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/11/as-disney-pushes-towards-streaming-profitability-pixar-to-undergo-layoffs-in-2024/ |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/pixar-layoffs-second-half-2024-1235870346/ |title=Pixar Expects to Make Layoffs in Second Half of 2024 |work=Variety |date=January 12, 2024 |access-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112235129/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/pixar-layoffs-second-half-2024-1235870346/ |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the layoffs were then delayed and did not occur, reportedly because of production schedules.<ref name="McClintock">{{cite news |last1=McClintock |first1=Pamela |title=Major Pixar Layoffs, Long-Expected, Now Underway In Restructuring (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/pixar-layoffs-hit-storied-animation-studio-1235904847/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 21, 2024}}</ref> In May 2024, the studio proceeded with slightly smaller layoffs: 175 employees or approximately 14 percent of the studio's workforce of over 1,300 employees.<ref name="McClintock" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Chmielewski |first=Dawn |date=May 21, 2024 |title=Disney's Pixar Animation to lay off about 14% of workforce |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/pixar-animation-lay-off-about-14-workforce-2024-05-21/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> The layoffs occurred as the studio began to rely less on direct-to-streaming series and more on feature films intended primarily for theatrical exhibition.<ref name="McClintock" /><ref name=":1" />

On June 14 of the same year, ''[[Inside Out 2]]'' was released and became financially successful. The film had a domestic opening of $154 million, the third highest for an animated film, and the biggest global opening for an animated movie with $294 million. Since then the film broke multiple box office records. It had the highest second weekend gross for an animated film with $100 million, being the first to reach the 6 digit second opening weekend. It became the fastest animated movie to reach $1 billion at the global box office, reaching the milestone in 17 days. It also out-grossed ''Incredibles 2'' to become the highest grossing Pixar film globally.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=2024-07-10 |title=Box Office Milestone: 'Inside Out 2' Becomes Pixar's Top-Grossing Movie of All Time Globally |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/inside-out-2-box-office-biggest-pixar-movie-of-all-time-1235945110/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>