Pixar has been delighting audiences with its animated offerings for almost three decades, but it is no secret that the company has faced a tumultuous time in the 2020s so far. Three of their movies (“Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red”) skipped an initial theatrical release and went straight to streaming — although they did finally get their flowers with special screenings in 2024. Even those that did get theatrical releases failed to reach the heady heights of Pixar’s heyday with both “Lightyear” and “Elemental” underperforming on their opening weekends compared to some of the other big hitters.

Things are on the up and up though, with “Inside Out 2” a huge success for the company, surpassing the $1 billion mark and becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. The triumph of “Inside Out 2” is likely to shape the direction Pixar will be heading in as well. Even before it dominated the box office, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed on an earnings call in February 2024 that they would be “leaning a little more into sequels and franchises.” He continued by saying, “given what it takes to get people out of their homes to see a film … leaning on franchises that are familiar is actually a smart thing.”

It makes sense that audiences would want to see the return of characters and franchises that they are familiar with, but there is still the need — and audience enthusiasm — for the original stories that made Pixar’s golden years so memorable. So what does Pixar’s slate of upcoming movies look like? We take a look at what has been confirmed and dive into some of the more credible rumors as well.

One of the many casualties of the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, Pixar’s original animated offering “Elio” was initially slated for release in March 2024 and subsequently pushed back until June 2025. While delays are always disappointing, this one could potentially work in favor of “Elio” as it is now set to follow the box office behemoth of “Inside Out 2,” and has shuffled into the prime summer release spot.

According to Pixar’s website, the film focuses on the adventures of Elio, “a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession.” A communication mishap sees the young Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) having to act as Earth’s ambassador to an array of aliens, each representing their own home world.

Based on the teaser trailer, “Elio” seems to be tapping into one of the things people love most about Pixar: imagination. The colorful and unique concept removes the real-world constraints and lets those creative juices flow. There’s also a wealth of talent involved, with the likes of Zoe Saldaña and Jameela Jamil providing voices, while Domee Shi (director of “Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian share directing duties. Speaking to The Wrap, Pixar’s chief creative officer Pete Docter said, “I think the core of this film that Maddie [Sharafian] and Domee [Shi] have really found has to do with the feelings we all sensed a lot of times, that we’re in this big world full of people, but we’re alone. But we don’t have to be.”

Undoubtedly one of the biggest pieces of news to come out of Disney’s annual D23 showcase was the return of Woody, Buzz, and friends in “Toy Story 5.” There is perhaps an argument to be made that the “Toy Story” franchise should’ve ended with the emotional full-circle conclusion of “Toy Story 3,” but the numbers speak for themselves: “Toy Story 4” was hugely profitable, and so it’s no wonder they want to do it all again.

“Toy Story 4” introduced the intriguing concept of what makes a toy a toy, with the introduction of the character Forky (Tony Hale), and “Toy Story 5” is set to take us in the direction of exploring what happens when the toys are replaced by technology. According to Pixar’s website, “Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all new threat to playtime.”

Beyond this, there aren’t too many details on the film just yet. The teaser trailer is really just that, a tease, and the concept image just shows the gang looking forlorn as their owner stares at a tablet instead of them. What is worth noting is the emphasis on the film opening “only in theaters on June 19, 2026.” This seemingly confirms that Pixar will be focusing on the theatrical experience going forward, at least for their big ticket movies. Presumably the cast will all be back to reprise their roles, with Andrew Stanton taking on writing and directing duties this time around.

Another announcement out of the D23 expo was the return of everyone’s favorite superhero family in “Incredibles 3.” Fans had to wait 14 years for a sequel to 2004’s “The Incredibles,” and while no release date has been set for the third installment, it is highly unlikely it will take anywhere near that long.

“Incredibles 2” was another huge box office success for Pixar, making more than $1.2 billion at the box office and cementing its status as one of several tentpole franchises for the company, alongside “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” and now “Inside Out.” Few details are known at the moment, as Pete Docter has given no further information beyond the initial announcement that the film would be coming. However, Variety is reporting that Brad Bird is set to return to direct — and this is highly likely, given that he directed the previous two movies.

No plot details have been released, but that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating, and a popular theory at the moment is that the next installment will see a time-jump, potentially aging up the children so that Jack-Jack is no longer a baby. Seeing as “Incredibles 2” took place immediately after the events of “The Incredibles,” this is a move that would provide fans with something new and different while still featuring the familiar characters we know and love.

In terms of release date, there is nothing confirmed, but it is highly unlikely that Pixar would have two competing IP in the same year, so you can rule out 2026, as that’s already taken by “Toy Story 5.” But 2027 looks like a distinct possibility.

Set for release in Spring 2026 — perhaps the warm-up act for “Toy Story 5” in the summer — is the brilliantly zany-sounding “Hoppers.” No, it’s not about bunnies, nor is it a spin-off movie about the villainous grasshopper from “A Bug’s Life.” With a concept that could only have come from the minds of Pixar, “Hoppers” takes the idea of talking animals to weird and wonderful new places when a young girl has her consciousness transferred into a robotic beaver. According to Pixar, “[in the] all-new feature film “Hoppers,” scientists have discovered how to ‘hop’ human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals!”

The wacky plot is reminiscent of Pixar’s “Turning Red,” with its protagonist turning into a giant fluffy red panda. What made that movie so brilliant, however, was the way it took that wackiness and combined it with extremely relatable coming-of-age themes. Based on what we know so far, “Hoppers” sounds like it could be shooting for similar territory.

While not new to Disney or Pixar, having worked in the art department for “Bolt” and as additional crew for “Lightyear,” Daniel Chong will be making his feature directorial debut with “Hoppers.” Pixar may be leaning on old favorites and established talents to right the ship after a difficult few years, but it’s encouraging that they’re still welcoming up-and-coming directors and original storytelling. “Hoppers” will feature the vocal talents of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, and Jon Hamm.

As with any rumor, it is best to approach these ones with some skeptism. Some are based on early internet chatter, and others could be seen as purely speculative based on decisions that would make sense for the company. In an interview with Time, Pete Docter said, “Part of our strategy is to try to balance our output with more sequels … With sequels, people think, ‘Oh, I’ve seen that. I know that I like it.’ Sequels are very valuable that way.” Docter went on to say, “On the other hand, they’re almost harder than originals because we can’t do the same idea again. We have to build on it hopefully in ways that people don’t expect.”

One franchise that Pixar might try to build on is “Finding Nemo,” following the first movie in 2003 and its sequel, “Finding Dory,” in 2016. Perhaps the series could round things out with a movie called “Finding Marlin,” completing its main trio of characters. One thing is for sure: Fans on Reddit do not want to see the return of Nemo’s mom, fearing that this would undo so much of the good work the previous films have done of exploring Marlin’s (Albert Brooks) perils of being a single dad.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Docter acknowledged there is still plenty of ground these movies could cover, but the story would have to be right for them to consider a sequel. He explained, “The ocean’s a big place. There are a lot of different areas and zones that feel like they’re open for exploration. However, the deeper question that we’re trying to be better at regulating ourselves is: what is this movie about?”

Admittedly, it feels a little too early to be talking about another “Inside Out” movie, given that we’re not far removed from the second installment. However, it is the fact that “Inside Out 2” made so much money at the box office — and impressed the critics — that we’re already questioning: Can they do it again for a third time?

The brilliance of “Inside Out 2” was that it expanded upon the original, introducing new emotions and exploring the rich tapestry of the human mind in the next important phase in life, puberty. There is arguably still scope to take this even further, following the character of Riley as she changes and grows, perhaps experiences heartbreak for the first time and learns important life lessons on the way. As the important figures at Pixar have alluded to many times, the story has to be right for the company to consider a sequel, and the concept for a further “Inside Out” installment would need a little more ironing out before being greenlit.

“Inside Out 2” really resonated with audiences of all ages — particularly in the way it depicts anxiety — and there is already talk of what might come next among fans on Reddit, with many agreeing it would be fascinating to see Riley more as she grows up. However, Pixar are approaching the idea of a sequel cautiously. Speaking with Fandango, Pete Docter said, “… there’s a lot to explore, a lot of things that we played with in the first movie or the second movie that didn’t work for story reasons — [they] didn’t fit thematically — so we have a lot to play with.”

Those who have kept their eyes on Disney+ will be aware there’s already a sequel of sorts to “Monsters Inc,” in the form of the series “Monsters at Work,” which saw the former scare organization transition to making kids laugh instead. However, there have been only two big screen outings for the loveable monsters with the prequel, “Monsters University.”

Arguably, “Monsters at Work” has already covered the ground that a subsequent film could’ve done, but that doesn’t completely put a stop to the conversation about a third “Monsters Inc.” movie. “Monsters at Work” featured cameos from Mike Wazowski and Sulley — with both Billy Crystal and John Goodman returning to reprise their roles — but the main focus was on a different cast of characters and how they adjusted to their workplace changes. Should a third movie be greenlit, it would be great to check in with our favorite monster duo and see what they’re up to. Perhaps in a similar vein to “Toy Story 5,” they might face the struggle of competing with technology with kids that are harder to make laugh than they used to be.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pete Docter certainly didn’t confirm a third “Monsters Inc.” movie, but he didn’t completely deny it either. He said, “We’ve been searching for ideas for a Monsters, Inc. sequel for a long time, and we haven’t seen enough to start working on anything there yet.” Later, when it was pointed out that “Monsters Inc.” is among Pixar’s most successful properties and Docter was asked what ones they would revisit for a sequel, he responded, “We’re looking at everything, but we haven’t really made any small list of films like that.”

It’s a series that divides opinion, but there is no denying the numbers: “Cars” is a money-printing machine when it comes to merchandise. In fact, back in 2011, then-boss John Lasseter revealed that after the first movie alone, merchandise sales were around $10 billion. To put that in context, according to Statista, in 2016 “Cars” sat below only “Star Wars” in terms of money made on merchandise. That’s not nothing, and if Pixar is looking to get back on track, a fourth “Cars” movie would certainly make financial sense.

In 2017, “Cars 3” producers Kevin Reher and Andrea Warren told Collider they were open to the idea of a fourth movie, with Reher saying, “People ask, ‘[Is there a Cars 4?,’ and I say, ‘If there’s a story.’ But also, you want it to be the right story.” As well as the right story, bringing back the voice actors who made the parts their own is an essential component, and fortunately Larry the Cable Guy — who voiced the tow truck, Mater — would be on board. In an interview with Pop Culture he said, “… if they don’t do another one, I am extremely happy that I was able to do that. And if they do do it then we’ll do another one and I’ll be happy with that.”

While nothing is confirmed, there is a so-far unnamed Pixar release in 2027, and any one of these rumored movies could fill that slot — particularly ones where it has been a while since the last installment. 2027 would mark 10 years since “Cars 3,” so a fourth entry in the franchise is certainly a possibility. Pete Docter has ruled nothing out, responding to Variety’s question about revisiting the world of “Cars” by saying, “It’s all fair game.”