Pixar originally started as a division of Lucasfilm in 1979, titled the Graphics Group. In 1986, Apple founder Steve Jobs purchased the company for five million. Since the release of its first film Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios remained a household name, trusted to bring audiences compelling stories. The studio didn’t turn a profit in its early years, but by the end of the 1990s, it had released A Bug’s Life (1998) and Toy Story 2 (1999), and demand only increased.
In the early 2000s, Pixar released some of its most iconic and beloved films: Monsters Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004). It’s most financially successful franchise came in 2007, Cars, the same year the Disney bought Pixar. From that year, the studio reliably released at least one film each year (except for 2014, due to production issues on The Good Dinosaur.) Pixar has produced twenty-two films to date, nearly all to commercial and critical acclaim.
Read on for 15 fun behind the scenes facts most fans don’t know about Pixar.
14 Before Movies And Shorts, Pixar Made Commercials For Big Companies
To make money and help animators develop and practice with the software, Pixar Animation Studios took on work in advertising in the late 1980s and early 90s. The companies ranged from promoting the California Lottery to marketing a wide range of products such as Tropicana, Life Savers, Listerine, Pillsbury, Trident, and Volkswagen.
13 Every Pixar Film References A113
Alumni of California Institute of the Arts are known to leave their signature, A113, hidden across projects. A113 is the graphic design and animation classroom for students at the school, including alumni John Lasseter. In Up, it’s the room number on the courthouse and A Bug’s Life, on a cereal box as Flik walks into Bug City.
12 Pixar Directors, Like The Incredibles’ Brad Bird, Often Double As Voice Actors
Brad Bird voiced superhero costume designer Edna “E” Mode in The Incredibles. Screenwriter and Cars co-director, Joe Ranft, was Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug’s Life and Wheezy the penguin in Toy Story 2, among other characters. Andrew Stanton, co-director of Finding Nemo, voiced its surfer turtle Crush in addition to Toy Story 2’s Emperor Zurg.
11 One Lunch Meeting Created A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo And WALL-E
The story ideas bounced around one lunch meeting between key Pixar creatives like John Lassiter, at a diner called Hidden City Cafe. The extraordinary session is said to have lasted about four hours, and executives laid down plans for some of Pixar’s most successful films. There is a tribute to Hidden City in Monster’s Inc.
10 The Creators Of Toy Story Wanted Barbie In The First Movie
Mattel rejected including Barbie in the Toy Story franchise, so instead, they created Bo Peep in her place. The company changed its mind after Toy Story and A Bug’s Life hit theaters. In the Toy Story films, Barbie is voiced by Jodi Benson, who also voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
9 Pixar Directors Often Pull From Their Real Lives, Like Pete Docter's Move From Minnesota-To-California Mirrored In Inside Out
Like his protagonist Riley, Docter made a similar move in his real-life. Brad Bird based bits of Bob Parr in The Incredibles off his attempts to balance work and family. Bird’s son, Nicholas Bird, provided the voice for Squirt, the young sea turtle, in a previous Pixar film, Finding Nemo.
8 The Vegetable Riley Rejects In Inside Out Changes By Country
To maximize audience reach, Pixar changes graphics. “We learned that some of our content wouldn’t make sense in other countries,” director Pete Docter explained. In Inside Out, Riley finds broccoli gross: in Japan, she refuses to eat green bell peppers. The food changes required 28 different graphic tweaks, depending on the item or region.
7 Billy Crystal Voiced Mike Wazowski After Passing On Toy Story
While casting the first Toy Story film, director John Lassetter approached Billy Crystal to voice Buzz Lightyear. Billy Crystal cites passing on the project as his only regret in the business. At the time, only Woody had a name and the movie a loose plot, so Crystal turned them down. He didn’t make the same mistake in 2001 with Monster’s Inc.
6 Pixar Had A Secret List Of Rules For Writing Stories Different From Disney
Pixar is known for its original narratives, often focusing on the overlooked little-guys, like toys, cars, or bugs. A part of their recipe for success is a secret list of rules to break the archetypes of storytelling, which includes: No songs, no “I want” moments, no happy village, no love story and no villain.
5 John Ratzenberger Voices A Character In Every Pixar Film
One of the most reliable things about Pixar, other than their consistent output of feel-good animated films, is hearing the voice of John Ratzenberger behind one of the characters. Hamm in the Toy Story franchise, The Abominable Snowman in Monsters Inc., and Flea in A Bug’s Life are the most memorable performances.
