Full History Of Pixar In Timeline From 1973

1973: Jobs Works at Atari

Steve Jobs worked as a technician at Atari in 1973.

1974: NYIT Establishes Computer Graphics Lab

The Computer Graphics Lab (CGL) was founded at NYIT in 1974, marking an important step toward Pixar's eventual creation.

1976: Bushnell Sells Atari

Bushnell sold Atari to Warner Communications in 1976.

1977: Bushnell Founds Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatres

Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatres was founded by Nolan Bushnell in 1977.

1979: Pixar's Beginnings

Pixar's journey began in 1979 as part of the Lucasfilm computer division, known as the Graphics Group.

1979: Graphics Group Launched at Lucasfilm

The Graphics Group, which would later evolve into Pixar, was launched at Lucasfilm in 1979.

1981: Origin of the Name "Pixar"

The name "Pixar" emerged around 1981, initially as a name suggestion for a compositing computer.

1982: Cheers Premiere

John Ratzenberger, a future Pixar voice actor, began starring in the television series Cheers in 1982.

1982: Pixar's Work with ILM

Pixar began collaborating with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) on special effects in 1982.

1983: Impact of Lucas's Divorce

George Lucas's divorce in 1983 impacted the future of the Graphics Group, ultimately leading to its spin-off as Pixar.

1983: Lasseter Joins Lucasfilm

John Lasseter joined Lucasfilm in 1983.

1983: Bushnell Founds Kadabrascope

Nolan Bushnell founded Kadabrascope in 1983. Later, it was sold to Lucasfilm and its assets were merged into the Computer Division.

1984: PTT Bankruptcy and Acquisition

PTT declared bankruptcy and was acquired by ShowBiz Pizza Place in 1984.

February 1986: Pixar Spins Out as a Corporation

The Graphics Group officially became Pixar, a corporation, in February 1986.

1986: Pixar's Incorporation

Pixar became a corporation in 1986, with Steve Jobs as a major shareholder.

1993: Cheers Finale

Cheers, starring John Ratzenberger, concluded its run in 1993.

1995: Release of Toy Story

Pixar's first fully computer-animated feature film, "Toy Story," premiered in 1995.

1995: Toy Story Success

The success of Toy Story in 1995 established Pixar as the first major successful computer-animation studio for theatrical feature films.

1998: A Bug's Life Release and Hiring Surge

Around the release of A Bug's Life in 1998, Pixar significantly expanded its animation department.

1999: Toy Story 2 Release and Disney Agreement

Following Toy Story 2's release in 1999, Pixar and Disney entered an agreement regarding sequels.

2001: Start of Pixar's Academy Award Wins

Pixar's streak of Academy Award wins for Best Animated Feature began in 2001.

2001: Monsters, Inc. Release and Hiring Surge

The release of Monsters, Inc. in 2001 led to another surge in hiring for Pixar's animation department.

2003: Finding Nemo Wins Best Animated Feature

"Finding Nemo" won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.

2003: Finding Nemo Release and Hiring Surge

Following the release of Finding Nemo in 2003, Pixar's animation department experienced further growth.

2004: The Incredibles Wins Best Animated Feature

"The Incredibles" took home the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2004.

2004: Disney's Sequel Plans

In 2004, Disney announced plans to proceed with Pixar sequels, with or without Pixar's involvement.

2004: Negotiations Cease, Pixar Seeks New Partners

In 2004, negotiations between Pixar and Disney ended due to disagreements between Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner. Pixar explored partnerships with other studios.

September 2005: Iger Witnesses Lack of Recent Disney Characters

During the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005, Bob Iger observed a lack of recent Disney-created characters in the parade, which influenced his decision to acquire Pixar.

September 2005: Eisner Leaves Disney

Michael Eisner's departure from Disney in September 2005 paved the way for renewed negotiations between Disney and Pixar.

November 4, 2005: Planned Release Date for Cars

Cars was originally slated for release on November 4, 2005.

January 2006: Disney Announces Acquisition of Pixar

In January 2006, Disney announced its plan to acquire Pixar.

January 24, 2006: Disney Agrees to Acquire Pixar

Disney agreed to acquire Pixar for $7.4 billion on January 24, 2006.

May 5, 2006: Disney Completes Acquisition of Pixar

On May 5, 2006, Disney finalized its acquisition of Pixar, making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder.

May 2006: Disney Completes Acquisition of Pixar

Disney finalized its acquisition of Pixar in May 2006.

May 2006: Lasseter Reveals Iger's Motivation

In May 2006, John Lasseter revealed that Bob Iger's decision to purchase Pixar stemmed from observing a lack of recent Disney characters in a Hong Kong Disneyland parade.

May 2006: Toy Story 3 Back in Production

Toy Story 3 was brought back into production under Pixar's control in May 2006.

June 9, 2006: New Release Date for Cars

Cars' release date was changed to June 9, 2006, to capitalize on the summer movie season and give Pixar more leverage in negotiations with Disney.

2006: Pixar's Tribute to John Ratzenberger

Pixar paid tribute to John Ratzenberger in the end credits of Cars (2006), acknowledging his voice acting contributions to their films.

2007: Ratatouille Wins Best Animated Feature

"Ratatouille" was awarded Best Animated Feature in 2007.

2007: Distribution Deal for Ratatouille

In 2007, Pixar and Disney struck a distribution deal for Ratatouille to ensure its release even if the acquisition talks fell through. This deal became void after Disney successfully acquired Pixar.

2007: Lasseter on Pixar's Theme of Self-Improvement

In a 2007 interview, John Lasseter discussed Pixar's recurring theme of self-improvement in its films, emphasizing character growth.

2007: Ratatouille Release

Ratatouille, one of Pixar's high-budget films, was released in 2007.

April 2008: Cars 2 Announcement

Cars 2, Pixar's first non-Toy Story sequel, was officially announced in April 2008.

2008: WALL-E Wins Best Animated Feature

"WALL-E" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2008.

2008: Pixar Hosts Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival

In 2008, Pixar hosted the second Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, highlighting the role of mathematics in filmmaking.

2008: Pixar and Disney Animation Remain Separate

In 2008, despite the merger, Lasseter and Catmull maintained separate operations for Pixar and Disney Animation, requiring each studio to handle its own projects.

2008: Jim Morris Becomes General Manager

Jim Morris, producer of WALL-E, became Pixar's general manager in 2008.

2008: WALL-E Released

WALL-E, featuring a small amount of live-action, was released in 2008.

February 2009: Pixar Executives Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

In February 2009, key Pixar figures received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.

2009: Up Wins Best Animated Feature

"Up" received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2009.

April 2010: Monsters University Announcement

Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters, Inc., was announced in April 2010.

April 20, 2010: Pixar Canada Opens

Pixar opened a studio in Vancouver, Canada, on April 20, 2010.

June 18, 2010: Toy Story 3 Release

Toy Story 3 was released as Pixar's eleventh feature film on June 18, 2010.

2010: Release of Toy Story 3

"Toy Story 3" was released in 2010.

2010: Toy Story 3 Release

Toy Story 3, another high-budget Pixar film, was released in 2010.

June 2011: Toy Story 4 Hinted

In June 2011, Tom Hanks hinted at the possibility of a Toy Story 4.

June 24, 2011: Cars 2 Release

Cars 2 was released on June 24, 2011, as Pixar's twelfth feature film.

2011: Hawaiian Vacation Released

Hawaiian Vacation, a Toy Story Toons short, was released in 2011, including live-action elements.

2011: Pixar Consults on The Muppets

Pixar consulted on the script for The Muppets in 2011.

November 2012: Monsters University Initial Release Date

Monsters University was initially slated for release in November 2012.

2012: Brave Wins Best Animated Feature

"Brave" won the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2012.

2012: Brave Release and Pixar Theory

Following the release of Brave in 2012, the "Pixar Theory" gained popularity, suggesting connections between all Pixar characters.

2012: John Carter Released

John Carter, produced by Pixar's Jim Morris, was released in 2012.

April 2013: Finding Dory Announced

Finding Dory was officially announced in April 2013.

June 21, 2013: Monsters University Release

Monsters University was released on June 21, 2013.

October 2013: Pixar Canada Closes

Pixar Canada closed in October 2013.

2013: The Pixar Theory

The Pixar Theory, a blog post proposing that all Pixar characters are connected, was published in 2013.

2013: Toy Story of Terror! Released

Toy Story of Terror!, Pixar's first television special, was released in 2013.

March 2014: Incredibles 2 and Cars 3 Announced

In March 2014, Pixar announced that Incredibles 2 and Cars 3 were in development.

November 2014: Morris and Millstein Promoted to President

In November 2014, Jim Morris was promoted to president of Pixar, while Andrew Millstein was promoted to president of Disney Animation.

November 2014: Toy Story 4 Confirmed

Toy Story 4 was officially confirmed to be in development in November 2014, with John Lasseter as director.

2014: Toy Story That Time Forgot Released

Toy Story That Time Forgot, Pixar's second television special, was released in 2014.

2015: Inside Out Wins Best Animated Feature

"Inside Out" was awarded Best Animated Feature in 2015.

2015: Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur Release

Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, both big-budget Pixar productions, were released in 2015.

June 17, 2016: Finding Dory Release

Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo, was released on June 17, 2016.

July 3, 2016: Shift Away from Sequels

On July 3, 2016, Pixar president Jim Morris announced a potential shift away from sequels after Toy Story 4.

2016: Borrowed Time Accepted into Pixar Co-op Program

Borrowed Time, the first 3D film in the Pixar Co-op Program, was accepted in 2016.

2016: Pixar Assists with The Jungle Book

Pixar assisted in the story development of The Jungle Book in 2016.

2016: Release of Finding Dory

Pixar released "Finding Dory" in 2016.

July 2017: Lasseter Steps Down

In July 2017, John Lasseter stepped down as director of Toy Story 4, leaving Josh Cooley as sole director.

November 21, 2017: Lasseter Takes Leave of Absence

John Lasseter announced a six-month leave of absence on November 21, 2017, following allegations of misconduct.

2017: Coco Wins Best Animated Feature

"Coco" won the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2017.

June 8, 2018: Lasseter to Leave Disney and Pixar

It was announced on June 8, 2018 that John Lasseter would be leaving Disney Animation and Pixar at the end of the year.

June 15, 2018: Incredibles 2 Released

Incredibles 2 was released on June 15, 2018, achieving record-breaking box office success.

June 2018: 1906 Adaptation Discussed

In June 2018, Brad Bird discussed the possibility of adapting 1906 as a TV series or live-action film.

June 19, 2018: Docter Replaces Lasseter

Pete Docter was named as Lasseter's replacement at Pixar on June 19, 2018.

October 23, 2018: Catmull Announces Retirement

Ed Catmull announced his retirement on October 23, 2018.

2018: Release of Incredibles 2

"Incredibles 2" hit theaters in 2018.

2018: Incredibles 2 Release

Incredibles 2, a high-budget Pixar film, was released in 2018.

2018: Pixar Animators Contribute to Mary Poppins Returns

Pixar animators contributed to a hand-drawn sequence in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.

January 18, 2019: Unkrich Leaves Pixar

Lee Unkrich left Pixar on January 18, 2019, after 25 years.

May 2019: Focus on Original Projects

In May 2019, Pixar affirmed its intention to focus on original projects.

June 2019: Toy Story 4 Release and Success

Toy Story 4 was released in June 2019 and became one of the top 40 highest-grossing films in the US.

June 21, 2019: Toy Story 4 Released

Toy Story 4, released on June 21, 2019, broke box office records and won an Academy Award.

July 2019: Catmull Retires

Ed Catmull officially retired in July 2019.

2019: Release of Toy Story 4

"Toy Story 4" premiered in 2019.

2019: Pixar in Real Life Developed

Pixar in Real Life, a live-action reality show, was developed in 2019.

2019: Toy Story 4 Release

Toy Story 4, a high-budget Pixar film, was released in 2019.

March 6, 2020: Onward Released

Onward was theatrically released on March 6, 2020.

November 2020: Soul's Release Date Moved

Soul's release was delayed to November 2020 due to the pandemic.

December 10, 2020: Three Disney+ Series Announced

Three Pixar series for Disney+ were announced on December 10, 2020: Dug Days, Cars on the Road, and Win or Lose.

December 25, 2020: Soul Released on Disney+

Soul was released on Disney+ on December 25, 2020.

2020: Soul Wins Best Animated Feature

"Soul" was awarded Best Animated Feature in 2020.

2020: John Ratzenberger in Pixar Films

John Ratzenberger voiced characters in every Pixar feature film from Toy Story through Onward (2020), and a character in Soul (2020) bears his likeness.

2020: Soul and SparkShorts Announced

Pixar announced Soul's release for 2020 and launched SparkShorts on Disney+.

June 2021: Luca Released on Disney+

Luca was released directly on Disney+ in June 2021.

July 2021: Monsters at Work Premiere

Monsters at Work premiered on Disney+ in July 2021.

September 1, 2021: Dug Days Premiere

Dug Days premiered on Disney+ on September 1, 2021.

March 2022: Turning Red Released on Disney+

Turning Red was released directly on Disney+ in March 2022.

June 2022: Lightyear Release and Box Office Failure

In June 2022, Pixar released Lightyear, its first film to return to theaters since the start of the pandemic. However, the film underperformed at the box office, resulting in significant financial losses for the studio.

September 8, 2022: Cars on the Road Premiere

Cars on the Road premiered on Disney+ on September 8, 2022.

September 2022: Pixar Sequels and Prequels

As of September 2022, six Pixar films were slated to have sequels or prequels: Toy Story, Cars, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Inside Out.

September 2022: Inside Out 2 Confirmed

Inside Out 2 was officially confirmed during the D23 Expo in September 2022.

September 2022: Jonas Rivera Promotion

Jonas Rivera was promoted to Executive VP of Film Production at Pixar in September 2022, overseeing all film and streaming production.

December 2022: Disney's Renewed Focus on Pixar

In December 2022, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a renewed focus on the Pixar brand, emphasizing its importance to the company.

2022: Turning Red and Lightyear Release

Turning Red and Lightyear, both expensive Pixar productions, were released in 2022.

February 2023: Toy Story 5 Announced

Toy Story 5 was announced in February 2023, with a planned release in 2026.

June 2023: Inside Out Series Announced

A TV series based on Inside Out was announced in June 2023.

June 2023: Layoffs at Pixar

In June 2023, Disney laid off 75 employees, including Lightyear's director Angus MacLane and producer Galyn Susman.

July 2023: Pixar's Box Office Success

As of July 2023, Pixar's films have generated over $15 billion globally.

August 2023: Elemental Release and Box Office Comeback

Elemental was released in August 2023. Despite initially underperforming, the film made a box office comeback, exceeding expectations and becoming profitable.

December 2023: Re-releases of Soul, Turning Red, and Luca

In December 2023, Disney announced the theatrical re-release of Soul, Turning Red, and Luca in the United States during the first quarter of 2024.

2023: Elemental Release and Pixar Budget Explanation

Elemental, a high-budget film, was released in 2023. In an interview that year, Pixar's president explained the reasons behind their films' high budgets.

January 2024: Pixar Layoff Delay

In January 2024, planned layoffs at Pixar were delayed due to production schedules.

May 2024: Pixar Layoffs

Pixar proceeded with layoffs in May 2024, impacting approximately 14% of its workforce. This coincided with a shift in focus from streaming series back to theatrical releases.

June 14, 2024: Inside Out 2 Release

Inside Out 2 is set to be released on June 14, 2024.

August 2024: Incredibles 3 Announced

Incredibles 3 was announced during the D23 Expo in August 2024.

December 11, 2024: Dream Productions Premiere

Dream Productions, a series based on Inside Out, premiered on Disney+ on December 11, 2024.

2024: Inside Out 2 Release

Inside Out 2, another high-budget Pixar film, is slated for release in 2024.

2024: Release of Inside Out 2

Pixar released "Inside Out 2" in 2024.

February 19, 2025: Win or Lose Premiere

Win or Lose is set to premiere on Disney+ on February 19, 2025.

June 13, 2025: Elio Release

Elio is scheduled to be released on June 13, 2025.

March 6, 2026: Hoppers Release

Hoppers is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2026.

June 19, 2026: Toy Story 5 Release

Toy Story 5 is scheduled to be released on June 19, 2026.

June 18, 2027: Untitled Pixar Film

A release date of June 18, 2027 has been reserved for a Pixar film.

History of Pixar in Timeline