The Rise of Sequels and Fall of Originals

Tiffany Sun

June 27, 2025

When was the last time you watched an original animated movie in the theaters? From Pixar or Disney, or Universal Studios? For many, the answer is a long long long time ago. Now, you might attribute your own lack of viewing to growing up and “outgrowing” animations; however, this decreasing trend is seen across the entire population.

In the first 3 days of its premiere in theaters, Pixar’s new animated film “Elio” only earned $21 million in ticket sales, an all-time low for Pixar Studios. “Elio” earned $8.6 million less than the last low-record setter, “Elemental,” released in 2024. Don’t worry, Pixar is not on a continuous downward trend. The release of “Inside Out 2” in 2024 sold $154.2 million worth of tickets, marking the 2nd most successful opener for Pixar. And yet, why is there such a huge disparity between films like “Elio” and “Elemental” versus “Inside Out 2?”

Since the very start, sequels and franchise films with existing fan bases have received widespread and guaranteed popularity, but post-pandemic, the performance gap between franchise films and original content has grown exponentially wider, as seen with the big hit success of “Inside Out 2” compared to the low-record setting “Elio.” In fact, in 2024, none of the top 20 highest-grossing films were originals; they were either sequels, prequels, spin-offs, or other extensions of pre-existing content.

Some like to call this phenomenon the “anti-Forrest Gump effect,” where the audience gravitates towards these franchise films because they always know what they’re going to get. For many, buying a ticket to a sequel film is a much safer option than watching an original because a sequel nearly always guarantees enjoyment. In a sense, franchise films are like comfort food, but in movie form. In the face of so much change and uncertainty in society, familiar films with familiar characters and familiar styles are especially attractive to viewers.

Although these new animations haven’t received the warm welcome as they once did—like “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and “Coco” —they still hold great potential and are worthy of viewing, whether that be watching the film in the first couple days its released via a movie theater, or through streaming platforms later on. Although fan bases might grow rather slowly and with greater delay than before, that doesn’t mean they won’t expand in the future. Take “Encanto,” for example, an animated film released during the pandemic. Although COVID greatly limited theater access, “Encanto” still became incredibly popular as people watched it from their couches at home.

While the low success rate of new original animations in movie theaters is rather unfortunate, sequel content is outperforming like never before, and, now, more than ever, viewers can access all these films via a variety of platforms, contributing to the success of films in ways other than going to a movie theater. Whether you’re an enjoyer of franchise films because of the familiarity and comfort they provide, or an avid fan who loves to watch original content, rest assured, there is definitely no shortage of animated films to come.