Animation stretches for sequels
It鈥檚 no secret that Hollywood loves sequels. They are an easy way to capitalize on fan interest following a runaway hit but more often than not are as much fun as warmed-up leftovers. For the most part, animated features, with their lovable characters and neat story lines that tie up in feel-good endings, have avoided the realm of sequels.
But suddenly Hollywood is banking on filling movie theaters with audiences who want to see what happens next to the talking cars, monsters, and fish they have grown to love.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, animated sequels were often direct-to-video, and it wasn鈥檛 until the 鈥�Shrek鈥� and 鈥淚ce Age鈥� franchises came along that animated sequels in theaters became a more familiar sight. But they鈥檙e gaining seats at the multiplex: In 2011, six popular animated sequels, from 鈥淜ung Fu Panda 2鈥� to 鈥�Cars 2,鈥� opened in theaters. 鈥�Monsters University,鈥� the sequel to Pixar鈥檚 鈥淢onsters, Inc.,鈥� will arrive June 21 and more are coming, including 鈥淒espicable Me 2鈥� and 鈥淐loudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.鈥�
But will creativity in animated films get lost in the production rush? An important test case may be Pixar.
Critics have lauded the studio鈥檚 fully realized characters and original plotlines. However, Pixar is fully onboard the sequel train. While only three of its 13 films before now have been sequels (鈥�Toy Story 2,鈥� 鈥�Toy Story 3,鈥� and 鈥淐ars 2鈥�), the studio released 鈥淢onsters University鈥� this month, and a 鈥淔inding Nemo鈥� sequel is slated for 2015. And there will be more, Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger said. 鈥淧ixar鈥檚 slate of films for the next five years includes fantastic original stories as well as some great sequels to their previous hits,鈥� he said in a discussion with shareholders.
Pixar has both succeeded and fallen flat with its continuations so far. 鈥淭oy Story 2鈥� was critically praised and 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥� was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, but 鈥淐ars 2鈥� was the worst-reviewed Pixar movie, with many reviewers declaring that the heart of the animation was gone.
鈥淭he secret to good sequels is not to just create new events but to push the character arcs,鈥� says Jeremy Moorshead, chair of the Savannah College of Art and Design animation department.
He felt that the 鈥淪hrek鈥� films got slightly played out but pointed to 鈥淭oy Story 2鈥� and 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥� as sterling examples of how sequels can succeed. 鈥淭hey got better,鈥� Mr. Moorshead says. 鈥淭he characters got much deeper ... [success depends on] finding out more about the characters.鈥�
Pixar fans can only hope that the coming sequels will continue to reveal the magic beyond 鈥渉appily ever after.鈥�
