Part 5/10:

Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter’s recent statement that Pixar doesn’t see itself as making “children’s programming” might reflect a strategic shift but also indicates a disconnect with core audiences. The film's poor reception suggests that audiences simply aren't as interested in Pixar’s new offerings, which increasingly seem to be bypassing theatrical crowds.

The Larger Industry Picture

Many analysts attribute these failures to bad movie fatigue, where audiences grow weary of subpar films, rather than superhero fatigue. Since theaters reopened, the market has been flooded with declining-quality entries, leading to ticket fatigue across genres.