Some of the creators who contributed to the transgender storyline in the Pixar series “Win or Lose” are speaking out after The Hollywood Reporter broke the news last week that the film’s central character would be portrayed as cisgender. And I’m grieving the loss.
“I wasn’t really surprised, but I was shocked,” Sara Ligačić, a former editorial assistant at Pixar who consulted on the episode, tells THR. “For a long time, Disney hasn’t been about making great content. They’ve been in the business of making huge profits. Even two years ago, when I was at Pixar, we were… I met with CEO Bob Chapek, and they made it clear that they view animation as a conservative medium.”
As reported by THR, “Win or Lose” focuses on a middle school co-ed softball team called the Pickles, whose voice cast includes Will Forte who plays the coach, and who come to terms with their transgender identity. The story line involving the character Kai is having a difficult time. A spokesperson for Disney, which acquired the acclaimed animation studio in 2006, said in a statement: “Many parents want to discuss certain topics with their children based on their convenience and timeline.” said.
THR spoke to multiple former Pixar staff members who expressed sadness and disappointment that Pixar scrapped this storyline. Also, given that the company’s animated films are known for including adult themes such as the death of a parent (Bambi, The Lion King) and drug use (Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio), Disney’s statement Some pointed out the obvious irony. One particular complaint was that the episode was already completed. This means adjusting story elements will require the team to quickly prepare for a February release, not to mention additional expenses.
“The final episode was so beautiful and beautifully depicted some of the experiences of being transgender. It shows people who feel alone and unloved that there are people who understand. “It literally saved lives,” he says. One former Pixar employee, who was not directly involved in the show but had seen it, requested anonymity. Officials noted that the episode was significantly changed from old footage that circulated on social media last week, which showed characters considering which bathroom to use. “So it’s very unfortunate that Disney decided to spend money not saving lives.”
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Pixar’s recent moves have spurred debate about the direction of the project and whether it intends to prioritize diversity. Inside Out director Pete Docter, who replaced John Lasseter as chief creative officer in 2018, announced the company’s latest goals after the company laid off 14% of its workforce in May. In an interview about this, eyebrows were raised. Docter said the studio needs to make the “most relatable movies” possible, which is undervalued given that Pixar has underperformed on several films in recent years. It is seen by some as advocating a shift away from autobiographical narratives centered around characters and voices.
His comments came in the wake of 2022 criticism of Chapek’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This was followed by an uproar from right-wing commentators later that year over a same-sex kiss in Pixar’s 2022 Toy Story spinoff Lightyear. Members of the production team behind Disney Channel’s animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur recently announced on social media that Disney Channel has decided not to release episodes centered around recurring transgender characters. It was posted and made headlines.
“This is 100 percent political,” a former Pixar employee who identifies as transgender says of the winning decision. He pointed out that ABC News recently paid $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump, adding, “Disney just settled with Mr. Trump. We saw it in the Dinosaur and the Moon Girl episode, and all of us who knew about this character just chewed it out and said, ‘Next time, don’t hit us.’ .”
Indeed, those associated with Pixar are concerned that the change in winning is not an isolated situation in that the project is retracting its message. “The bottom line is that injecting a message into our movies and TV shows as a top priority is not what we’re trying to do,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in April. spoke. We need entertainment, and it’s great that Disney as a company can have such a positive impact on the world by promoting acceptance and understanding among all types of people. ”
The creative team behind the 2026 Pixar film “Hoppers,” led by former Pixar artist and director Jon Hamm, says the film, which focuses on a body-swapping human and a beaver, will not play down its intended environmental message. He says he had no choice but to do so. “Unfortunately, when the whole movie is based on the importance of protecting the environment, you can’t go back on that,” says the artist, who was not directly involved in the film. “The team had a really hard time figuring out, ‘What are we going to do with this memo?'”
Another title that has garnered attention within the company is Elio, an upcoming original feature centered around a young boy who teams up with an alien. It was originally scheduled to be released in theaters in March, but the release date has been pushed back to summer 2025. Elio’s original director, Adrian Molina, who is gay, dropped out of the film earlier this year. Docter said Molina, who is credited as director, has moved on to another project at Pixar.
Meanwhile, Pixar released Inside Head 2 in June, which was set to become the year’s highest-grossing film.
Ligačić, who is transgender, recalls feeling welcomed and valued during his two-and-a-half years at Pixar before being fired in May. Following Disney’s decision to remove trans teen actress Chanel Stewart’s storyline, she has been in contact with members of the Win or Lose creative team, including executive producer David Lally. Ligačić also expressed frustration that it has been so long since the show was completed, and that its release date has been pushed back multiple times since it was first set to open a year ago.
“I can’t tell you how much I cried yesterday thinking about that conversation that David had to have[with Chanel],” Ligatic says. “You’re not only having someone play someone they’re not, but you’re trying to focus their mind on a political conversation that’s beyond them,” Ligatic says. “They kept this story under wraps for two years and could have released it even with President Biden, but they chose not to.” I was very disappointed.”
Ligatic said he knew of artists who didn’t want to work on the “win-lose” episode in question, but sources said staffers were given the option not to work on the episode. So far, the company has not taken anyone up on that offer.
It remains to be seen whether other animation studios may follow Pixar’s lead and limit queer storylines or other aspects of diverse or potentially polarizing storytelling. Because of this, one of Mr. Ligačić’s fellow Pixar castoffs is working to start an independent animation studio to encourage underrepresented voices.
Ligatich believes there’s a market for animated stories like this at places like Netflix. Netflix may not be focused on producing LGBTQ content, but it has made some notable acquisitions in this space.
“Netflix is happy to host content that tells authentic LGBTQ stories,” Ligačić says of the streamer, which won this year’s animated feature Oscar for its acquired title Nimona. The film, hailed as a transgender allegory, lost its home when Disney-acquired Blue Sky Studios closed in 2021. A studio comes along and tells a story. ”
