Fans of Pixar know that the studio is a big believer in planting easter eggs in each one
of their movies, giving viewers tiny nods to other franchises, usually tucked into the
background as a subtle joke.
But before long, some people started wondering if the easter eggs were actually a sign that
there actually existed a Pixar Universe, a world in which every one of their movies was
set.
This “Pixar Theory” may have started as an online joke, but as more and more fans
started filling in the blanks and connecting the movies, the case only got stronger.
But the darkest twist came when fans realized that if the films are all set in a Pixar Universe,
the story being told is a darker, more apocalyptic one than fans ever imagined – and it all
begins with Brave.
We’ll break down the strongest points of the fan theory, and let you decide how convincing
it really with this entry in our Documentary Series, The Hidden Truth Behind Disney Films:
The Pixar Theory.
Brave
It wasn’t the first movie Pixar released, but it’s set centuries ahead of the rest,
in a Scottish kingdom some time in the Dark Ages.
The most important fact isn’t that the movie starred a young girl as its hero, but that
it introduced magic into Pixar’s world, bringing everyday objects like brooms to life
with personalities of their own.
That fact goes a long way in explaining why toys, cars, or even fish can all think and
feel like humans in Pixar’s greatest hits, but it’s the witch who does the magic that
may hold the key.
We’ll come back around to her as the final piece of the theory, but for now, just remember
that this little old lady’s magic relies on some familiar tricks from later films.
Toy Story
Assuming the toys of Toy Story are alive thanks to magic, the actual themes of the trilogy
deal with some serious topics.
From the first movie, audiences learned that toys loved their human owners, just as much
as they were loved by Andy.
But as the movies went on, we learned humans aren’t always kind, with Jessie’s owner
having abandoned her, the same way that Lotso’s did in Toy Story 3.
So people aren’t always kind to their magically-alive possessions.
It was the realization that those toys could be downright evil once brought to life that
sends a clear message for every movie set in the future of Pixar’s universe.
Finding Nemo & Ratatouille
Having shown that toys aren’t as friendly as their owners might hope, Pixar showed that
the same was true with animals.
Even the creatures that meant well didn’t exactly see humans in the best light, regularly
outsmarting them, giving them orders, and showing that human beings were usually afraid
and angry towards things they didn’t understand.
And since the Pixar Universe looks an awful lot like ours at this point, their predictions
for the future could also apply to our own.
If that’s true, then we’re in serious trouble, since the movies set in the future
of Pixar’s universe show an even scarier side to humanity.
Or at least, they would, if humans were still in the picture at all.
Cars
Where other Pixar movies took place in, around, or alongside the world of humans, Cars was
the first one to remove them completely, essentially replacing our world and the people in it with
cars, planes, and other vehicles that could think and feel on their own.
In our world, smart vehicles with artificial intelligence are already being designed, with
experts warning that a truly advanced AI might not be as friendly as the animals, insects,
and toys of Pixar’s movies.
But it’s not like intelligent cars would be evil enough to rid the world of humans,
would they?
Cars offers a chilling riddle, since most of the film’s sports, infrastructure and
world is obviously the same one built by humans, existing before cars and machines could drive
themselves.
Even if the toys and animals became smarter than humans realized, leading to a rise of
machines claiming their superiority, that still doesn’t answer the question: where
did all of Pixar’s people GO?
WALL-E
Humans voyaged into space, that’s where.
In the future shown in Wall-E, the world is completely destroyed, turned brown and lifeless
by pollution and smog.
But humans didn’t find anything better in deep space, turning into lifeless, bored couch
potatoes who only do what the intelligent machines around them tell them to do.
Eventually, fans looked at Cars and wondered: did people leave Earth because it was dying
from pollution, or did they just head into space following robotic orders, with the planet
winding up polluted long after.
As in the kind of pollution caused by billions of cars taking over the planet?
The theory obviously draws on plenty of imagination, claiming that intelligent cars got sick of
people, like the toys and animals that already felt the same in earlier movies.
But with Wall-E being the only machine left working on Earth, the plan backfired.
The cars died off, leaving Earth ready for humans to return.
But here’s where the theory takes it’s darkest turn, claiming Wall-E’s happy ending
was just an illusion.
By returning to a dead planet without their robotic leaders telling them what to do, humanity
went extinct – and their machines along with them.
Leaving the door open for a brand new type of lifeform to take over…
Monsters, Inc.
That’s right, the monsters rise up to take humanity’s place, building their own society
from the rubble - a society that needed power on a dried up planet.
Apparently, as the fan theory claims, some of the toys that weren’t destroyed – like
the ones collected by Wall-E – gave up their secrets, telling the monsters about the humans
who helped them, cared for them, or were terrified of them.
Seeing a solution to their energy problems, the Monsters realized that scaring those same
children could power their city.
There was one problem, though: humans were already extinct.
But you know those doors the monsters use to scare human kids?
What if they weren’t just doors in space, but time?
And what if the little girl of the movie, Boo, wasn’t ever going to give up her search
for the monster that lived in her closet?
Since we know magic exists in the Pixar Universe, it’s possible that Boo grew up to use it
herself, hopping from door to door, and time to time, trying to find Sully and hear the
real secrets about the Monster world.
It’s these trips, the fans claim, which caused all kinds of artifacts and references
to pop up across the movies set in different places and times.
Boo left them behind as she traveled, eventually finding her way back to one place long, long
before the world we know took shape.
Brave
Finally, we return to the magical old woman in the woods, eager to turn Merrida’s mother
into a massive, hairy, monstrous bear to bring them closer together.
The same old witch who has carved pictures of the monster Sully, and the Pizza Planet
truck from the modern day world sitting around her hut.
The clues all add up to Boo, after decades of time-jumping landed her in the middle ages,
where she used her magic from the future to enchant everyday objects and animals – introducing
magic to the Pixar Universe, and completing the entire loop.
It’s anything but simple, and some Pixar fans might think it’s more of a waste of
time than a use of imagination.
But The Pixar Theory wins more believers every year, as more and more movies from the studio
seem to back it up – or add a new twist of their own.
What do you think of the idea?
Are there any clues that are even harder to ignore, or details you think fans are ignoring
to keep their theory intact?
Let us know in the comments, and remember to subscribe to our channel for more videos
like this one!