Pixar Movies have always had a way of feeling like events rather than just releases — the kind of films you remember exactly where you were when you first watched them. “Toy Story” taught an entire generation that their toys had feelings. The Incredibles made superhero cinema feel personal before it became an industry. “Coco” turned Día de los Muertos into one of the most emotionally devastating third acts in animation history. And now, in a single sweeping announcement, Pixar has confirmed that all three of those worlds are coming back, and sooner than most fans expected.

The news broke through a Wall Street Journal profile on Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, who laid out the studio’s roadmap with rare clarity. “Monsters Inc. 3” is officially in early development, while concrete release windows have been set for both “The Incredibles 3” and “Coco 2.” For anyone who grew up with these Pixar movies, it’s the kind of announcement that hits differently — less like a studio press release and more like hearing a familiar song come on the radio after years of silence.

The Sequels That Have Been a Long Time Coming

Pixar sequels in the works:

• Toy Story 5 – 2026
• Incredibles 3 – 2028
• Coco 2 – 2029
• Monsters Inc. 3 – TBA pic.twitter.com/H3ghAFj92T

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 7, 2026

Start with the one that arguably carries the most weight. “Monsters Inc. 3” will mark the franchise’s first feature film in at least 13 years, with the last being the college-set prequel Monsters University. The main storyline — Mike Wazowski, Sulley, and the city of Monstropolis — has been left largely untouched on the big screen since 2001, aside from the Disney+ series Monsters at Work.

It is not currently known whether the third movie will be a direct sequel to the original or take a different route, as Monsters University did.  No director has been announced, no release window has been set, but the confirmation alone is enough to send fans theorising.

The Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 Finally Have Release Dates

The other two entries are further along. “The Incredibles 3” is officially scheduled for 2028, with Brad Bird returning as writer and executive producer while “Elemental” director Peter Sohn steps into the directing chair. It’s a handoff that makes sense — Bird shaped the DNA of both previous films, and Sohn’s work on Elemental proved he can carry emotional weight at scale.

“Coco 2” is targeting a 2029 theatrical release, with original directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina returning to continue the story from the Oscar-winning 2017 film. Having the same creative team back is the right call—that film’s emotional specificity was inseparable from the people who made it.

Pixar Movies Aren’t Abandoning Original Stories Either

It would be easy to look at this slate and read it as a studio retreating into safe territory. That reading misses something. Two new original Pixar movies have been announced alongside the sequels: “Ono Ghost Market,” inspired by Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living and dead interact, and the studio’s first-ever musical from “Turning Red” director Domee Shi. Neither of those sounds like a studio playing it safe — one is rooted in mythology that Western animation has barely touched, and the other hands a landmark first to one of Pixar’s most distinctive voices.

Docter himself addressed the balance directly. He said he wants Pixar to re-embrace the universally relatable concepts that once made it a cultural force — talking toys, monsters in the closet — while being uncompromising about quality. He put it plainly: “If we’re going to just crank crap out, let’s shut the doors. I’d rather die trying to make something that we genuinely believe in.” That’s not the language of a studio chasing algorithm-friendly IP. That’s someone who knows exactly what Pixar is supposed to feel like and is trying to protect it.

What This Means for the Next Decade of Pixar Movies

2 new Pixar original films have been revealed:

• ‘Ono Ghost Market’ – A film inspired by Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living & dead interact

• The studio’s first-ever musical film, directed by Domee Shi (‘Turning Red’)

(Source: https://t.co/VdkwcT4FBO) pic.twitter.com/vApyrdXpdI

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 7, 2026

There’s a bigger picture here worth sitting with. Across Hollywood, original animated movies are struggling to pull audiences into theatres, with the most successful original animated film in recent years being a Netflix streaming hit. Pixar is working against that current by doubling down on the franchises people already love, while quietly developing original projects that could become the next generation of classics.

The bet being placed with these Pixar movies is essentially this: familiarity gets people back in seats, and quality keeps them coming back. “Toy Story 5” is anticipated to be another blockbuster for the studio this summer,  and if it delivers, it sets the table perfectly for everything that follows. “Incredibles 3” in 2028. “Coco 2” in 2029. “Monsters Inc. 3,” somewhere beyond that horizon. And scattered in between, new worlds that haven’t been imagined yet. After a few years where the studio’s footing felt uncertain, this slate reads like Pixar remembering exactly who it is, and deciding to act like it.

Featured image: Pixar

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