Pixar “Extremely Disappointed” by Disney’s Decision to Cancel Theatrical Distribution of ‘Turning Red’

Pixar staffers are in fumes over Disney‘s recent decision to forego a theatrical release on their upcoming family film Turning Red, a new report from Insider has found. The film, which was originally supposed to hit theaters exclusively on March 11, moved to a streaming-only release last week. The film will stream for free on Disney+ on the same day.

“It’s safe to say that we’re all feeling extremely disappointed,” one Pixar staffer said of the change. “Until today, we all thought ‘Turning Red’ would be our return to the big screen, and everyone at the studio was so excited about it being this film in particular. It was quite a blow.”

Another Pixar staffer said the “Turning Red” streaming announcement was “a shock” although not entirely unexpected as the pandemic continues to impact theatrical exhibition. The staffer added, “Sucks, but I get it.”

Turning Red‘s move from a theatrical release to a streaming release comes as the Omicron variant of COVID surges across the world. Currently, children younger than five are ineligible for the COVID vaccine, meaning they’re more likely to catch or spread the disease in a theatrical setting.

“With omicron infections so high, I haven’t heard anyone say the decision to pivot to streaming is wrong,” a third Pixar staffer told Insider.

But Turning Red marks the third Pixar film to hit Disney+ free of charge, following suit with Luca and Soul. Other Disney animated movies like Raya and the Last Dragon or Encanto have headed to theaters amidst the pandemic, and a few films like Cruella and Black Widow were added to Disney+ Premier Access, meaning that users had to pay an extra $29.99 to access them.

“Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award-winning Soul and the critically-acclaimed Luca when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film Turning Red,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world.”

Turning Red will land on Disney+ on March 11. Scroll up to watch the trailer for the film.