Just before the holidays, news broke Disney would be cutting the story of a transgender character in an upcoming Pixar series, Win or Lose. At the time, Disney said the move would allow parents to “discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and timeline,” which sparked a lot of discussion online, as it was the second show with such a focused storyline recently. get the axe.
Win or Losehitting Disney+ in February, centered on a syndicated softball team; one episode would have been dedicated to a character named Kai, who remains in the episode but without any reference to his gender.
Now, former creators at Pixar have shared their feelings on the matter with The Hollywood Reporter. Former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who broadcasts and was interviewed for the episode, said the removal would cause problems, as the show has been finished “for a long time,” although it has been repeatedly delayed since its planned release in 2023. That Kai’s storyline was cut didn’t surprise Ligatich, but he still felt “frustrated” nonetheless: “Disney wasn’t in the business of making good content,” he said. “They had a business to make a lot of profit. Even back two years ago when I was at Pixar, we had a meeting with him [then-CEO] Bob Chapek, and they were clear that they saw cartoons as a form of preservation.”
That sentiment was echoed by a former Pixar colleague speaking to the store. Some find it strange that Disney has had no problem cutting the story of a character who has passed on, but has spent years dealing with the media’s most difficult themes, such as dealing with (and moving on from) the death of a loved one. Others acknowledged how the finished episode would require a few tweaks before then Win or lose launching in mid-February. One anonymous employee called it “very frustrating that Disney decided to spend money not to save lives,” explaining that the episode was “very good—and shows some of the transformations well—and would have saved lives.” by showing those who feel alone and unloved, that there are people out there who understand.”
Disney’s recent history of throwing bullies under the bus (until it didn’t), and Pixar projects in particular, has been written about before. But Donald Trump’s second term has Pixar employees worried Win or Lose it will be just one of several projects that will cut through certain messages or ideas. A former Pixar artist speaking to THR suspects the studio’s 2026 film Hoppers it should lower any environmental messages. The film centers on a girl who changes her brain with a beaver, and as the artist points out, “when you have your entire film based on the importance of nature, you can’t go back to that. That team really struggled to figure out, ‘What can we do with this note?'”
For Ligatich, Disney’s management of the Win or Lose and it’s a reminder that creators and audiences may have to look elsewhere for self-evident stories. He brought up Netflix, which revived and released last year’s film with a lot of focus You are jealous after Disney had previously dismissed it, and said the broadcaster was “thrilled to host content that tells authentic LGBTQ stories. That’s what’s going to go forward, is that you’re going to see a lot of indie studios come up and tell stories. “
Win or Lose premieres February 19, 2025 on Disney+.
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