Although 2013’sPlanesis considered a part of the Pixar universe, it was not actually made by the studio.Planes, which follows a crop duster whose dream is to compete in the Wings Around The Globe race, is a spinoff of the popularCarsfranchise. Following the success ofPlanes,Planes: Fire and Rescue, was released in 2014 as a sequel. There was supposed to be a third installment in thePlanesfranchise as well,but it was canceled after the production studio behind the movie was closed.
Pixar has produced several movies for Disney, including the record-breakingInside Out 2. The studio was behind developing theCarsfranchise but did not produce the spinoff,Planes, despite the movies being set in the same universe. Pixar might not have been behind the production ofPlanes,but there are some things in the feature film that connect it to Pixar’sCars.
Planes Is Set In The Same Universe As Cars (But Isn’t A Pixar Movie)
Planes Was Produced By Disneytoon Studios
Given the similarities betweenCarsandPlanes,it’s obvious that the two movies are set in the same universe.CarsandPlaneshave the same aesthetic, such as the eyes and movements of the characters. Another thing that places the two animations in the same universe is their premise. InPlanes, Dusty wants to win the Wings Around The Globe race and enlists the help of Skipper to be his mentor. While inCars, Lightning McQueen’s greatest ambition is to win the Piston Cup, a goal he seeks to achieve with the help of Doc, who becomes his mentor in the story.
Pixar Movies In Chronological Order (Based On The Pixar Theory)
According to a popular theory, all Pixar movies take place in the same universe. Here’s when each movie is set chronologically, including Turning Red.
According to the widely circulated Pixar Theory,all Pixar movies exist in the same universe and can be watched in chronological order. In the theory, the events inCarshappen afterUpwhen machines are left to populate the Earth. Although there arereasons the Pixar Theory doesn’t work, the fact that planes are machines too shows thatCarsandPlanesexist in the same universe. Further, there’s a picture of McQueen on a newspaper inPlanesthat can lead to the conclusion that the two animations do in fact share a universe.
Planes’ Pixar Connection Explained
John Lasseter Was Behind The Concept Of Planes
DespitePlanesnot being a Pixar movie, it has some connections to the animation studio. John Lasseter, the former chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, was behind the concept ofPlanes. Lasseter, who directedCarsandCars 2, served as an executive producer onPlanes. Since Lasseter was behindPlanesandCars,it explains why the two movies have the same aesthetic.
Planeswas meant to be a direct-to-video animation, which explains why Pixar did not produce the movie.
Lasseter was also the chief creative officer of Disneytoon Studios, the studio that developedPlanes. Disneytoon Studios was in charge of producing direct-to-video sequels of Disney feature films. The studio had produced several feature films before it was closed down, includingTinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast,Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, andDuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.Planeswas meant to be a direct-to-video animation, which explains why Pixar did not produce the movie. However, Disney later reverted that decision after seeing the potential ofPlanesand the animation was released in theaters instead.Planeswas the first film released theatrically by Disneytoon Studios sincePooh’s Heffalump Movie.
Why Planes Was Nowhere Near As Successful As Cars
Planes Wasn’t A Success With Critics
WhilePlanesandCarshad the same creative mind behind them,Planes wasn’t as successful asCars.Planeshad a budget of $50 million and grossed $240.2 million at the box office.Cars, on the other hand,had a budget of $120 million and made $462 million at the box office. The fact that Planes wasn’t a Pixar movie was the film’s downfall. Planes not being developed by Pixar but by Disneytoon Studios meant that it had a smaller budget thanCars. Planes’lower production budget worked against it because it meant that it didn’t have the same quality asCars.
The feature film’s budget also meant that the animation wasn’t as well marketed asCarswas, which contributed to why it was not as successful.Planesreceived a lukewarm reception from critics, whileCarswas viewed more positively. AlthoughPlanesandCarshad a similar premise and main characters,McQueen was funnier and more entertaining than Dusty. The fact thatPlaneswasn’t as successful asCarsadded to the reason why there hasn’t been a third installment in the franchise, whereasCarsdid end up having a third entry, witha fourthCarsmovie remaining a real possibilityto boot.
Planes
Cast
Planes is a spinoff of Disney’s popular Cars franchise. The film centers on Dusty Crophopper, a plane that ironically fears heights but wants to compete in a global aerial race. Planes was released in 2013 and got mostly negative reviews but made enough to warrant a sequel, Planes: Fire and Rescue.
