the pixar theory
The Pixar Theory
The Intertwined Saga of Man, Animal, and Machine in Pixar's Shared Universe
The Grand Narrative: A Shared Universe
Jon Negroni's popular Pixar Theory proposes that all Pixar films exist in a single, interconnected timeline. This grand narrative reveals a centuries-long power struggle and re-balancing act between three distinct forms of intelligence: **Humans, Animals, and Machines.**
Humans
Animals
Machines
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Era 1: Magic's Spark & Early Intelligence (Circa Medieval Times - Prehistory)
Brave (c. 10th Century)
Magic, introduced by the "will o' the wisps" and the mysterious witch, serves as the catalyst. This magic grants unnatural sentience to animals and even inanimate objects (like brooms in the witch's cottage), blurring the lines of intelligence.
The Good Dinosaur (Prehistoric)
This film reinforces the idea of early, profound animal intelligence, with dinosaurs demonstrating advanced capabilities and emotional bonds, even coexisting with primitive humans in an alternate timeline where the asteroid missed.
Era 2: Animals Evolve & The Growing Divide (c. 2000s)
Ratatouille (Early 2000s)
Remy's extraordinary culinary skills and desire to transcend his species' limitations hint at the advanced capabilities animals have developed.
Finding Nemo / Finding Dory (Early 2000s)
The complex social structures, communication, and intelligence of marine life are showcased. The films also highlight human pollution and captivity, fostering resentment among animals.
Up (Early 2000s)
Charles Muntz's invention of dog collars that translate animal thoughts confirms their high intelligence. This direct communication fuels the escalating conflict between humans and animals.
Era 3: AI Takes Over & The Corporate Domination (c. 1950s - 2100s)
The Incredibles (c. 1950s-1960s)
Syndrome's advanced Artificial Intelligence (the Omnidroid) showcases machines' capacity for sentience and self-improvement, eventually turning against its creator. This marks the initial spark of AI gaining consciousness.
Toy Story Series (c. 1990s-2000s)
Toys and other inanimate objects gain sentience, possibly fueled by human emotional energy or "Zero Point Energy" (as hinted by Syndrome). Their stories reveal a growing awareness of being discarded and resentment towards humans. The omnipresent **Buy-n-Large (BnL)** corporation begins its ascent to global dominance, appearing on mundane items like batteries.
Era 4: Humanity's Fall & Machine Reign (c. 2100s - 2800s)
Cars Series (Centuries after Toy Story)
Humans have left Earth due to catastrophic pollution, largely caused by BnL's industrial overreach. The world is now populated entirely by sentient cars, implying the machines won the power struggle. Their reliance on fossil fuels eventually leads to their own energy crisis.
WALL-E (c. 2805)
Earth is a desolate, trash-covered wasteland. The remaining humans are living a life of extreme luxury and technological dependency on the BnL Axiom spaceship, having lost much of their physical and intellectual capabilities. WALL-E, the last operational robot, inadvertently sets in motion humanity's return to Earth.
Era 5: Return, Rebuilding & The Paradoxical Loop (c. 2900s - Far Future)
A Bug's Life (c. 2900s)
After humanity's return and Earth's slow regeneration, animals (specifically insects) thrive in complex, organized societies, largely unthreatened by the few rebuilding humans.
Monsters University / Monsters, Inc. (Far Future)
The "monsters" are highly evolved descendants of animals (and possibly mutated humans) from the polluted Earth. Facing an energy crisis, they discover that human "scream energy" (and later "laughter energy") is a powerful fuel source. This leads to the creation of "doors," which are actually time-travel devices allowing them to go back to periods when humans were abundant.
The Boo Theory (The Ultimate Loop)
The theory concludes with a profound paradox: Boo, the little girl from *Monsters, Inc.*, heartbroken by Sulley's disappearance, eventually learns to manipulate time/dimensions through doors. She travels back to the medieval era, becoming the **Witch in Brave**, inadvertently starting the entire cycle of magic, evolving intelligence, and the man-animal-machine interface in her quest to find Sulley. Her cottage contains carvings of Sulley and hints of future technology, closing the loop.
A Universal Tale
The Pixar Theory offers a compelling, albeit speculative, narrative about the long-term consequences of unchecked technology, humanity's impact on the environment, the hidden intelligence in the world around us, and the enduring power of emotions and connection across time.
It encourages us to look deeper into the stories we love and find unexpected connections!
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