Despite the box office success of “Inside Out 2,” Pixar has been in a creative slump for over a decade. Their last widely acclaimed film was the original “Inside Out” back in 2015—though “Soul” (2020) came close, it went straight to Disney+ during the pandemic and didn’t get the spotlight it deserved.
Now, with the long-delayed and heavily reworked “Elio” which isn’t great, to put it kindly, finally hitting theaters next week, Pixar seems ready to shake things up—and that’s a welcome change.
The studio has just announced “Gatto,” a new film from “Luca” director Enrico Casarosa, which has officially entered production. But what really sets “Gatto” apart is its style: this won’t be Pixar’s usual glossy CGI. Instead, it will be the studio’s first-ever hand-painted animated feature. The first image released can be seen below.
The story follows a black cat in Venice with a passion for music, ostracized by the locals due to superstitions. Yes, we’re getting another animated film about a black cat hot on the heels of Oscar-winner “Flow,” but a fresh artistic direction from Pixar is something to celebrate.
Set for a summer 2027 release, “Gatto” isn’t the first hand-painted animated feature—that honor goes to “Loving Vincent,” which used over 65,000 oil-painted frames crafted by a team of more than 100 artists. Every frame was a painting, faithfully evoking van Gogh’s signature brushstrokes. Pixar seems eager to explore similar artistic territory, and it’s about time.
Regardless, Pixar, after more than 30 years of crafting animated films with CGI, appears to be entering a new era. They've chosen to shake things up by stepping away from their traditional style, and with any luck, this bold move will lead to something truly special.
