For Disney fans who grew up experiencing Walt Disney’s hand-drawn animated magic, it was hard to imagine how the Walt Disney Company could duplicate the success of classics like Snow White (1938) and Bambi (1942).
But when the first Pixar film enthralled viewers of all ages with the iconic Toy Story in 1995, longtime Disney fans could see the direction for future Disney stories was a good one. Pixar cranked out countless hits, like Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Up (2009), and more recent instant classics like Inside Out (2015), Coco (2017), and Encanto (2021).
While each film dazzled fans with unmatched musical scores and stunning animated characters, they shared something else in common with the original class of Disney films—they made us bawl our eyes out.
In 2020, Pixar announced its first shot at a long-form series. With the esteemed studio’s reputation for top-notch content, the project was ambitious, but it wasn’t a long shot.
“Win or Lose” is set to premiere on Disney Plus in 2023, and an anticipated spinoff is also in the works. But since Disney’s second-quarter earnings call when Disney CEO Bob Iger announced budget cuts at Disney Plus, no one expected this lauded series spinoff to be on the chopping block.
Series Spin-Off Loses Its Spot
Although a first look was revealed and well-received by critics in December 2022, the spinoff for “Win or Lose” won’t make it into the Disney Plus library.
Created, written, and directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, “Win or Lose” captured the story of a co-ed middle school softball team called the Pickles. Leading up to their championship game, each character’s perspective was highlighted to gradually unveil the true story behind who they were. Packed with Easter eggs and the emotional grip Pixar delivers so well; the series was highly anticipated.
Former SNL star Will Forte voiced Coach Dan in the series, and early viewers applauded the unique animation style brought to life by team members who worked on Toy Story 4 (2019).
But according to The Direct, Disney quietly tossed the series spinoff in a bin. This news comes with Disney axing its original film Crater from Disney Plus just 48 days after its release. TV shows like “Willow” and projects like John Stamos’s Big Shot have also been victims of a mass Disney exodus.
Per The Direct, it’s possible Disney could flip the series into a film for the future, which would be financially sound given its lower budget, but the “Win or Lose” spinoff will be benched until further notice.
