We entered the 2026 with two Pixar movies slated. The first, Hoppers, came out in March, and Toy Story 5 arrives to the 2026 movies schedule in June. Given how well Hoppers performed and how popular the Toy Story franchise remains, this year is shaping up to be a big one for the animation studio. That me all the more shocked at the newly-revealed reason why Pixar canceled one of its recent movies, as I think it had the potential to be huge as well.
Last month, it was reported that Pixar scrapped a feature called Be Fri in late 2023 that had been in development for three years. Directed by Kristen Lester, who previously helmed the 2019 Pixar short Purl, Be Fri was going to follow two teenage girls who were once best friends, but started drifting apart, only to be sent on a journey across the universe to save humanity after learning that their favorite Sailor Moon-style TV show is real. Clifford the Big Red Dog’s Blaise Hemingway wrote the script, and editor Nicholas C. Smith, who had been working at Pixar for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2024, was also attached.
