When the first Toy Story movie hit theatres in 1995, it was revolutionary for children’s animation. Thirty years and five films later, Woody and Buzz are no longer just toys – they are corporate assets with a multi-generational appeal.
While many attribute the longevity of franchises like Toy Story to simple nostalgia, that is only half of the story. The real genius lies in their marketing and production, which cater to two audiences simultaneously: the children now and the children then. As one of Disney’s executives put it, the Toy Story franchise “connects with audiences across generations”. This can be seen across everything, from high-profile brand partnerships to massive anniversary campaigns. This is not just a feel-good sentiment; it is a calculated business strategy. A franchise sequel like Toy Story 5 works because a child is worth two tickets: themself and the parent that needs to supervise them. Kids’ movies therefore need to appeal to adults too. Studios can use sequels to get parents in the door for movies they loved as children and provide an opportunity to share the magic, thus perpetuating the cycle.
Children’s movies are also becoming increasingly mature with darker themes, placing more focus on the adults in the audience. This broadening of the target audience reflects a growing belief that children’s media can introduce audiences to realistic life experiences, expose them to a wider range of genres, and acknowledge that children are capable of engaging with layered narratives. The new Minions movie, for example, promises elements of film noir and silent film traditions – references that may go over younger viewers’ heads, but demonstrate how multifaceted children’s media has become.
Why is it so important that children’s movies are not just for children anymore? With the influx of social media, there are more and more amateur critics who demand every film must have depth and meaning, or else it will flop. Children’s movies that remain just for children are thus viewed as childish and immature or lacking ambition. Sequels offer studios a safer space to respond to these expectations as familiar characters and established worlds allow filmmakers to experiment with more mature themes and stylistic choices without risking audiences on entirely new intellectual property.
Studios relying on existing intellectual property for movies have become more popular in recent years, with Pixar being dominated by sequels. This is because it is easy to get the audience you have already built back into theatres rather than having to engage with a new one. However, this does not always work, as seen with the backlash of live actions or sequels released too close to the original film. These reimaginings are seen as hollow or as cash grabs because they offer nothing to their audiences. Moana (Live Action) comes out just ten years after the original movie was released and two years after the sequel. It seems unnecessary as audiences are still very familiar with the animation film. Live actions or sequels only seem to work when released with major time jumps in-between. Cinderella was first released in 1950, the sequel in 2002, and the live action in 2015. This means every installment had its own generation to enjoy the story without it feeling overwhelming.
Children’s movies succeed because they are for a range of audiences, both young and old. However, audiences still expect something new, something to warrant a new instalment, such as the iPad kid archetype of Toy Story 5. Familiarity may bring people back, but innovation keeps franchises alive.
Visual: Mila Jordaan
