Since 1995, with the debut of its first feature-length film Toy Story, Pixar has known a long history of success with its countless classics that have defined both childhoods and the animated film industry at large. Now, after an impressive catalogue of twenty-eight feature films since their inception, Pixar has decided to expand their horizons in a company first that has many eager to see what storytelling magic the studio can make next.
Win or Lose, Pixar’s first original series, will be debuting on Disney+ on February 19th, 2025.
This unique frame story – one story made up of smaller, intertwining stories – centers around eight different characters as they each prepare for a championship softball game. Featuring the voice talent of Will Forte, Rosie Foss, Josh Thompson, Milan Elizabeth Ray, and many other talented voice actors, this series was inspired by the experiences of Carrie Hobson, who wrote, directed, and acted as executive producer of the series along with Michael Yates.
“I played softball growing up,” said Hobson, “Inspired by that experience, we felt fast-pitch softball was the perfect backdrop for the show. There are so many facets to playing sports that I love – it can bring out the best and worst of a person, the calmest person can lose their temper. And when it comes to winning and losing – the consequences are nothing, and yet, they’re everything. We really felt like it was the best arena for the themes we loved.”
Pixar also shared some key art from the upcoming series, including a shot of character Vanessa (voiced by Rosa Salazar), describing her as a “hard working single mom who faces the challenges of life with positivity and laughter.” Vanessa’s optimistic outlook and bubbly personality has made her popular on social media, and Win or Lose will explore some of her complicated emotions surrounding the attention she gets through social media; Pixar has clued the audience in, stating that “Vanessa is a little obsessed with the love she gets for her social media posts: seeing those pink hearts popping up brings her unchecked joy – and a little anxiety.”
According to Yates, the idea for these intertwining stories that spotlight different perspectives on everyday life was born from the experiences the team had working at Pixar.
“Carrie and I were office mates on Toy Story 4,” he said. “We would always have different reactions or different interpretations of the same meeting. One of us would say, ‘That went great!’ and the other would say, ‘No! It was terrible, what are you talking about?’ We realized that our own experiences that we bring to the table change our perception of an event. We wanted to tell a story that illustrated all of that.”
Though specifically born from their meetings and discussions on current events at the Pixar office, both Hobson and Yates realized that the experience of these differing perspectives was a universal human experience, and the idea for Win or Lose arose naturally from the concept.
Win or Lose premiers on February 19th on the Disney+ streaming service, but fans can check out the official trailer for Win or Lose, courtesy of Pixar’s official YouTube channel, right here:
