November 22, 1995: Walt Disney Pictures releases Pixar Animation Studios’ first feature-length film, Toy Story. It is the first in history to be entirely computer-animated. It earned three Academy Award nominations (Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song in “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), along with a Special Achievement Academy Award, and is generally regarded as one of the best animated films in the history of cinema.
Tim-Allen-signed Toy Story print
November 25, 1998: A Bug’s Life, the second Pixar film to be released by Walt Disney Pictures, arrives in theaters. It earns an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.
November 24, 1999: Toy Story 2, follow-up to the groundbreaking original, hits the big screen. It garners an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (“When She Loved Me”), and like its predecessor, is generally ranked as one of the best animated films of all time.
November 2, 2001: Monsters, Inc. debuts, and will go on to score an Oscar victory for Best Song (“If I Didn’t Have You”) and three more nominations (Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing).
May 30, 2003: Finding Nemo opens at the box office. The film is named Best Animated Feature and nominated in three other categories: Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing.
November 5, 2004: The second Pixar feature in a row to win Best Animated Feature, The Incredibles, is released at the box office.
Craig-T.-Nelson-signed The Incredibles print
January 25, 2006: The Walt Disney Company acquires Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 million.
June 9, 2006: Another Best Animated Feature nominee, Cars, opens nationwide. It is also nominated for Best Original Song (“Our Town”).
June 29, 2007: Best Animated Feature Ratatouille hits theaters. In addition, the film receives nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
June 27, 2008: WALL-E, yet another Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature, is released. It nets five more nominations, as well (Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song in “Down to Earth”).
2009 release of the studio’s greatest hits from Toy Story to Up
May 29, 2009: Two-time Academy Award winner, Up, opens in theaters (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score). It is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound Editing.
June 18, 2010: Toy Story 3 is the second consecutive Pixar release to be nominated for both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature. It wins the latter award, along with Best Original Song (“We Belong Together”), and receives nods for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Editing, as well.
June 24, 2011: The Lightning McQueen saga continues in Cars 2. It marks the first time a Pixar animated feature is not recognized by the Academy.
June 22, 2012: Brave brings Pixar back to the Oscars with a Best Animated Feature victory.
June 21, 2013: Monsters University, prequel to the smash-hit Monsters, Inc., is released.
June 19, 2015: Best Animated Feature Inside Out debuts. It also snags a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
November 25, 2015: The Good Dinosaur, Pixar’s sixteenth animated feature, opens nationwide.
Promotional postcard distributed ahead of the film’s opening
June 17, 2016: Finding Dory, sequel to the ultra-popular Finding Nemo, arrives at the box office.
June 16, 2017: Cars 3 races into theaters with a successful showing, though more modest than either of the first two films.
November 22, 2017: Two-time Oscar winner Coco opens in theaters (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song in “Remember Me”).
June 15, 2018: After nearly fourteen years since the original, Incredibles 2 debuts. It picks up a Best Animated Feature nomination.
June 21, 2019: The next entry in Pixar’s most beloved franchise opens in Toy Story 4. It will win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
March 6, 2020: Onward is released nationwide. Though, box-office earnings suffer at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic.
DISNEY COLLECTOR ARCHIVES 