Recently, fans' interest in a sequel to 1998's A Bug's Life has been piqued.
Pixar's second-ever motion picture (following the blockbuster release of Toy Story in 1995) was none other than A Bug's Life. The film never had the enduring appeal of Pixar's other projects, such as Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. Nevertheless, A Bug's Life has always had its enthusiasts.
Is A Bug's Life 2 in the Works at Pixar?
Since its theatrical release 27 years ago, A Bug's Life feels like a forgotten Pixar film. However, an AI-generated poster for A Bug's Life 2 went viral, reigniting a desire from fans for Disney and Pixar to revisit the property:
This poster is, of course, fake, and Pixar has not announced the development of a sequel or follow-up to A Bug's Life.
Even more frustrating for die-hards, the film is often neglected when Pixar directors and top brass are questioned about sequels to their movies.
But most maddening for A Bug's Life aficionados is that several films in Pixar's expansive catalog have been granted sequels and, in some cases, spin-offs. Toy Story, Inside Out, Monsters, Inc., and more have all been transformed into successful franchises with multiple installments.
Pixar has long drawn a firm line in the sand when it comes to doing sequels: The story needs to be worthy enough to justify the existence of a follow-up. Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter explained the approach in 2024 to Fandango (via Deadline):
"It's a combo, because of course, we're making these for the audience, not for ourselves, so you want to know if they'll be well-received. Then, we do have a sort of guideline or guardrail that if we get a certain way in it's not feeling like it's about something new and substantive, then we'll cut bait. So, it's imperative that something feels like, ‘Oh, this is furthering the story!'"
Has Pixar Abandoned A Bug's Life?
Pixar has returned to the well in recent years with many franchises. Inside Out 2 took home the crown for the highest-grossing movie of 2024, so clearly, producing sequels has paid off for the iconic animation house.
It has a pair of high-profile follow-ups on the docket as well: Toy Story 5 and The Incredibles 3.
However, most of these properties' initial installments were overwhelmingly well-received and have remained in the public consciousness. Make no mistake, A Bug's Life was a considerable success, but it has gone untouched for over a quarter of a century.
Pixar itself hasn't paid much attention to the film with its signature easter eggs either, with the last substantial A Bug's Life reference coming in 2010 with Toy Story 3, where a toy version of protagonist Flik is seen at Sunnyside Daycare.
National Geographic (controlled by The Walt Disney Company) debuted a documentary series entitled A Real Bug's Life in January 2024. But besides its name, the show bears no real affiliation with the Pixar movie.
Nevertheless, it does prove that A Bug's Life hasn't fallen into total obscurity at the House of Mouse.
Pixar's A Bug's Life is streaming on Disney+.
