Former Pixar Employees Talk About Winning or Losing the Trans Story

Just before the holidays, news broke that Disney would be cutting the story of a transgender character from Pixar’s upcoming series, Win or Lose. At the time, Disney said the move would allow parents to “discuss other topics with their children on their own time,” which sparked a lot of discussion online, as second presentation it’s a straightforward matter to pick up the ax sooner rather than later.

Win or Losewhich hits Disney+ in February, focuses on a collegiate softball team; One story would be devoted to a character named Kai, who remains in the episode but does not mention gender.

Now, former Pixar creators have shared their thoughts on the matter with The Hollywood Reporter. Former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who was edited and interviewed for the episode, said that the cancellation could cause problems, since the entire show has been completed “for a while,” although he has repeatedly delayed its release to 2023. That the story of Kai was cut did not surprise Ligatich, but he still felt “disappointed”: ” “Disney hasn’t done anything to create a lot of things,” he said. “They have been doing business to get a lot of profit. Even two years ago when I was at Pixar, we had a meeting with (CEO) Bob Chapek, and he made it very clear to us that he saw movies as a form of maintenance.

These thoughts were shared by former Pixar employees speaking to the outlet. Some found it surprising that Disney had no problem cutting the story of a trans character, but he has spent years giving a license to media with heavy topics, such as dealing with (and. to move from) the death of a loved one. Others agreed that the now-completed section should be revised several times in advance Win or Lose’s launch in mid-February. An anonymous employee called it “very disappointing that Disney would choose to spend money not to save lives,” explaining that the episode “was very beautiful – and it shows some of the trans issues – and will save lives. by showing those who feel alone and unloved, that there are people out there who understand.”

Disney’s recent history of Throwing stupid people under the bus (up to it doesn’t), and Pixar’s works in fact, it has already been written. But Donald Trump’s impending second term has Pixar employees worried Win or Lose it will be just one of several projects that will cut other messages or ideas. A former Pixar artist talks to THR about the studio’s 2026 film Hoppers they must ignore any environmental messages. The film revolves around a girl who swaps brains with a bear, and as the filmmaker put it, “when you have your whole film based on the importance of nature, you can’t go back. The team struggled to ask, ‘What are we going to do with this piece of paper?’

For Ligatich, Disney’s management of Win or Lose it’s also a reminder that for creators and audiences who may need to look elsewhere for stories that speak for themselves. He chose Netflix, which to be revived and released last year’s queer-centric film I see after Disney already he lostand said the streamer “is very excited to host content that tells real LGBTQ stories. That’s the way it’s going to go, you’re going to see a lot of indie studios coming up to tell stories.”

Win or Lose premieres February 19, 2025 on Disney+.

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