New details are emerging about the cancelled Pixar film (or potentially a series) that has been making the rounds on the rumor mill. It\u2019s now been confirmed that Pixar\u2019s Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter, was the figure behind the cancellation of the potential project, which had been three years in the making and involved nearly 50 people in its production to date.<\/p>\n
The project came with the working title Be Fri <\/a>(Best Friends), and, apart from Hoppers, which debuted on March 6th in the US, Be Fri was hoping to be one of the studio\u2019s first original projects in a few years, but was replaced in the summer 2025 slate by Elio, a title that notoriously flopped even after Docter stepped in and attempted to redo the project midway through\u2014causing the director, Adrian Molina, to leave the production (which was based on elements of his own childhood). But it seems that Docter had other ideas in mind. \u201cAs time\u2019s gone on, I realized my job is to make sure the films appeal to everybody,\u201d he said to the Wall Street Journal<\/a> in the wake of the lack of success trailing more personal Pixar stories like Elemental and Lightyear. And when asked why he made these changes to Elio, Docter said, \u201cWe\u2019re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n Be Fri Had Amazing Potential\u2014Like Most Personal Stories<\/p>\n The story behind Be Fri was one that most people can relate to: the breakup of an adolescent friendship that leaves you reeling and unsure of your place in the world. It was set to be directed by Kristen Lester, and by the time it was cancelled, over three years of work had gone into the project. And some Pixar fans aren\u2019t too happy about the project being shelved, while others think that the original premise couldn\u2019t carry a feature-length film. \u201cThis looked like it had some potential, but I think it needed a little something more than just a platonic breakup. I think it would have worked better as a Pixar short than a full feature film. Still disappointing to see 3 years of work down the drain though,\u201d said one fan<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another fan drew comparisons between the story at the center of Be Fri and KPop Demon Hunters<\/a>, the movie that has absolutely smashed records and gone on to become one of Netflix and Sony Animation\u2019s biggest films of all time. \u201cTo highlight the irony with KPop Demon Hunters (2025, Netflix\/Sony Pictures Animation), which became one of the biggest animated hits of the year, a mix of magical girl and Korean singer and a love and acceptance film,\u201d they said<\/a>.<\/p>\n