Watch order guide · Pixar

How to watch the Pixar movies in order

Updated October 21, 2026 · 21 min read · 31 titles · 52 hours

Pixar films are mostly standalone, so release order is the order to watch them in, from Toy Story (1995). The Toy Story, Cars, Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters and Inside Out sequels sit on their own lines.

Titles

31

Films

31

Watch time

52 hours

Box office

$18.9 billion

Avg IMDb

7.5

Pixar movies in release order

Here is every Pixar title in the order it came out, 1995 to 2026: 31 films. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.

Pixar timeline: movies in chronological order

The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.

Release or chronological: which order is best?

Release order and story order disagree on 31 titles here. In release order you start with Toy Story (1995); in story order you start with A Bug's Life, set in Ant Island, which came out 3 years later.

First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Pixar into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.

Pixar also runs 6 separate continuities: Toy Story, Monsters, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and Inside Out. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.

Where to start

Every Pixar movie, explained

One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.

No. 01 · 1995 · Film · 1h 21m · 16th in story order

Toy Story

Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.

Why it matters: The first fully computer-animated feature, 1995.

Starring

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Don Rickles

Director

John Lasseter

Box office

$401 million on a $30 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 100%

No. 02 · 1998 · Film · 1h 35m · 1st in story order

A Bug's Life

On behalf of "oppressed bugs everywhere," an inventive ant named Flik hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper.

Why it matters: Pixar's second film, an ant colony's rescue.

Starring

Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Director

John Lasseter

Box office

$363 million on a $80 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%

No. 03 · 1999 · Film · 1h 32m · 17th in story order

Toy Story 2

Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen, owner of Al's Toy Barn kidnaps Woody. Andy's toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.

Why it matters: Woody is stolen by a collector.

Starring

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack

Director

John Lasseter

Box office

$497 million on a $90 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 100%

No. 04 · 2001 · Film · 1h 32m · 22nd in story order

Monsters, Inc.

Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.

Why it matters: Sulley and Mike meet Boo.

Starring

John Goodman, Billy Crystal, and Mary Gibbs

Director

Pete Docter

Box office

$650 million on a $130 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 96%

No. 05 · 2003 · Film · 1h 40m · 23rd in story order

Finding Nemo

Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.

Why it matters: Marlin crosses the ocean to find his son.

Starring

Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, and Alexander Gould

Director

Andrew Stanton

Box office

$940 million on a $94 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 99%

No. 06 · 2004 · Film · 1h 55m · 25th in story order

The Incredibles

Bob Parr has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children with his formerly heroic wife in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it's time to get back into costume.

Why it matters: A family of supers back in action.

Starring

Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Sarah Vowell

Director

Brad Bird

Box office

$631 million on a $92 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 97%

No. 07 · 2006 · Film · 1h 57m · 27th in story order

Cars

Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.

Why it matters: Lightning McQueen in Radiator Springs.

Starring

Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, and Bonnie Hunt

Director

John Lasseter

Box office

$462 million on a $120 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 75%

No. 08 · 2007 · Film · 1h 51m · 2nd in story order

Ratatouille

In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.

Why it matters: A rat who wants to cook in Paris.

Starring

Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, and Ian Holm

Director

Brad Bird

Box office

$624 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 96%

No. 09 · 2008 · Film · 1h 38m · 3rd in story order

WALL-E

After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E— a robot designed to clean up the earth—discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.

Why it matters: A lonely robot on an abandoned Earth.

Starring

Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin

Director

Andrew Stanton

Box office

$521 million on a $180 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%

No. 10 · 2009 · Film · 1h 36m · 4th in story order

Up

Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

Why it matters: Carl flies his house to South America.

Starring

Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai

Director

Pete Docter

Box office

$735 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 98%

No. 11 · 2010 · Film · 1h 43m · 18th in story order

Toy Story 3

Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.

Why it matters: Andy leaves for college.

Starring

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack

Director

Lee Unkrich

Box office

$1.07 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 98%

No. 12 · 2011 · Film · 1h 46m · 28th in story order

Cars 2

Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

Why it matters: A spy caper with Mater.

Starring

Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, and Michael Caine

Director

John Lasseter

Box office

$560 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 40%

No. 13 · 2012 · Film · 1h 33m · 5th in story order

Brave

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish.

Why it matters: Merida defies tradition in Scotland.

Starring

Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, and Billy Connolly

Director

Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Box office

$539 million on a $185 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 78%

No. 14 · 2013 · Film · 1h 44m · 21st in story order

Monsters University

A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

Why it matters: A prequel: Mike and Sulley in college.

Starring

Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi

Director

Dan Scanlon

Box office

$744 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 80%

No. 15 · 2015 · Film · 1h 35m · 30th in story order

Inside Out

When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.

Why it matters: Riley's emotions at 11.

Starring

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Richard Kind

Director

Pete Docter

Box office

$858 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 98%

No. 16 · 2015 · Film · 1h 33m · 6th in story order

The Good Dinosaur

An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

Why it matters: A world where the asteroid missed.

Starring

Raymond Ochoa, Frances McDormand, and Jeffrey Wright

Director

Peter Sohn

Box office

$332 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 76%

No. 17 · 2016 · Film · 1h 37m · 24th in story order

Finding Dory

Dory is reunited with her friends Nemo and Marlin in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

Why it matters: Dory searches for her family, a year later.

Starring

Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, and Ed O'Neill

Director

Andrew Stanton

Box office

$1.03 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%

No. 18 · 2017 · Film · 1h 42m · 29th in story order

Cars 3

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen finds himself pushed to the brink—and suddenly, the champion who once ruled the track is fighting just to stay in the race. With his career hanging in the balance, McQueen must turn to an ambitious young race technician with a plan of her own, draw strength from the legacy of the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and risk everything on one last shot at glory.

Why it matters: McQueen faces the next generation.

Starring

Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, and Chris Cooper

Director

Brian Fee

Box office

$384 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 70%

No. 19 · 2017 · Film · 1h 45m · 7th in story order

Coco

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Why it matters: Miguel in the Land of the Dead on Día de Muertos.

Starring

Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, and Benjamin Bratt

Director

Lee Unkrich

Box office

$815 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 97%

No. 20 · 2018 · Film · 1h 58m · 26th in story order

Incredibles 2

Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.

Why it matters: Starts moments after the first film ends.

Starring

Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Sarah Vowell

Director

Brad Bird

Box office

$1.24 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%

No. 21 · 2019 · Film · 1h 40m · 19th in story order

Toy Story 4

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, devoted to taking care of his kid—whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But after Bonnie creates a reluctant new toy called "Forky", a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends challenges everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose, and what it truly means to be a toy.

Why it matters: Woody and Forky on a road trip.

Starring

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Annie Potts

Director

Josh Cooley

Box office

$1.07 billion on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 96%

No. 22 · 2020 · Film · 1h 42m · 8th in story order

Onward

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

Why it matters: Two elf brothers on a quest to see their father.

Starring

Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Director

Dan Scanlon

Box office

$142 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 88%

No. 23 · 2020 · Film · 1h 41m · 9th in story order

Soul

Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.

Why it matters: A jazz musician's soul separated from his body.

Starring

Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, and Graham Norton

Director

Pete Docter

Box office

$122 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%

No. 24 · 2021 · Film · 1h 35m · 10th in story order

Luca

Luca and his best friend Alberto experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Why it matters: A sea monster's summer on the Italian Riviera.

Starring

Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Emma Berman

Director

Enrico Casarosa

Box office

$51 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%

No. 25 · 2022 · Film · 1h 40m · 11th in story order

Turning Red

Thirteen-year-old Mei is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda.

Why it matters: Mei turns into a red panda in 2002 Toronto.

Starring

Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, and Ava Morse

Director

Domee Shi

Box office

$22 million on a $175 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%

No. 26 · 2022 · Film · 1h 45m · 15th in story order · optional

Lightyear

Legendary Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion Sox.

Why it matters: The in-universe film Andy watched in 1995; optional.

Starring

Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, and Peter Sohn

Director

Angus MacLane

Box office

$226 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 74%

No. 27 · 2023 · Film · 1h 42m · 12th in story order

Elemental

In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.

Why it matters: Fire and water fall for each other.

Starring

Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, and Ronnie del Carmen

Director

Peter Sohn

Box office

$496 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 100%

No. 28 · 2024 · Film · 1h 37m · 31st in story order

Inside Out 2

Teenager Riley's mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.

Why it matters: Riley at 13 and new emotions.

Starring

Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, and Kensington Tallman

Director

Kelsey Mann

Box office

$1.70 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%

No. 29 · 2025 · Film · 1h 38m · 13th in story order

Elio

Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

Why it matters: A boy mistaken for Earth's ambassador.

Starring

Yonas Kibreab, Remy Edgerly, and Zoe Saldaña

Director

Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina

Box office

$154 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%

No. 30 · 2026 · Film · 1h 44m · 14th in story order

Hoppers

Scientists have discovered how to 'hop' human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals. Animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined.

Why it matters: A girl's mind is put into a robot beaver.

Starring

Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, and Jon Hamm

Director

Daniel Chong

Box office

$390 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%

No. 31 · 2026 · Film · 1h 42m · 20th in story order

Toy Story 5

When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime.

Why it matters: The toys meet technology.

Starring

Joan Cusack, Tom Hanks, and Tim Allen

Director

Andrew Stanton

Box office

$1.15 billion on a $250 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%

Pixar box office and budgets

The 31 Pixar films with reported numbers have grossed $18.9 billion worldwide on about $5.08 billion in combined budgets, roughly 3.7 times what they cost. The biggest is Inside Out 2 at $1.70 billion, 9% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Incredibles 2 ($1.24 billion) and Toy Story 5 ($1.15 billion).

Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Toy Story, which made 13 times its $30 million budget. The weakest was Turning Red at 12% of its $175 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.

The best and worst rated Pixar movies

Across 31 rated titles, Pixar averages 7.5 on IMDb. The top of the list is Coco at 8.4, then Toy Story (8.3) and WALL-E (8.3). At the bottom: Lightyear (6.1) and Cars 2 (6.2). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Inside Out 2, is only the 15th best rated.

1. Coco8.4 · RT 97%
2. Toy Story8.3 · RT 100%
3. WALL-E8.3 · RT 95%
4. Up8.3 · RT 98%
5. Toy Story 38.3 · RT 98%
6. Finding Nemo8.2 · RT 99%
7. Monsters, Inc.8.1 · RT 96%
8. Ratatouille8.1 · RT 96%
9. Inside Out8.1 · RT 98%
10. The Incredibles8 · RT 97%

Who appears in the most Pixar movies

John Ratzenberger leads with 10 appearances as Hamm and Yeti, ahead of Bonnie Hunt (6) and Tom Hanks (5). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.

Pixar directors and creators

18 filmmakers have directed or created Pixar; John Lasseter has the most, with 5.

• John LasseterToy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Cars (2006), and Cars 2 (2011)
• Pete DocterMonsters, Inc. (2001), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Soul (2020)
• Andrew StantonFinding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), Finding Dory (2016), and Toy Story 5 (2026)
• Brad BirdThe Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Incredibles 2 (2018)
• Lee UnkrichToy Story 3 (2010) and Coco (2017)
• Dan ScanlonMonsters University (2013) and Onward (2020)
• Peter SohnThe Good Dinosaur (2015) and Elemental (2023)
• Domee ShiTurning Red (2022) and Elio (2025)
• Mark AndrewsBrave (2012)
• Brenda ChapmanBrave (2012)
• Brian FeeCars 3 (2017)
• Josh CooleyToy Story 4 (2019)
• Enrico CasarosaLuca (2021)
• Angus MacLaneLightyear (2022)
• Kelsey MannInside Out 2 (2024)
• Madeline SharafianElio (2025)

How long it takes to watch every Pixar movie

All 31 titles add up to 52 hours. That is about 26 two-hour evenings, or 6 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 50 hours. The longest film is Incredibles 2 at 1h 58m.

Which Pixar movies can you skip?

1 title can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 2 hours.

• Lightyear2022 · Film · 1h 45m · optionalThe in-universe film Andy watched in 1995; optional.

Upcoming Pixar movies

• Incredibles 3June 16, 2028
• Coco 2November 21, 2029

Common questions

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