Release date: November 13th, 1998
On top of all of this, Toy Story came out during the Disney Renaissance, an era where Disney held absolute power over the animation industry, long before DreamWorks, Blue Sky, Warner Animation Group, or Illumination came into existence and before Studio Ghibli was respected and appreciated by western audiences. Toy Story received a lot of similar reactions that Snow White got when it was first announced in the 1930's. But just like with Snow White, the underdog prevailed, Toy Story was a success and with Disney's big budget film Pocahontas being a massive letdown that same year, Pixar became the hot new company.
But what if that never happened? What if in an alternate timeline, Toy Story had been what critics predicted?
The interesting thing is, Toy Story almost did suck. On the most infamous day in Pixar history (besides the controversy with John Lasseter) Pixar revealed their early film reels of Toy Story to Disney executives. In this version (aptly titled the Black Friday version), Woody is more of an a$$hole. He insults the other toys, telling Slinky that it's not his job to think and instead of accidentally knocking Buzz out the window, he simply throws him out.
Disney asked Pixar to give the movie an edge and this was the result. Thankfully Disney realized their mistake and let Pixar fix it. But what if in some crazy timeline, Disney LIKED this version? Here's my timeline:
In 1995, Toy Story is released and is praised for its ambitious animation style, but is heavily criticized for its unlikeable protagonist and mean spiritedness. Parents are appalled by Woody's behavior, calling it scarring to their young ones, and Toy Story becomes the Black Cauldron of the 90's. Pixar Animation is closed down and any chances of a sequel to Toy Story are dead in the water.
Despite these changes to the timeline, Jeffrey Katzenberg still leaves Disney under bad terms and goes off to form DreamWorks SKG with David Geffen and Steven Spielberg in 1994. However, he doesn't leave alone. Along with him come the many employees of the now defunct Pixar Animation Studios, including John Lasseter, who was friends with Katzenberg until he stole his idea for A Bug's Life and did the rival movie Antz. However in this timeline, Antz is made by both of them, and they remain friends.
So, in 1998, they released the Prince of Egypt, and in this timeline, it's DreamWorks's first animated film instead of Antz. Katzenberg had always wanted to do the story of Moses, and had even pitched this idea to then Disney president Michael Eisner, but he said no. When it was released in November, it was a big hit at the box office and was acclaimed by critics.
With Katzenberg's exit from Disney, with it he takes the film rights to Shrek, which was originally going to be a 2D animated Disney movie before his departure. With the Pixar alumni, he immediately gets to work on Shrek, which is a little different to the one we know and love.
For one thing, it's the first 3D animated DreamWorks film instead of Antz. And, secondly, it gets made earlier in the late 90's rather than the early 2000's. Other than that, it's the same as the one we got in our timeline.
Shrek is released in May 1999 and is a big hit at the box office and earns a lot of praise from critics and audiences, plus it was able to spawn a sequel that we're gonna get to later.
With Shrek's popularity, they start working on a sequel, and Lasseter pitches his idea for a movie about an ant colony. They decide to do this movie before the Road to El Dorado.
In August of that same year, we get a version of Antz that combines A Bug's Life and Antz with it's tones and character styles. This movie receives less praise than Shrek, but still gets good reviews and a healthy box office return.
In March 2000, they released The Road to El Dorado, and it also wasn't as good as Shrek, but at least it was better than Antz. Meanwhile, in England, DreamWorks and Aardman released Chicken Run on June of that same year, and it received massive success at the box office and critical acclaim and became the highest grossing stop motion film of the time. In November, Monsters, Inc is released and is a huge success for DreamWorks. It should be noted that Billy Crystal wouldn't voice Mike Wazowski, as the only reason he did was because he regretted NOT voicing Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Since Toy Story flopped however in this timeline, he holds no regrets, and he once again declines the offer. Instead, Mike is voiced by none other than Saturday Night Live comedian, David Spade.
In February 2001, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is released which is the same movie that we got in our timeline, and while it was a success critical wise, at the box office, the film was a disappointment. However, in June of that same year, they release an original movie and that movie is a CGI-animated action movie about mutated dinosaurs created by the government, and that film's called Dino Evolution.
Dino Evolution's plot is that the government needed some extra help to defend the people from other enemies and they needed to create a task force that would always be loyal to them, so scientist started to create the genes and mixed them with some other reptile genes, which created mutated versions of dinosaurs, but when the government tried to train the dinosaurs, most of them turned against them and started going on a rampage across various cities and landmarks all around the country. Luckily, there was a group of six mutated dinosaurs that have bonded with the commander's 12-year old son, consisting of a stegosaurus, a triceratops, a pterodactyl, a velociraptor, a parasaurolophus, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and all have learned about humans and wish to fight for them, so the dinosaurs work with the military against other mutant dinosaurs, and the film would end with the six dinosaurs in New York fighting an even more mutated version of a T-Rex, and the dinos take down the enemy. The film was a huge success at the box office and with critics as they praised the story, the characters, the animation, and the action scenes.
The Academy does NOT create the best animated picture category at the Oscars due to the perceived lack of competition besides Blue Sky, Ghibli, Warner Bros. Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, and Universal. If the category is made, it won't be in 2002, but in 2004.
In May 2002, Shrek 2 is released, and is the same as the one we got in our timeline, and is a huge success at the box office and with critics, and it is often considered to be better than the first film. Meanwhile Disney reaps what they sowed, as their movies begin to drop at the box office to DreamWorks.
During production on Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, John Lasseter hears that the success of this film will determine whether DreamWorks continues to make 2D animated movies. He juggles his duties on Finding Nemo and Sinbad, with Finding Nemo being released in May and Sinbad released in July. In the end both turn out to be great successes and the planned sequels to Sinbad will likely be made in this timeline.
2003 turns out to be a fantastic year for DreamWorks thanks to Sinbad and Finding Nemo, meanwhile Disney suffers greatly due to the box office failures of Brother Bear and Treasure Planet.
In May 2004, we see the release of Shrek the Third, which is considerably better than the one we got in our timeline. This year also sees the release of The Incredibles, which would be pretty the same movie we got in real life most likely, and was released in November. By the way, there is a chance that with the Sinbad franchise and Finding Nemo, DreamWorks won't see the point in doing another ocean movie, hence why Shark Tale is never made in this timeline.
2005 sees the release of Madagascar, which is released in May and while it does good at the box office, reviews are mostly mixed, and it was considered one of DreamWorks' weaker films at the time, but it wasn't bad. Sinbad 2 is released in July, and it is a box office hit, and critics consider it to be even better than the first movie. In October of the same year, DreamWorks and Aardman release Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which would pretty much be the same movie that we got in our timeline. Also around this time, Lasseter still goes on a road trip with his family and is inspired to make Cars as his next movie.
Since Cars is a passion project for Lasseter, he dedicates his full attention to it, and doesn't work on Over the Hedge, which turns out the same as it did in our timeline. In April 2006, Over the Hedge is released and is alright, and Cars is released two months after Over the Hedge, and it crushes at the box office, completely dominating Happy Feet, which is released in June. In November, DreamWorks and Aardman release Flushed Away, which is the last movie they make together and is the same as the version we got in our timeline.
In June of 2007, Ratatouille is released and is universally praised on the same level as the first two Shrek films. August has the release of Sinbad 3, and November sees the release of Bee Movie, which would be the same as the one we got in our timeline, and while it wasn't as good as Ratatouille, it was somewhat successful.
Meanwhile with Disney, they are greatly suffering, as their attempt to save the company with their own computer animated movie Chicken Little, which was released in 2005, has backfired, as many critics and audiences hated it and it was a ginormous box office bomb, and it has cost them a lot of money, plus a lot of their films were becoming box office bombs. And unfortunately for them, in 2008, Disney went bankrupt, therefore, Disney's live action remakes, Tangled, Wreck-It-Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen II, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto don't exist in this timeline. Now, what would happen to properties they bought in our timeline like Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox? Funny you should ask because Marvel is actually bought by DreamWorks in this timeline in 2009, and DreamWorks has wanted to make an animated Spider-Man movie and they had actually gotten permission from Sony to do whatever they wanted with the character, and we'll get back to that in a little bit, The Spectacular Spider-Man would air for 4 seasons, Wolverine and the X-Men, and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes would continue to air, except they would air on Nicktoons, Ultimate Spider-Man is a spinoff series from Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Big Hero 6 is now a DreamWorks property due to Big Hero 6 being made by Marvel, plus the MCU is basically the same in this timeline, except the X-Men and Fantastic Four are introduced in Phase 1. Lucasfilm was bought by Warner Bros. and the Star Wars sequel trilogy is very different as it focuses on Finn and the characters aren't botched and it doesn't pander to SJWs. As for 20th Century Fox, since they are never bought out by anyone in this timeline, Blue Sky Studios still makes movies but no more Ice Age films, and most of their more recent movies are the same aside from the fact that instead of being under the 20th Century Studios brand, they have the 20th Century Fox brand instead.
March of 2008 sees the release of Dino Evolution 2, now involving mutated pre-historic mammals, with its main antagonist being a mutated version of a Spinosaurus, and while it is good, it isn't considered to be as great as the first movie. Kung Fu Panda is released in June, and is loved by critics and audiences. In November of that same year, we see the release of the sequel to Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. It should also be noted that while WALL-E doesn't get made in this timeline, its titular main character does still exist in another film I'll get to later.
2009 has the release of Monsters VS. Aliens in March, which would be pretty much the same film we got in our timeline, and it gets okay reviews, but it doesn't do so hot at the box office. Sinbad 4 is released in July and is praised again like the other three films. In November, Up is released and it gets great reviews from critics and is a huge hit.
In 2010, DreamWorks releases another original movie, and the film is none other than that animated Spider-Man film I was talking about earlier, the title is Ultimate Spider-Man, and as the title suggests, this movie is based on the ultimate comics version of the character, and the plot is about Peter Parker getting bit by the spider, Uncle Ben being murdered, and Peter has to stop the Green Goblin. It would also have Jay Baruchel voicing Spider-Man. The movie is released in March, and it gets more praise from critics and audiences than any other movie DreamWorks made by that point. Two months later, Shrek Forever After is released and it gets great reviews and is considered to be a proper finale to the series. On September, an original movie titled Knights of the Elements is released, and it's about a group of teenage knights from six elemental tribes who have been chosen to take down Willis the Dark, the evil ruler of the dark kingdom. The film is big hit and is a critical success. And finally, in November, they release Megamind, and it is pretty much the same movie we got in our timeline, except it takes place in the same universe as The Incredibles.
Moving on to 2011, Cars 2 is released on February and it is a hit at the box office, but with the critics, it mostly received negative reviews, criticizing the fact that characters are either bland or an idiot, and its ridiculousness. On May, Kung Fu Panda 2 is released and is basically the same as we got in our timeline, and it got great reviews and was a big hit at the box office. Sinbad 5 is released in July, and it was a hit at the box office, but it mostly received mixed reviews and was considered weaker than its predecessors. A variation of How To Train Your Dragon is released on October, the film is called Legend of the Night Fury, and it's about a young night fury dragon shifter called Caden who ends up trapped on the island of Berk, and there, he meets Astrid Hofferson, a viking girl his age and she understands him and the two slowly fall for each other, and they have to stop Caden's father. The film was big hit at the box office, and critics praised the visuals, characters, story, voice acting, and romance.
In 2012, Newt is released unlike our timeline where it was cancelled, the film is released in March and has garnered critical acclaim and box office success. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is released in June, and receives more positive reviews than the last two Madagascar films. Puss In Boots is released in September, and has gained critical acclaim and gained a healthy box office return. Rise of the Guardians is released in November, and got great reviews and was a box office success. Also, in this timeline, Brave is never released.
2013 is the start of the 20th Century Fox era, and with it comes the release of The Croods in March, which would basically be the same movie that we got in our timeline. Monsters, Inc 2: Lost in Scaradise is released on June, and is very different from Monsters University as it has the plot of the cancelled Circle 7 Monsters, Inc sequel, and has gained great reviews and is a hit at the box office. Sinbad 6 is released in September, and is the last film of the series as it has the last adventure on the last two seas, and the film was a critical and box office success. Me and My Shadow, a cancelled DreamWorks movie, is released in November and is box office success and a critical hit. Turbo is never made in this timeline.
Now that we're in 2014, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is released in March, and is a critical and commercial success, but I'm really not sure if it will get a sequel. The Sequel to Ultimate Spider-Man is released in June, and is about Peter Parker trying to take down the Lizard, and it also focuses on Spider-Man getting the symbiote suit that alters his behavior, making him more aggressive and altering his relationships with his friends and family. The film is a box office success and a critical hit. Trollhunters is released in August, and it does well at the box office. Penguins of Madagascar is released, and it doesn't do so well as it the box office and reviews are mostly mixed. However, with three films that were great, DreamWorks was doing great.
2015 sees the release of another original movie, and that film is called Cosmocops. This is a sci-fi buddy cop action movie, and the plot centers around two Intergalactic Space Police partners Henry Lester, a 25 year old human police officer, and Ah'Lex Gr'Son, a 26 year old Grogon police officer, investigating mysterious kidnappings of different alien species, as well as multiple crimes, and they are determined to solve the crimes and arrest the mastermind behind them, and that mastermind being none other than Grawl Kipple, a Zyphonian crime lord, and also, this is the film that WALL-E is in. The movie was released in February, and is a box office success as well as being loved by audiences. Dino Evolution 3 is released in May, and the plot involves another mutated T-Rex that is also the T-Rex's brother that goes on a rampage across the country, and the dinos along with new mammals have to stop the attack, and it has gained critical and commercial success, with critics claiming it to be the best in the franchise. B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, a cancelled DreamWorks movie, is released in July, and is critical and commercial success. October sees the release of Legend of the Night Fury 2, and the plot is that Caden and Astrid have started dating, but the relationship is shunned upon because of Caden being a dragon shifter, and Astrid's father really despises Caden and wants him dead. The film gets great review, and does decently well at the box office. It should be noted that because Newt was made, Inside Out was never made because it was involved in Newt's cancellation. Plus, because of the success of the Dino Evolution franchise, DreamWorks won't see the point in doing another dinosaur movie, hence why The Good Dinosaur is never made in this timeline.
In 2016, Kung Fu Panda 3 is released in January, and it turns out the same as it did in our timeline. Monkeys of Mumbai, another cancelled DreamWorks movie, is released in March, and it is a success with critics and audiences. Another original movie is released in June titled A Wolf in the Family, and this one is a coming of age movie about a young wolf named Aiden being adopted by a family of bears after his family is killed. The film is a major box office success, and critics praised the film for being darker than most DreamWorks films, but still being able to be enjoyable for the whole family. Trolls is released in November, but it mostly receives negative reviews and the film is pretty much a bomb, with the plans for a franchise being dead in the water.
Next with 2017, the last year of the 20th Century Fox era, DreamWorks releases The Boss Baby in January, and again like last time, it mostly receives negative reviews and underperformed at the box office. Rise of the Guardians 2 is released in April, and is a major box office success. Captain Underpants is released in June, and is praised for its humor and is a box office success. Coco is released in November, and is a box office success and it garnered critical acclaim.
With the year of 2018, the first year in the Universal era, there come new films. The first film from 2018 is another cancelled DreamWorks movie Larrikins, it is released in February, and is a box office hit and critical success. Cars 3 is released in April, and is considered better than the last two movies. Incredibles 2 is released in June, and is better than the version we got in our timeline, even if the version we got was decent. Abominable is released in September, and is a critical and box office success.
2019 sees the release of Ultimate Spider-Man 3: Rise of the Sinister Six, the final film of the Ultimate Spider-Man trilogy, and the plot takes place 2 years after the last movie, with Peter, now 20 years old, mentoring Miles Morales and having to take down the Sinister Six, while also having to admit his feelings to Mary Jane Watson. The film is released in February, and is a critical and commercial success. September sees the release of another cancelled movie, this one being Plants Vs Zombies, and it receives great reviews and is a box office success.
In 2020, Covid never happened in this timeline, and so, the release of new films was much easier. Onward, was released in March, and it should be noted that Chris Pratt would NOT voice Barley, as instead, Barley is voiced by Dave Franco. The movie released in June is another original movie, with it being an adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's DreamWorks' second video game adaptation after Plants Vs Zombies. Soul is released in September, and is a critical and box office success.
2021 films include the release of another original movie, this one being an adaptation of the Lego toyline Bionicle in April, and it's a major box office success, though it does often get compared to Knights of the Elements. Megamind 2 is released in July, and it gets good reviews and does well at the box office. October's film is Legend of the Night Fury 3, and the plot is that now, Caden and Astrid are engaged and while everyone was more accepting of their relationship, some still didn't approve, particularly a group of dragon shifter haters who wish death on Caden. The film was a box office success, and was considered the best of the trilogy.
2022 sees the release of The Bad Guys in April, and it is a critical and commercial success. Luca is released in June, and gets good reviews. And as for upcoming films, in September, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is coming out.
Ultimately, Lasseter and co. still become a major asset to the animation industry, however, the way they get to where they are now is far different. They help DreamWork's to legitimize themselves even more and help to keep the 2D animation genre alive longer.
Release date: May 21st, 1999
Release date: August 6th, 1999
Release date: March 31st, 2000
Release date: November 17th, 2000
