2026 marks 40 years since the founding of groundbreaking CG animation studio Pixar. And what a year it has already been: Limited series “Win or Lose” won four Emmys and three Annie Awards. Well-received original feature “Hoppers” was No. 1 at the North American box office for two weeks and earned nearly $400 million worldwide. “Cars” is returning to theaters this September for its 20th anniversary. Upcoming film “Gatto” will release its first trailer soon. And of course… “Toy Story 5” opens next Friday June 19th.

In its first years of operation, the mid to late ’80s, Pixar created shorts, such as “Luxo Jr.” (1986), the Oscar-winning “Tin Toy”, and “Knick Knack” — instant classics. Then came the task of making a feature-length, CG motion picture. Could Pixar pull it off? The answer was “Yes”. 1995’s “Toy Story” was the year’s highest grossing movie and is still one of the most beloved projects in the careers of stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Director John Lasseter won a special Oscar in 1996 for the film’s achievements, and “Toy Story” was also nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award.

“A Bug’s Life” followed in 1998, and then “Toy Story 2” just a year later, earning the 1999 Golden Globe for Best Picture: Comedy or Musical. 2001’s “Monsters, Inc.” was the first Pixar feature to be nominated in a brand new Oscar category — Best Animated Feature. It would lose the prize to “Shrek”, but over the next two decades, Pixar would win in this category a record 11 times.

The first was for 2003’s “Finding Nemo”. It was the second movie I ever saw in a theater — and I actually went to see it twice that summer, once at an indoor multiplex and again at a Drive-In. I can still picture being at the mall, riding up the escalator and seeing the giant poster of Bruce the Shark chasing Marlin and Dory. In 2004, Disney and Pixar unveiled “The Incredibles”. I attended a preview screening hosted by the local Radio Disney station. It would begin my relationship with them, and a little over a year later, kicked-off my 20+-year career as film critic / entertainment reporter.

I think for many people, especially in the heyday of Pixar, you remember where you were and how you felt when you saw these films for the first time on the big screen. In 2006 I attended a free local screening of “Cars” (also hosted by Radio Disney). It remains my favorite Pixar movie. In 2007, Disney actually held nationwide pay preview screenings of “Ratatouille” on a Saturday night, two weeks before its official release date. I was at one of those screenings. It remains my second favorite Pixar movie.

Had to be at opening weekend of “WALL-E” in 2008, and opening night of Pixar’s first 3D feature, “Up”, in 2009. A teaser trailer of “Toy Story 3” played beforehand. The entire audience gasped. Saw “Toy Story 3” on opening night in IMAX 3D in 2010. For so many moviegoers, Pixar films were, and still are, events. The brand quickly became so reliable that even older people (without kids or grandkids in attendance) made it appointment viewing to go to the cinema and see these Pixar films — for the stories, the characters, the emotional depth, and the memorable shorts that played before the movies.

To some people, “Cars 2” was the first clunker for the studio, but I like it a lot. Going to that Saturday morning preview screening in 2011 was quite exciting. Audiences also eagerly awaited “Brave” in 2012 and “Monsters University” (the studio’s first prequel) in 2013. Halloween special “Toy Story of Terror”, which aired on ABC in October 2013 to more than 10 million viewers, was such a hit that another special, “Toy Story That Time Forgot”, aired the next year — and they both likely influenced the creation of “Toy Story 4”.

For 2015’s “Inside Out”, Fathom Events held a special nationwide pay preview screening featuring a post-movie Q&A with director Pete Docter and star Amy Poehler from Australia. That year was also the first time there were two Pixar movies in a single year, with “The Good Dinosaur” out that November. “Finding Nemo” was a blockbuster in 2016. There would also be two films in 2017, with “Cars 3” and then “Coco”. I couldn’t wait for “Incredibles 2” in 2018 and “Toy Story 4” in 2019. And the nationwide “Onward” screenings were on Leap Day — February 29th, 2020.

“Soul” (2020), “Luca” (2021) and “Turning Red” (2022) were at-home releases but still felt like events, as did “Lightyear” in 2022, back in theaters. I was honored to visit Pixar Animation Studios for the first time on a press day for 2023’s lovely “Elemental” — and returned for a press day for the highest-grossing movie of 2024, “Inside Out 2”. To see where these iconic characters were brought to life was pretty… incredible.

Pixar went full sci-fi for 2025’s “Elio” and heavy on comedy for 2026’s “Hoppers”. And now, here comes “Toy Story 5”, a “toys vs. tech” adventure that will hopefully live-up to the high standards of the franchise. 40 years in, through features, shorts, theme park attractions and TV/streaming series and specials, Pixar remains one of the most celebrated brands in all of entertainment. It’s still got a friend in me.