The History of Pixar

In 1979, filmmaker George Lucas recruited Ed Catmull from the New York Institute of Technology to head Lucasfilm’s Computer Division, which was tasked with creating state-of-the-art computer technology for the film industry. Alvy Ray Smith joined a year later and the group steadily added more employees over the following years. In the early 1980s, the group completed the “Genesis Effect” sequence for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; it was the first completely computer-animated sequence in a feature film. A short time later, the group completed “The Adventures of André & Wally B,” the first short film ever created by the future animation studio. In 1986, Steve Jobs purchased the Computer Division from George Lucas and transformed it into an independent studio known as Pixar. Pixar and Disney quickly began collaborating on CAPS (Computer Animation Production System), which transformed the way animated films were made. Also in 1986, Pixar released the short film “Luxo Jr.,” which famously featured two desk lamps and a ball; it was directed by John Lasseter. In 1989, Pixar began making commercials, the first of which was for Tropicana. Then on November 22, 1995, Pixar released the world’s first computer-animated feature film, Toy Story. This was followed by A Bug’s Life in 1998 and Toy Story 2 in 1999. The early 2000s saw the release of several more Pixar-made Disney films, including Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. In 2006, the Walt Disney Company purchased Pixar Animation Studios and as part of the deal, Pixar leaders Ed Catmull and John Lasseter became the leaders of Walt Disney Animation Studios. In 2007, Ratatouille debuted, followed by WALL•E, Up, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Brave, Inside Out, Finding Dory, Coco, and more. In 2025, Pixar released Win or Lose on Disney+ — the studio’s first original long-form animated series — as well as version 27 of RenderMan, the studio’s main rendering technology, which was originally created back in the late 1980s. Today, Pixar is well-known for its many beloved films and is expected to continue releasing new technologies and projects in 2026 and beyond.