Elio hasn’t even hit screens yet, but Pixar has unveiled plans for original movie Gatto, in theaters in summer 2027. But even just from one image, fans already think it reminds them of something else.
If you’re a Pixar fan who goes all the way back to Toy Story, you might think recent movies have been a little more hit and miss. Films like Turning Red, Lightyear, and Elemental have received mixed views, with new release Elio still up for debate. But after the excitement of Toy Story 5 – due to be released on June 19, 2026 – comes something different.
On June 13, 2025, Pixar announced Gatto, made by Luca director Enrico Casarosa. It’s set to follow a black cat in Venice with a love of music who is shunned by locals due to superstitions, using a new style of hand-painted animation.
While a fresh look for Pixar is arguably a good move, you might think Gatto already sounds very similar to another existing film – and fans have picked up on it too.
New Pixar movie Gatto is already being compared to Flow
Gatto might have made you think of 2024’s Flow, which won the Academy Award earlier this year for Best Animated Feature Film. From Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, the movie tells the story of Cat, whose home is devastated by a great flood. He finds refuge on a boat with various other animals, and has to team up with them despite their differences.
If we’re being honest, the only real likeness between the two is that the main character is a black cat. Flow features absolutely no dialogue and a rough-around-the-edges style of animation – neither of which seem like things Pixar would go for.
However, if the studio wants to get back in awards contention, it’s possible it’ll take some inspiration from its competitors. Made for €3.5 million, Flow ended up pulling in $30 million at the worldwide box office… and for a fairly unknown studio, that’s nothing to sniff at.
While we don’t know any further details about Gatto, its current synopsis suggests it’ll head in a different direction. But that hasn’t stopped fans from making the comparison.
“I’m sure that the movie Flow winning an Oscar had NOTHING to do with this decision!” one fan replied to the news, with a second weighing in, “I’m sure this has absolutely nothing to do with Flow right?? Haha.”
“Pixar? Using a new animation style? I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m still super excited for this. Casarosa is the GOAT,” a third agreed,” with a fourth musing, “This could revitalize Pixar.”
Zilbalodis’ next project Limbo is still TBA, while Gatto likely won’t have a confirmed release date for a little while, so keep your eyes peeled.
For more animated fun, check out our guides to Moana 2 and Frozen 3. You can also keep tabs on the year’s releases with our 2025 movie calendar.
