Pixar made a name for itself by producing beloved original films, many of which went on to spawn sequels. Some of Pixar’s biggest hits have been follow-ups, with this summer’s Toy Story 5 poised to become the latest $1 billion smash. Despite that track record of success, Pixar has been selective about which of their films receive a sequel. Some of their most iconic titles have remained standalone for an extended period of time. The 2007 hit Ratatouille is one of the more notable projects that fits under that category. Star Patton Oswalt would be open to a return to that world, but he emphasizes that it would have to be for the right reasons.
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Speaking with The Daily Beast, Oswalt laid out his conditions for Ratatouille 2. “There was never gonna be an Incredibles sequel until [director Brad Bird] thought, ‘Wait a minute. There is a story to tell,’” he said. “So if he gets an idea, that’s the one I wanna do. I don’t wanna be the guy going, ‘Hey, what if Remy did this?’ I want it to be one of those ideas that happens that you cannot get away from. I don’t want it to come from us going, ‘All right, let’s get out the legal pads and let’s break down a sequel.’ There are a lot of movies where that’s how they’re done, and it always feels inorganic.”
He continued, “I want the sequel to be not the same type of movie, but that same energy that Terminator 2 or Aliens had, which is, there’s an expansion of the story that we that we actually need to tell … This isn’t just a money grab. And yes, by the way, we love the money, and we’re gonna grab it, but we’re gonna get the money by telling an amazing story with whole new dimensions that we didn’t even know beforehand.”
Patton Oswalt Has the Right Mindset Regarding a Ratatouille Sequel
There would probably be a lot of interest in a Ratatouille sequel. The original remains a fan favorite and was a massive success in its time, earning $623.7 million at the worldwide box office and winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. However, Oswalt has the right mindset regarding a follow-up. There needs to be a story worth telling, and that could be the hardest hurdle to clear. Ratatouille works perfectly as a self-contained narrative, with Remy finally realizing his dream by opening a bistro in France. There aren’t any lingering narrative threads that need to be resolved. Ratatouille can remain a standalone work and be a satisfying experience.
To their credit, Pixar has never been one to make a sequel just for the sake of making it. Historically, they’ve employed an incredibly patient approach, taking several years to iron out a strong story before moving forward. Toy Story 5 is coming out seven years after Toy Story 4, and that’s on the short end of Pixar sequel wait times. There was a 13-year gap between Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, and it took 14 years for Incredibles 2 to debut. If Pixar ever moved forward with Ratatouille 2, fans could rest assured knowing it would likely live up to the high standards Pixar has set for itself. They easily could have rushed out Ratatouille 2 years ago to make a quick buck, but they don’t want to mess with the original’s legacy.
As fun as it would be to see Remy working the kitchen again, fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a Ratatouille 2 any time soon. Pixar has a full slate of projects it’s working on, including sequels Incredibles 3, Coco 2, and a new installment in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. On top of that, the studio has also announced new original titles Ono Ghost Market and a musical. That’s a pretty full plate, and considering how long it takes to complete an animated movie, the hard-working people at Pixar may not have time to add another project to their lineup right now. If Ratatouille 2 was imminent or at least in some stage of development, we would probably know about it by now.
Ratatouille 2 could always happen at some point down the road, but it’s also important to keep in mind that not every story needs a sequel. Some of Pixar’s properties easily lend themselves to further installments; Toy Story has always examined the growth and evolution of a child and playtime; The Incredibles is a superhero franchise; Inside Out does a deep dive into our emotions at different stages in life. Ratatouille doesn’t really have an organic path to a sequel that makes sense, so it could be better-served remaining one and done.
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