With Pixar's newest movie Onward receiving plenty of praise from critics, fans may already be looking forward to a sequel in Onward 2. Though PIXAR is known for cutting-edge animation and original storytelling, the studio has also broken with tradition by dipping into sequels several times over the last decade, including a pair of Toy Story follow-ups, Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory.
A prospective Onward sequel would follow on from the first two elf brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), who try to use a spell that'll bring their deceased Father back to life for 24 hours. Once the spell goes haywire, they have to race to fix it before they lose the chance to see their Dad one more time.
This tale is told in a modern-day version of a traditional fantasy landscape, and so packed with details and mythology that the only way to properly explore it all would be through another Onward adventure. Here's what we know so far about the possibility of Onward 2, when it might release, and what it could be about.
Onward 2 Isn't Officially Happening
A sequel to Onward isn't on the docket just yet. As of this writing, there has been no word from any of the principal creatives regarding the possibility of a follow-up. A cautious approach to green-lighting more Onward movies is in keeping with the new creative direction of both Pixar Animation Studios and fellow Disney-owned animation outlet Walt Disney Animation Studios. The two production companies have expressed their desire to move away from their recent sequel-heavy slates and reshift focus onto original titles for the foreseeable future. Barring Onward becoming a Frozen-level phenomenon, it's unlikely that Pixar will decide to make Onward 2.
Onward 2 Release Date Prediction
If an Onward sequel were to happen, though, it still wouldn't be something that would arrive in the near future. Whereas rival animation studios like Illumination and DreamWorks Animation churn out sequels three years after their predecessor, Pixar tends to take a far patient approach to follow-ups. Over a decade separated the releases of the second and third Toy Story titles, and there was a nearly fourteen-year-long gap between The Incredibles and Incredibles 2. Given this trend, any new films set in the Onward universe could arrive as much as a decade or more after the first movie.
Onward 2's Story
Should Pixar take the plunge and embrace another adventure set in the Onward universe, there's no shortage of possibilities for where the story could go next. For one thing, Onward's universe is rich with staples of traditional fantasy storytelling (mermaids and gnomes, chiefly) that were only briefly glimpsed at in the first Onward. Expanding on those creatures could serve as a great groundwork for a potential Onward 2. A follow-up could also explore how Ian Lightfoot is adjusting to having had his special wizarding powers for a prolonged period of time. The prospect of seeing Ian either overly obsessed or jaded with his magical abilities alone could justify a return to the domain of Onward.