Disney's own cartoons were failing, and its best partner was leaving. So in 2006 Disney bought Pixar — and asked Pixar to lead Disney's animation.
Harder version: read this lesson at C1 level →
Look at each word. Say what you think it means. Then tap the card.
Tap a card to see the meaning.
Write one word from the cards in each gap.
1. Before I started the new job, I signed a for two years.
2. My brother and I often about who does the washing-up.
3. Her new song was a big — everybody was singing it.
4. Sunscreen helps to your skin from the sun.
5. We started the business together, so she is my .
6. The first film was great, but the was boring.
1. contract · 2. argue · 3. hit · 4. protect · 5. partner · 6. sequel
Read each part. Then answer the questions before you read the next part.
In 1986, Steve Jobs bought a small computer company for about ten million dollars. He called it Pixar.
For many years, Pixar lost money. But Jobs believed in it and kept paying.
In 1991 Pixar signed a contract with Disney. Pixar was going to make films, and Disney was going to sell them around the world.
In 1995 they released Toy Story. It was the first film made completely with computer animation. It earned more than 350 million dollars.
The next contract was good for Disney. Disney owned the films and the characters. It could also make sequels without Pixar.
Pixar made hit after hit: Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo.
But Disney's own animated films were not doing well. Some were very expensive and made little money.
Slowly, Disney needed its small partner more than its partner needed Disney.
True or false? Click your answer.
1. Pixar made money from its very first year.
2. Toy Story was the first film made completely by computer.
3. Under the contract, Pixar owned all its characters.
Steve Jobs and Disney's boss, Michael Eisner, did not get on. They argued about money and about who had control.
In January 2004 Pixar stopped the talks about a new contract. It was going to find a new partner after its last films with Disney.
Disney had a plan too. It was going to make Toy Story 3 without Pixar. It started a new team to do it.
Many Disney shareholders were angry with Eisner. Walt Disney's nephew, Roy Disney, started a campaign against him.
In 2004, about 43 per cent of shareholders' votes went against Eisner. He left the company in 2005.
The new boss was Bob Iger. Iger later wrote about a day at the new Disney park in Hong Kong.
He watched the parade. He saw that almost all the popular new characters were from Pixar, not from Disney's own studio.
True or false? Click your answer.
1. Jobs and Eisner had a very friendly relationship.
2. Disney planned to make Toy Story 3 without Pixar.
3. Bob Iger noticed something important while he watched a parade.
In January 2006, Disney made a big deal. It bought Pixar for about 7.4 billion dollars.
Then Disney did something unusual. Pixar's leaders became the leaders of Disney's own animation studio too.
Pixar kept its name, its offices and its way of working. Disney promised to protect it. The team making Toy Story 3 without Pixar was closed.
It worked. Disney's own studio made Frozen in 2013. It earned about 1.3 billion dollars.
But the plan depended on a few people. In 2018 one Pixar leader left after complaints about his behaviour at work. The other leader retired in 2019.
In the 2020s, some Pixar films went straight to Disney's streaming service. One film did badly, and in 2024 Pixar cut jobs.
That same year, Inside Out 2 earned about 1.7 billion dollars, and Pixar planned more sequels.
So here is the question. Did Pixar change Disney? Or, slowly, did Disney change Pixar?
True or false? Click your answer.
1. After the deal, Pixar's leaders ran Disney's animation studio too.
2. Disney changed Pixar's name after it bought the company.
3. Frozen was made by Disney's own animation studio.
In this story, people make plans — and then something different happens. English uses was / were going to for a plan in the past.
A plan that changed: I was going to study last night, but my friends came round.
Form: was (I, he, she, it) or were (you, we, they) + going to + verb.
Negative: We weren't going to buy anything, but the shoes were cheap.
Question: Were you going to tell me?
Careful: after going to, use the verb with no -ing: was going to call (NOT calling).
| I / he / she / it | you / we / they | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | She was going to leave. | They were going to move. |
| Negative | He wasn't going to come. | We weren't going to stay. |
| Question | Was it going to rain? | Were you going to ask? |
Use was going to, were going to, Were, or the correct verb. Read the whole sentence first.
1. Pixar find a new partner, but then Disney bought the company.
2. We go to the beach, but it rained, so we stayed at home.
3. you going to come to the party? We waited for you!
4. They weren't going to the house, but the price was very good, so they bought it.
5. My sister be a doctor, but she became a teacher instead.
1. was going to · 2. were going to · 3. Were · 4. buy · 5. was going to
Each sentence has one mistake. Say the correct sentence out loud, then check.
1. I was going to calling you, but my phone died.
2. They was going to buy a new car.
3. She going to start a new job, but she changed her mind.
4. We were go to travel, but we stayed at home.
5. Was you going to tell me the news?
1. I was going to call you, but my phone died. (no -ing after going to)
2. They were going to buy a new car. (they = were)
3. She was going to start a new job, but she changed her mind. (don't forget was)
4. We were going to travel, but we stayed at home. (not were go to)
5. Were you going to tell me the news? (you = were)
Take your time. Short sentences are fine.
Tell me the story of Disney and Pixar in your own words. Six or seven sentences is enough.
Tell me about three things you were going to do — this week, this year, or in your life — that you didn't do.
What happened instead?
Think of a time you worked with someone who was better than you at something.
Did you learn from them, or did you compete?
Do you prefer shopping at big companies or small ones? Why?
What do small companies do better?