From Rival to Revival: The relationship between 2D and 3D animation

As a soft reboot for its 2D branch, Disney premiered the short Once Upon A Studio, marking a celebration of its centennial legacy. With the debut of follow-up work Wish, the powerhouse studio, once globally established as one of the greatest animation studios to exist, marked its big-screen comeback to 2D animation. Whilst not without its difficulties - and critics - this was a notable attempt at a return to form. Prompting the question: Will 2D finally have its day in the sun once again?

In 1937, Walt Disney animation studios became the first movie studio to release a feature-length 2D animation, establishing a legacy that would continue to evolve and find success as the studio cemented itself as one of the greats, a staple in movie history. Before this, animated shorts were the only form of animation to be seen on the big screen, preceding the main event, that being the exhibited movie of the night. Over 4 decades later, the animation studio, Pixar, would be founded. Assembled by a team of ex-Disney animators and funded by tech mogul Steve Jobs, the studio would venture into the never-before–trodden path of 3D animation. This new direction was a revelation to the animation industry, with many not giving it much thought as it was believed to never be able to live up to the much revered 2D style that had been beloved ever since Walt's magnum opus of 1937. It was then, in 1995, that Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story, and a demonstration of the new technology came to light, bringing about the question: Can 2D animation see its downfall with this new competitor on the scene?

Looking back at the early Pixar shorts and efforts, it is clear that the technology, whilst groundbreaking at its debut, has not aged incredibly well when compared to contemporary works of this style. The technology for 3D features has evolved greatly and this is blatant in recent years, with films such as Frozen II, Toy Story 4 and Encanto establishing themselves as highly praised entries to the Disney Hall of Fame due to their immaculate attention to detail and rendering, appearing more lifelike than their predecessors ever thought possible. Comparing this to the seemingly retired 2D style there appears to be an obvious advantage: what could be better than the mindblowing beauty of a complete 3D feature?

The last occurrence of Disney utlising the 2D format was in 2011, with the release of Winnie The Pooh. Ever since, this style has been notably absent from their releases, with audiences growing nostalgic and longing for a revival after years of saturation of the 3D format. With their last few 2D efforts, the company was being met with lower and lower profits; Winnie The Pooh brought in a mere $33 million globally as the accompanying CGI works were met with returns in the hundreds. There became a stigma around traditional 2D art as debates were popularised over whether one was more mature than the other - 2D with its nostalgic connotations gave audiences a more juvenile taste despite their range for deep and timeless subject matter, its 3D counterpart boasted a cool and appealing new appearance. Frankly, 2D came off to the public as harkening to your younger days and the memories of Saturday morning cartoons as 3D was the risque and edgy newcomer, reflected by the gritty atmosphere of the recent Shrek franchises, which set out to poke fun at the traditions.

With the change in times and reliance on one style over another, Disney has found that its contemporary staff have little to no knowledge of how to animate in 2D; the cause of ex-animators being resurrected from retirement to complete the animation for Mary Poppins Returns 2018. In Once Upon A Studio the studio combined both styles, completing a true celebration of the company's history. Following a recent trend of combining the two, with Puss in Boots 2022 and the Spiderverse franchise, receiving praise for this innovation, many Disney critics likewise praised this comeback. A request was prompted with this: Can 2D animation live once again at the Disney studios?

With the recent release of Wish, which adhered to this request and aimed to dip its toe into 2D on a modern Disney big screen, and discussions of the 2D style being taught to animators for a revival. It seems 2D may have its day in the sun once again and audiences may just have their inner child's wishes granted.