You Won’t Believe Why Pixar’s First Live-Action Movie Was Axed at the Last Minute

Pixar once tried to make a live-action epic about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Yes, Pixar. And now the screenwriter they brought in, Michael Hirst (the Vikings guy), has explained why the whole thing stalled out. Short version: the movie leaned into real people doing real work, and the studio wanted capes and hero shots.

What 1906 was supposed to be

The project, simply titled 1906, was based on James Dalessandro's novel and lined up with Brad Bird to direct. It would have been Pixar's first ever live-action feature, set against the quake and fires that ripped through San Francisco. Big canvas, big stakes, and, on paper, a very un-Pixar move.

Where it went sideways

Hirst says in a recent MovieWeb interview that his script focused on the people who actually kept the city from completely burning down: regular residents who left their homes, found water where they could, and even knocked down buildings to create firebreaks. Not the cavalry. Not the authorities. Just neighbors doing the dangerous stuff, some of them dying in the process, and stopping the fire from eating the rest of the city.

He thought that angle would land. The studio did not.

'No, no, no, we want heroes. Michael, it is heroes who saved the city.'

According to Hirst, that was the note. He pushed back with, 'But you are an American, you are supposed to like ordinary people,' and when it was clear they were not budging, he walked.

The inside baseball of it all

This is one of those very Hollywood divides. Hirst wrote a disaster drama about community action; the studio wanted a traditional hero narrative. Also, the idea that Pixar's first foray into live action would be a historical catastrophe movie is, frankly, a fascinating swing. It just never connected with the powers that be.

Where things stand now

• Pixar developed 1906 as a live-action feature with Brad Bird attached, adapting James Dalessandro's novel.
• Michael Hirst was hired to write the script, centering the story on ordinary citizens saving San Francisco after the earthquake.
• Studio feedback pushed for a hero-led version; Hirst left the project over that creative clash.
• Since then, Pixar has not offered any positive update on 1906, and the film remains shelved.