Pixar’s 'Gatto' trailer divides fans over its new hybrid animation style

Pixar’s 'Gatto' trailer showcases painterly animation style, prompting mixed reactions ahead of 2027 release

Pixar has released a full trailer for Gatto, offering a closer look at the studio's first major departure from its traditional 3D animation style in its 40-year history.

The film's painterly visual approach has prompted mixed reactions, with viewers divided over how effectively it combines computer-generated animation with hand-painted details.

The film follows Nero, a black cat voiced by Mark Ruffalo, who becomes involved with the mog mob in Venice.

After losing eight of his nine lives, he begins reconsidering his place in the world and decides to start again with Maja, a street musician voiced by Bianca Babaşa.

Although Gatto has a distinctly different appearance from Pixar's previous films, its animation is not traditionally 2D. Instead, the studio combines 3D models and animation with hand-painted textures, shaders and drawn details.

This allows the environments and characters to retain spatial depth, dynamic lighting and camera movement while incorporating a flatter, illustrated appearance.

The approach has drawn attention in the trailer's YouTube comments, where some viewers have welcomed the fact that the finished animation resembles the film's original concept art.

Others have expressed disappointment that the style does not go further towards a fully stylised 2D aesthetic.

Some viewers have also compared its visual direction to films such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Flow and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Despite the mixed reactions, Gatto's characters and story have been noted as retaining elements associated with Pixar's storytelling approach, even as the studio experiments with a different visual identity.

Gatto is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on March 5 2027.