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The Most Popular Pixar Movies By State, Mapped

From furry monsters to forgetful fish, see which Pixar creations are most beloved across the U.S.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Can you guess which Pixar film is number one?
Can you guess which Pixar film is number one? | Google Trends

Pixar movies hold a great deal of nostalgia for many people. From Toy Story, which kicked off the animation studio’s historic run in 1995, to relatively recent releases like Coco (2017), its filmography is hard to beat. But which Pixar films are the most beloved of all? The answer varies depending on where in the country you are.

  1. Here’s Every State’s Favorite Pixar Movie

Google Trends dug into search habits across the U.S. to determine the most famous Pixar movies by state. You can see which movie your state is searching for in the map below.

Here’s Every State’s Favorite Pixar Movie

Pixar movies mapped
Monsters, Inc. is the most searched. | Google Trends

Dominating the map is Monsters, Inc. It’s the favorite in 24 states, including New Jersey, Nevada, and Tennesse. The film’s lovable characters, family-friendly humor, and unique world-building made it an instant classic upon its debut in 2001. CGI hair is commonplace today, but Sully’s fur was tough to animate back then. According to Business Insider, the burly monster’s blue-and-purple coat consisted of over one million individual strands. Animators had to create a dedicated program, Simulation, so each hair could accurately react to various forces, like wind or someone’s touch.

Finding Nemo (2003) is the second most popular movie from the animation studio by number of states. Florida, Hawaii, and eight others are searching for the fish tale. Fish don’t have the most expressive faces, so animators couldn’t rely on actual fish models to inform the facial expressions of the aquatic characters. Which animals did Pixar turn to instead? Dogs. Artists studied canine faces to bring the cartoon sea creatures to life.

Claiming the third highest number of states is The Incredibles , an action-packed movie about a superhero family of five. It’s the top Pixar movie in nine states. You may be surprised to learn that Mrs. Incredible isn’t the first Elastigirl. A DC superhero with the same name and similar powers appeared as part of the Doom Patrol decades earlier. DC Comics wasn’t too keen on the similarities, and as a result Mrs. Incredible became the character’s primary alias that’s used for merchandise and promotional material.

If you’re an animation fan, see which Disney villain is most popular in your state.

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