Disney/Pixar The Pixar Theory, devised by author Jon Negroni, posits thatall Pixar movies take place within the same universe. Frankly, it's hard to argue when you look at the exponentially growing list of Easter eggs hidden throughout the studio's movies that certainly suggest they all inhabit a shared world. The clever minds at Pixar have been dropping in references to their previous films since their first feature, 1995'sToy Story, which included the famous yellow Luxo ball that was previously seen in their 1986 short film,Luxo Jr. Since then, eagle-eyed viewers have been on the lookout for other Easter eggs, from a toy clownfish teasingFinding Nemo(2003) inMonsters, Inc.(2001) to Lightyear-branded tires inCars(2006). Ahead, we look at some of Pixar's most creative Easter eggs over the years; we'd be pretty surprised if you picked up on all of them. The Pizza Planet delivery truck made its debut inToy Storywhen Woody and Buzz hitch a ride in the back seat. Since then, the truck has been parked behind a trailer inMonsters, Inc.; driven through Sydney inFinding Nemo; toured Paris inRatatouille(2007); survived a scan inWALL-E(2008); watched Carl Fredericksen take flight inUp(2009); cheered on Lightning McQueen inCars 2(2011); been memorialized in Scottish carvings inBrave(2012); and then some. To date, the Pizza Planet truck has made appearances in every Pixar film butThe Incredibles(2004). Pixar's first short film,Luxo Jr., tells the story of the bouncing lamp that would become the "I" in the company's logo — but the lamp's favorite toy has found its own kind of fame. The yellow ball, with its signature blue stripe and red star, can be spotted among other toys in movies likeMonsters, Inc.,Finding Nemo,The Incredibles,Up,Inside Out, and theToy Storyfranchise. The Radiator Springs Drive-In Theatre inCarsis always showing classics likeToy Car StoryorThe Incredimobiles— which may be what inspires vehicles from Radiator Springs to make appearances in other Pixar movies. Luigi drives by the dentist's office inFinding Nemo, Doc Hudson pays witness toThe Incredibles' final battle, and Snotrod and Finn McMissile adorn Andy's wall inToy Story 3(2010). In honor of a graphic design and character animation classroom at California Institute of the Arts, where Pixar filmmakers and animators likeBrad BirdandJohn Lassetergot their start, "A113" is worked into every Pixar movie. Sightings include license plates like Andy's mom's in theToy Storyfranchise, a diver's camera inFinding Nemo, Mr. Incredible's holding cell,WALL-E's evacuation code, the carving "ACXIII" inBrave, a scare classroom inMonsters University(2013), and as a catalog number for one of Miguel's vinyl records inCoco(2017). If eagle-eyed viewers look closely during the opening scene ofToy Story 2(1999), they might catch a cluster of stars in the shape of the Luxo lamp. (It's at the very top of the image above, just right of center.) Make a wish. Those familiar with Pixar's shorts will recognize the man who patches up Woody's arm as Geri, the subject of the Oscar-winning 1997 shortGeri's Game. Technically, the character is credited inToy Story 2as "the Cleaner," but his chess pieces are unmistakably Geri's. Mrs. Potato Head reads a picture book featuring the characters ofA Bug's Life(1998), Pixar's second film. Spot Dot getting "really angry" about something in the corner. During the toy's attempt to rescue Woody from Al's Toy Barn, Buzz runs by an aisle ofA Bug's Lifefigurines, including Flik, Heimlich, and Dim. When Sulley takes Boo back to her bedroom, she thanks him with a Luxo ball, Jessie fromToy Story 2, and a stuffed clownfish — a hint at the upcomingFinding Nemo. AFinding Nemotease also works its way into the décor at Harryhausen's restaurant (named for stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen). Marlin can be spotted on the wallpaper. As Nemo frantically looks around the waiting room after he arrives in the fish tank, he spies Buzz Lightyear in front of the toy chest in the corner. When Nigel wreaks havoc in the dentist's room, a young boy with a Mr. Incredible comic (a preview of the upcomingThe Incredibles) nervously witnesses the commotion from the waiting room. Boo's mobile hangs above the dentist's chair, and one of her drawings can be seen on a cabinet when Nigel flies in to rescue Nemo. Lightning McQueen gets his speed from Lightyear Tires, a shout out to Buzz Lightyear. One car making a pit stop in the race is using Sector 4 Gamma Quad tires, a reference to the location where Buzz Lightyear is stationed as a space ranger. Up's Dug is a world traveler even before he boards Carl's flying house; Remy sees the dog's shadow in Paris. Like the Clark Kent of the kitchen, Linguini sports the Incredibles' logo on his underwear. Remy's scooter is left in the rubble that WALL-E scans. WALL-E's collection includes Rex fromToy Storyand Carl's tennis ball walker fromUp, what would be the next release on Pixar's schedule. The little girl who watches Carl's house take off has (along with a Luxo ball) a stuffed Lotso, villain of the then-upcomingToy Story 3. Andy has a postcard fromUp's Carl and Ellie Fredricksen on his wall. A kid at Sunnyside Daycare wears a shirt with Lightning McQueen's number (95, itself a reference to the year ofToy Story's release) and logo. A toy version of Nemo's teacher, Mr. Ray, can be seen on a shelf at the daycare. We wonder where his class has gone... Sid Phillips, the neighbor who terrorized Andy's toys inToy Story, makes a cameo in the film series' third installment as a garbage man — still wearing the same skull shirt and still voiced by Erik von Detten. Buzz runs on batteries from Buy 'N Large, a major corporation in WALL-E's time. Gusteau's, the restaurant fromRatatouille, is reimagined in theCarsworld as Gastow's. A tavern features a painting ofBrave's Merida, along with the rest of her family, in car form. At the time, the film was the next Pixar feature to be released. A Celtic rendition ofMonsters, Inc.'s Sulley is carved into a block of wood in the witch's home inBrave. A toy version of Arlo, the dinosaur from Pixar's then-upcomingThe Good Dinosaur, can be seen on the floor of a scare simulator at Monsters U. (As a bonus, the roadside dinosaur that Riley remembers stopping to see inInside Outalso bears Arlo's likeness.) Disney/Pixar The squawking birds from the Oscar-winning shortFor the Birds(2000) have shown up in two Pixar features, in very similar, blink-and-you'll-miss-it contexts. The first is inCars, where the birds are lined up in a row on a power line that Lightning McQueen drives by. They appeared on another power line inInside Outwhen Riley and her family are driving to San Francisco. Disney/Pixar Granted, she's a bit hard to spot, but Riley fromInside Outhas a cameo appearance as one of the kids at the Marine Life Institute — presumably on a class trip — inFinding Dory. Pixar fittingly paid tribute to their various films in and around the antiques store featured inToy Story 4. Among them are a mural for P.J.'s Pop (previously seen inA Bug's Life), Bing Bong's wagon (fromInside Out), an Ernesto de la Cruz record (fromCoco), and, of course, the iconic Luxo ball. Disney/Pixar We may not have been obsessed withTurning Red's dreamy boy band, 4*TOWN, until the film's release in 2022, but we got a sneak peek in 2021'sLuca, where a vinyl record from the band is seen among Giulia's collection. Appropriately, the band is called "4*VILLAGI" in Italy. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
