Fans noticed something familiar in the recently launched previews for Disney Pixar‘s newest project Elemental came out — uncanny similarities to a video game that already exists.
The revelation was made by the web browser gaming site Coolmath Games, which took to Twitter to share that the new Pixar film looks “familiar, yet strange.”
It’s later revealed that Coomath games predicted the film back in 2021 when they tweeted “WaterBoy & Firegirl AU,” based on its web browser game Fireboy & Watergirl: Elements that you can play on their website.
For those who are out of the loop, Fireboy & Watergirl: Elements is a web browser game released in 2018 and is the fifth game in the series. The game is a co-op where you play as Fireboy and Watergirl to solve puzzles to get through the level. After Coolmath Games pointed out the resemblance the film and the game share, fans of Fireboy & Watergirl: Elements returned to the old 2021 tweet, praising the video game website for “predicting the future.”
— varya 🦢 JADE DAY (@chengsqian) May 17, 2022
— Tolu Popoola🇺🇸🇳🇬 (@ToluPopoola5) May 16, 2022
But not all comments were positive as many were quick to criticize that Elementals is a “cheap copy” of Fireboy & Watergirl: Elements as well as other franchises with similar theming such as Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
this is a tragedy. pic.twitter.com/wpCOCMDMz8
— had (to do it to em) (@michaelcera2019) May 16, 2022
You’re right, I think you’re onto something. pic.twitter.com/YdCa9M2dhj
— AKiTA!「アキタ!」 (@AKiTASUSHiii) May 16, 2022
— Gruñón (@hombr3invisible) May 16, 2022
So far, Disney has kept mum about the similarities its upcoming film shares with existing games and franchises.
Pixar recently announced its 27th feature film titled Elementals, which will follow a “fiery young woman” who’s close to “a go-with-the-flow guy,” in a world where the four elements (water, fire, land, and air) live side by side with each other.
The film is set to release in theaters on June 2023.