The possibility of Ratatouille 2 just received an update from one of the stars of the first film. The actor who voiced the 2007 animated movie’s protagonist has made it clear that no amount of studio pressure or fan demand will trigger a follow-up installment. Rather, the potential for a sequel hinges on one key factor.

Ratatouille star wants sequel to have ‘same energy’ as Aliens and Terminator 2

Pixar’s slate is filling up fast, but one classic remains untouched. Patton Oswalt says only one filmmaker holds the key. Ratatouille 2 would not be made unless original director Brad Bird returns with an undeniable story. “I don’t want it to come from us going, ‘Alright, let’s get out the legal pads and let’s break down a sequel.”’

Oswalt explained at The Daily Beast’s Obsessed podcast that Bird’s creative threshold is absolute. The filmmaker previously resisted making Incredibles 2 for years until a narrative worthy of the original finally presented itself. “So if he gets an idea, that’s the one I wanna do. I don’t wanna be the guy going, ‘Hey, what if Remy did this?’ I want it to be one of those ideas that happens that you cannot get away from.”

Additionally, Oswalt made an unusual comparison when describing what a Ratatouille 2 must achieve. “I want the sequel to be not the same type of movie, but that same energy that Terminator 2 or Aliens had, which is, there’s an expansion of the story that we actually need to tell,” Oswalt said. “This isn’t just a money grab. And yes, by the way, we love the money, and we’re gonna grab it, but we’re gonna get the money by telling an amazing story with whole new dimensions that we didn’t even know beforehand.”

This philosophy directly rejects the assembly-line approach Oswalt sees in modern franchise filmmaking. He criticized sequels born from writers’ rooms armed with legal pads rather than genuine inspiration, calling the results “inorganic.”