Box Office: Pixar’s ‘Elio’ Hits Historic Low, ’28 Years Later’ Solid Debut

The North American box office saw Universal’s live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” successfully defend its No. 1 spot over the weekend, as two highly anticipated newcomers entered the fray: Disney and Pixar’s animated feature “Elio” and Sony’s horror sequel “28 Years Later.” While the zombie thriller delivered a respectable and franchise-best opening, “Elio” landed with a historically poor performance for the acclaimed animation studio.

Pixar’s “Elio” Struggles with Record-Low Opening

“Elio” debuted in third place with a disappointing $21 million from 3,750 theaters. This figure falls notably short of industry projections, which had estimated an opening weekend between $25 million and $30 million. More significantly, this ranks as the worst opening weekend in modern history for a Pixar film. The previous low-water mark was 2023’s “Elemental,” which opened domestically to $29.6 million.

The global picture for “Elio” was equally grim, adding just $14 million from international markets for a catastrophic worldwide total of $35 million against a significant $150 million production budget. Box office analyst David A. Gross commented that while these numbers might be considered “solid” for another original animated film, they are “well below average” when measured against Pixar’s historically remarkable standards.

Understanding Pixar’s Challenges

The bleak start for “Elio” underscores the challenges Pixar has faced in launching new theatrical properties, despite the colossal success of “Inside Out 2” ($1.69 billion globally) last year. Experts suggest that the studio’s strategy of releasing films like “Turning Red” and “Luca” directly onto Disney+ during the peak of the pandemic may have inadvertently trained family audiences to expect new animated movies at home. Furthermore, recent successful family films like “Lilo & Stitch” and “How to Train Your Dragon” have heavily relied on established brand recognition, a factor original films like “Elio” lack.

Despite the weak box office debut, “Elio” was awarded an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls and holds an 85% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, sparking hope it might follow the trajectory of “Elemental,” which ultimately achieved a respectable $496 million worldwide gross through strong word-of-mouth after a soft opening.

From a creative standpoint, directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian crafted “Elio” with themes of loneliness and connection at its heart. They drew inspiration from classic sci-fi films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Contact,” and even consulted with child psychologists and the U.S. Surgeon General on the modern loneliness epidemic to inform the story of a lonely boy who finds belonging among aliens.

“28 Years Later” Delivers a Solid Debut

In contrast to “Elio,” Sony’s horror sequel “28 Years Later” opened solidly in second place, meeting industry expectations. The film “scared up” $30 million from 3,444 domestic venues. With an additional $30 million from overseas markets, its global debut reached $60 million against a reported $60 million production budget.

This $30 million opening marks the biggest debut weekend in the history of the zombie franchise, significantly surpassing the $10 million debut of “28 Days Later” (2002) and the $9.8 million debut of “28 Weeks Later” (2007). The film received a more mixed reception from opening weekend audiences, earning a “B” grade on CinemaScore.

Franchise Ambitions for “28 Years Later”

The strong start positions “28 Years Later” well to become the highest-grossing installment worldwide, needing only to surpass the $75 million global total of “28 Days Later.” Sony, along with original creators Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, have significant ambitions for the property, intending this film to be the start of a new trilogy centered around the contagious rage virus.

A sequel, reportedly titled “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” was filmed back-to-back with the current film and is slated for a 2026 release. A third film is in development, its future likely influenced by the theatrical success of “28 Years Later.”

The new film introduces terrifying “Alpha” zombies, described as berserker figures resulting from the rage virus’s long-term effects. Actor Chi Lewis-Parry portrays Samson, the most formidable Alpha, described as the “king” among the infected. Lewis-Parry, a former MMA fighter, has detailed the intense physicality required for the role, including gaining weight and performing gruesome scenes involving prosthetic body parts, all while developing a signature “Samson bellow” for the character.

“How to Train Your Dragon” Maintains Dominance

Unaffected by the new challengers, Universal’s “How to Train Your Dragon” remake successfully held onto the top spot for a second weekend. It added $37 million, representing a 56% decline from its strong $83 million debut. The film’s domestic total now stands at $160.4 million, contributing to a worldwide haul of $358 million.

Interestingly, both “How to Train Your Dragon” and the newcomers also debuted in South Korea this weekend. “How to Train Your Dragon” led the Korean box office for a third consecutive week, while “Elio” opened in second place with $1.4 million and “28 Years Later” opened third with $1.1 million in that market.

Elsewhere at the Box Office

Rounding out the top five, Disney’s hit “Lilo & Stitch” added $9.5 million, pushing its global total to an impressive $910 million against a $100 million budget (including $3.2 million from South Korea). Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” brought in $6.55 million, reaching $540 million worldwide, but its massive $400 million production cost means it is unlikely to become profitable during its theatrical run (despite a strong $23.4 million total in Korea). A24’s well-received comedic romantic drama “Materialists” continued its solid run, adding $5.8 million for a $24 million cumulative total.

Overall, the weekend’s total revenue faced tough comparisons to the same weekend last year, which saw the launch of the record-breaking “Inside Out 2” with $154 million. The box office surplus over 2024 has shrunk from 23% to 18%. Analysts note the recent period as facing “June gloom” headwinds, putting pressure on major upcoming releases like “Superman,” “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” “F1,” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” to revitalize the summer box office.