Disney and Pixar’s latest animated feature, “Elio,” has unfortunately landed the unwelcome distinction of having the worst opening weekend in the studio’s celebrated history. The sci-fi adventure debuted to a disappointing domestic box office of just $21 million over the weekend.
This figure falls significantly below earlier projections, which estimated an opening closer to $25 million to $30 million. When accounting for international markets, “Elio” managed only an additional $14 million, bringing its global opening total to a mere $35 million. This is a stark contrast to the film’s reported production budget of $150 million, before substantial marketing costs are even factored in.
A Record Low for Pixar
The $21 million domestic debut marks the lowest opening weekend performance for any Pixar film released theatrically, landing below previous lowest openers like “Toy Story” ($29.1 million in 1995) and “Elemental” ($29.6 million in 2023). While “Elemental” eventually found its legs and achieved a respectable global total, “Elio” starts from an even deeper hole, raising concerns about its potential box office trajectory despite receiving positive audience scores (an ‘A’ CinemaScore and high Rotten Tomatoes audience ratings).
“Elio” faced tough competition in its opening frame, coming in third place domestically. Universal’s live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” held the top spot in its second weekend, adding $37 million to its impressive run, while Sony’s new horror installment, “28 Years Later,” opened strong in second place with $30 million.
Why the Underperformance?
Industry analysts point to several factors contributing to “Elio”‘s weak debut, highlighting broader challenges for Pixar and original animated films in the current market:
Post-Pandemic Audience Behavior: The box office landscape has shifted, with audiences showing a stronger preference for established, well-known properties, especially in the family genre. Recent successful family films like the “How to Train Your Dragon” remake and Disney’s own “Lilo & Stitch” remake leverage existing brand recognition.
The Disney+ Effect: The strategy during the pandemic under former Disney CEO Bob Chapek to send several original Pixar films (“Soul,” “Luca,” “Turning Red”) directly to Disney+ may have inadvertently trained audiences to expect original Pixar content to be available for streaming relatively quickly, making them less inclined to rush to theaters for new, unfamiliar stories.
Direct Competition & Timing: Opening against strong holdovers like “How to Train Your Dragon” and competing with other family-friendly options like “Lilo & Stitch” during its fifth weekend meant “Elio” faced significant hurdles in capturing the family audience’s attention.
Costly Productions: Unlike some rival animation studios with lower budgets, Pixar maintains a high-cost production model, making underperformance significantly more impactful financially.
Pixar’s Broader Challenges
“Elio”‘s struggle underscores a recurring theme for Pixar: difficulty launching successful new theatrical properties since “Coco” in 2017. While “Inside Out 2” last summer proved the immense power of established Pixar sequels by grossing over $1.69 billion globally, original films have failed to replicate the studio’s historical dominance from the 2000s and 2010s.
This situation has drawn criticism, including from activist investor Nelson Peltz during his recent proxy fight with Disney, where he argued the company had “lost first place in animation” regarding creative output. While he didn’t secure board seats, the critique resonates as the studio navigates how to balance creating valuable new IP while relying heavily on sequels like the upcoming “Toy Story 5” (scheduled for June 2025) and others to drive consistent box office success.
Despite the poor opening numbers, “Elio” has garnered positive critical and audience reception, with an 86% critics score and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside its positive CinemaScore. The hope is that strong word-of-mouth could potentially give the film longer legs at the box office, though analysts predict a significant drop in its second weekend from such a low starting point.
Looking Ahead
While “Elio” represents a significant disappointment and potentially the first major “bomb” of the summer season relative to its cost, the overall summer box office picture has otherwise shown strength, with analysts projecting it could approach post-Covid records. The performance of upcoming major releases, including anticipated titles like “F1,” “Superman,” “Jurassic World Rebirth,” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” will be crucial in determining the season’s final success. For Pixar, the focus remains on how to successfully launch original stories in a challenging theatrical landscape, a puzzle that “Elio”‘s debut has made even more complex.
