Pixar, the animation powerhouse synonymous with blockbusters like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, has hit a challenging mark with its latest original film, Elio. The animated adventure recorded the studio’s worst box office opening weekend performance on record, debuting with an estimated $21 million in North America and an additional $14 million internationally. This totals a disappointing global start of just $35 million against a reported production budget of $150 million, making profitability appear highly unlikely without a significant turnaround.
The per-screen average for Elio was a modest $5,600 across 3,750 theaters, reflecting a lack of widespread audience draw for its debut.
For context, this opening falls notably short of recent original Pixar efforts like Elemental (2023), which opened with $29.6 million, and even trails behind the studio’s very first feature, Toy Story (1995), which bowed to $29.1 million decades ago. The high-water mark for original Pixar openings remains Coco‘s $49 million domestic debut in 2017, a film that went on to global success with over $814 million. Pixar’s all-time best opening belongs to the franchise sequel Incredibles 2 (2018) with $182.6 million domestically.
Competing in a Crowded Weekend
Elio, a story about an imaginative boy mistakenly beamed up to space to represent Earth in a universe of aliens, faced stiff competition during its opening weekend. Holding the top spot for a second week was Universal’s live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, which pulled in an estimated $37 million. Landing in second place was Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller sequel, 28 Years Later, which debuted strongly for a horror film with $30 million domestically, marking director Boyle’s biggest opening weekend. Disney’s own live-action Lilo & Stitch remake also remained in the top 10, adding to the crowded family film market.
The Industry Trend
Elio‘s weak performance is symptomatic of a broader industry-wide trend where original concepts, particularly in animation, struggle financially against established franchises and remakes. While Pixar has found immense success with its own sequels – highlighted by the massive $1.7 billion global haul of Inside Out 2 in 2024 – original ideas have proven a harder sell in the current climate, even for a studio with Pixar’s pedigree. The studio reportedly anticipated modest results for Elio heading into the weekend, bracing for the uphill battle.
Positive Reception Despite Box Office Woes
Curiously, despite the low turnout, Elio garnered strong positive reactions from the audiences who did see it. Exit polling revealed an impressive A CinemaScore overall, including a coveted A+ from kids and the under-25 demographic. PostTrak scores were also glowing, showing 4.5 stars from the general audience and kids under 12, alongside a solid 59% “definite recommend.”
Critical reviews were generally positive, contributing to an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though some critics found the film slightly underwhelming or formulaic in parts. For instance, The Guardian noted the film’s “charm, likability and that potent ingredient: childhood loneliness and vulnerability” while also describing portions set in space as “[occasionally] a little formulaic.” The Daily Mail reported an even higher 91% audience score on RT among those who rated it.
Why the Slow Start?
Multiple factors appear to have contributed to Elio‘s lukewarm reception at the box office. Pre-release tracking suggested its opening would be comparable to Elemental, indicating moderate interest from the outset. Some analysis points to the marketing concept as a potential issue, suggesting the simple premise of “A boy with a patch and goofy aliens” failed to generate widespread excitement compared to classic Pixar hits. The film also faced challenges during its production, reportedly including director changes and alterations to characters from earlier announcements. The title “Elio” itself was criticized by some for being too similar to “Luca,” potentially causing confusion. Pre-release social media metrics were notably below genre norms, impacted perhaps by lingering sentiment from past Disney/Pixar disappointments and the film’s nearly year-long delay. Despite Disney reportedly outspending Sony on US TV ads for Elio, it didn’t translate to initial ticket sales. The film’s audience skewed younger, with 39% under 12, but this didn’t overcome the overall low attendance.
Hope for an Elemental-Like Recovery?
Following the opening weekend, Disney expressed confidence that Elio could potentially follow the trajectory of Elemental. That film, despite having Pixar’s previously lowest opening, became a sleeper hit, ultimately recovering to earn nearly $500 million globally through strong word-of-mouth and a long theatrical run. The excellent audience exit scores for Elio provide a glimmer of hope that it might similarly benefit from positive word-of-mouth and achieve a healthy multiplier in the coming weeks, though the highly competitive summer market presents a significant challenge.
Beyond the Box Office Numbers
While the box office performance is a clear disappointment for the studio, some critical perspectives suggest that the film itself has merit beyond its commercial outcome. Reviews highlight the film’s emotional core, exploring themes of communication breakdown, belonging, and the struggles faced by both Elio and his aunt. It’s been noted as a “love note” to the sci-fi genre with clever references and even incorporates audio clips from Carl Sagan to underscore its themes of feeling alone yet universally connected. Despite being potentially intense for the youngest viewers, some older audiences and critics have found its emotional beats resonant and the film itself entertaining, suggesting it could potentially find life beyond its theatrical run as a cult classic.
