Movies

Pixar had its worst opening weekend ever with ‘Elio.’ What happened?

BBG News

As a dedicated cinephile, I must confess that the intergalactic kinship shown towards Elio in the latest Pixar release didn’t seem to resonate with earthbound viewers as much as we had hoped. Regrettably, this has led to the film recording the lowest opening weekend earnings for any Pixar production to date. This underscores the ongoing struggles faced by original animated films when it comes to capturing and maintaining audience interest.

In the U.S. and Canada, “Elio” earned approximately $21 million at the box office through Sunday, as per studio reports. This figure is less than the opening weekend earnings of Pixar’s latest film, “Elemental,” which made $29.6 million in its debut, setting a new low for Pixar’s domestic openings. For comparison, “Toy Story” (1995), also unadjusted for inflation, had an opening weekend total of $29.1 million. However, it was released before Thanksgiving and eventually reached $39 million over the five-day period following that holiday.

In third place at the box office was a family-oriented movie focusing on a young boy who’s fond of aliens, yearning for a group that appreciates him. This film was surpassed by Universal Pictures’ live-action reboot “How to Train Your Dragon,” which continued its dominance in cinemas, and Sony Pictures’ horror series reboot “28 Years Later,” directed by Danny Boyle.

Hollywood Inc.

Over the years, Pixar has earned a reputation for creating unique animated films like ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ and ‘Up.’ Lately, however, it’s the sequels that generate most of their revenue.

Despite receiving positive critiques with an 84% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “Elio” struggled initially at the box office. This suggests that original animated movies have been finding it challenging to draw audiences following the pandemic, according to industry experts. Furthermore, its release coincided with “How to Train Your Dragon” and the ongoing popularity of Disney’s live-action remake “Lilo & Stitch,” which may have negatively impacted its performance.

Eric Handler, a media and entertainment expert from Roth Capital, commented that the movie seemed excellent but unfortunately got overlooked amidst the crowd. For families, he explained, there are only so many weekends during the summer to watch movies, and regrettably, ‘Elio’ didn’t make the cut due to being pushed aside.

It’s possible that marketing had an impact as well, considering that some viewers might not have been familiar with the title, which can be challenging for an original film featuring new characters. After all, Sonic the Hedgehog was already a well-known character to many people even before he starred in his own movie, making it easier for audiences to connect with him. A fresh storyline can sometimes be harder to market successfully given the abundance of entertainment choices available today.

Disney expressed enthusiasm in a statement, noting that they were encouraged by both audience reactions and critical feedback for the film, with hopes that “Elio” would capture the attention of families and cinema-goers during the summer months, much like how “Elemental” did. Although “Elemental” had a slow start, it eventually raked in a staggering $496 million globally, largely due to positive word-of-mouth reviews.

The company announced that it intends to keep developing unique, self-produced animated content, rather than relying solely on sequels or established brands. In the coming year, Pixar will debut an original film titled “Hoppers,” which explores technology enabling humans and animals to communicate. Another original film, “Gatto,” is slated for release in 2027. Additionally, they plan to premiere “Toy Story 5” next year as well.

Animated sequels or films based on established properties have consistently been successful at the box office compared to original movies. Films such as Pixar’s “Inside Out 2”, Disney’s “Moana 2”, Universal’s “Super Mario Bros. Movie”, and the upcoming “Despicable Me 4” from Universal and Illumination Entertainment have each earned over a billion dollars in global box office receipts, with “Despicable Me 4” bringing in $969 million alone.

Contrarily, the Universal-produced 2023 animated film “Migration” garnered an impressive global revenue of $300 million. Interestingly, even DreamWorks Animation’s highly praised movie “The Wild Robot,” adapted from a 2016 children’s book, managed to generate $333 million in earnings.

Experts within the field and analytical minds argue that concentrating only on sequels and remakes might lead to the animation industry becoming monotonous, and they emphasize the importance of introducing new tales for the overall vitality of the business.

In simpler terms, Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, commented that it’s commendable when studios like Pixar and Disney attempt to produce exceptional original films, especially given the current criticism of the lack of originality. He added that this film is likely to be successful on Disney+. However, he acknowledged that the opening weekend for a Pixar movie was unusually poor.

For many years, Pixar’s original animated movies were virtually perfect, but there were rare exceptions like “The Good Dinosaur” from 2015.

However, the response at movie theaters for its new, in-house productions has been relatively quiet, primarily due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Pixar released three of its initial films – “Soul” from 2020, “Luca” in 2021, and “Turning Red” in 2022 – directly onto Disney+ to provide families with entertainment during the lockdown periods. However, as the pandemic subsided, it took a while for families to go back to cinemas. This was because they had grown accustomed to the convenience of watching animated films at home and were cautious about potential health risks associated with enclosed spaces.

The estimated budget for “Elio” was roughly between $150 million and $200 million, making it a potential challenge in terms of opening weekend earnings for Pixar. This figure does not account for the substantial costs associated with a worldwide marketing strategy. Additionally, studios usually share box office revenue with cinemas.

Disney stated that the costs for creating animated films, particularly those produced by Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, are generally more expensive due to the fact that the majority of the production process takes place in the United States instead of sending it offshore for lower labor costs.

Although “Elio” didn’t have a strong opening weekend, there’s still hope for its future, as it might not require blockbuster-like box office performance to thrive. Since it already had a theatrical release, this gives it an advantage when it eventually debuts on Disney+ streaming platform because of the extra marketing it receives, according to Dergarabedian. Furthermore, “Elio” could potentially be featured in Disney merchandise and theme park events, which could increase its popularity.

In my humble opinion, as a cinema aficionado, Disney’s expansive reach and diverse portfolio make it an ideal home for the upcoming film ‘Elio’. I firmly believe that this movie, with its captivating narrative, will be warmly embraced by audiences, seamlessly integrating into the rich tapestry of Disney’s cinematic universe.

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2025-06-24 01:01

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