Pixar’s Elio Sets Disappointing Box Office Record for the Studio

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Despite receiving positive feedback, Pixar’s Elio is struggling at the cinema box office. As reported by Deadline, the animated movie is predicted to only earn around $22 million in its domestic opening weekend, which would set a new record for the poorest debut of any Pixar film that had a traditional cinematic release (three other Pixar films this decade were released exclusively on Disney+ due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The previous low for a regular three-day weekend was 2023’s Elemental, which grossed $29.6 million. The original Toy Story earned $29.1 million over its initial Friday-Sunday, but that film premiered on a Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Estimated that Elio will debut third on this weekend’s box office rankings, while the How to Train Your Dragon remake is likely to maintain its number one position, raking in around $35.7 million in its second weekend. The horror sequel 28 Years Later seems poised for second place with projected earnings of $30-31 million – a new record for the franchise and director Danny Boyle.

As a movie enthusiast looking back, I never anticipated that ‘Elio’ would make waves at the box office, following the triumphant successes of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’. Surprisingly, recent projections suggest even less than initially anticipated earnings. Initially projected to gross approximately $30 million domestically, this figure still would have placed ‘Elio’ among Pixar’s smallest openings, but it now appears that even this modest expectation may not be met, with ‘Elemental’ potentially outperforming it.

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Despite Elemental performing well post its initial release, earning a total of $496.5 million worldwide, Elio serves as an illustration of Pixar’s inconsistent performance at the box office in the post-pandemic phase. Last summer saw Inside Out 2 breaking records, making it Pixar’s highest-grossing film ever with a global take of $1.6 billion. Conversely, Lightyear underperformed, managing only $226.4 million globally.

As a dedicated fan, it’s quite disheartening to witness Elio‘s underwhelming start. The film has garnered widespread acclaim, with critics appreciating its breathtaking visuals and emotionally resonant narrative that delves deep into themes of grief and loss. It appears that Elio might have suffered due to unfortunate timing. Releasing so close behind two other prominent family films may have dampened the demand for Pixar’s latest offering. Here’s hoping that Elio can emulate the box office success of Elemental. Word-of-mouth seems to be in Elio‘s favor, which should aid it in maintaining its momentum during its second weekend. Furthermore, there isn’t anything significant targeting its primary audience until Smurfs, scheduled for mid-July. Consequently, Elio might stand its ground even amidst the onslaught of major studio blockbusters set to premiere next month.

Pixar intends to carry on creating unique movies, with “Hoppers” slated for release in March 2026 and “Gatto” scheduled for 2027. However, a glance at these dates underscores why the studio is keen on producing sequels of some profitable franchises. The upcoming “Toy Story 5” promises to be a blockbuster hit next summer, and Pixar also has “Incredibles 3” and “Coco 2” in the pipeline. All these sequels are expected to draw massive crowds at the box office, but it’s unfortunate that Pixar’s original films aren’t doing as well. Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Pixar rose to prominence within the film industry by crafting numerous original stories that enthralled audiences with their unbridled imagination. Pixar’s upcoming sequels will surely be valuable additions to those series, but it’s crucial for their original films to start gaining traction too.

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2025-06-21 21:41