Pixar's Elio records lowest opening weekend in history
- Pixar's film Elio grossed $21 million domestically during its opening weekend, setting a record for the lowest opening for a modern Pixar film.
- Originally expected to earn between $25 and $30 million, Elio also brought in $14 million internationally for a total of $35 million worldwide.
- Despite positive reviews, Elio's performance raises concerns about Pixar's ability to produce hits following the pandemic, especially against a backdrop of successful franchises.
In the United States, Pixar's latest film Elio opened to a disappointing $21 million during its first weekend, marking the lowest domestic box office opening for a Pixar film in modern history. This contrasts sharply with industry expectations, which had forecasted an opening between $25 million and $30 million. In addition, the film's international earnings added only $14 million, summing up a total worldwide gross of $35 million. With only one original animation release planned for 2025, Elio's underwhelming performance raises questions about the future of Pixar amid strong competition from franchises and remakes. Despite a solid 'A' rating on CinemaScore and an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, positive reviews did not translate into box office success for Elio. The opening weekend saw it rank third, behind How to Train Your Dragon and the launch of the film 28 Years Later. A noteworthy decline in audience turnout may have stemmed from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led families to expect original Pixar films to be available on streaming platforms sooner rather than later. Also, Disney's marketing strategy reportedly failed to effectively highlight the film's compelling emotional narrative, which contributed to its poor initial reception. Historically, the previous record for weakest box office opening for a Pixar film was held by Elemental, released in 2023, which opened with $29.6 million. Having encountered similar marketing hurdles, Elemental saw unexpected resurgence in audience interest, ultimately achieving total earnings of $155 million domestically and $496 million internationally. Given these circumstances, there is cautious optimism that Elio may experience a similar turnaround; however, the disparity between box office expectations and reality raises alarms. The current film landscape reveals a significant trend: children's films are seeing a resurgence post-COVID, yet it is primarily established franchises, sequels, and live-action remakes that are leading the charge—rather than original Pixar animations. In the coming years, while Pixar has two original films lined up—Hoppers set for release next year and Gatto scheduled for 2027—these releases are surrounded by sequels from blockbuster franchises including Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, and Coco 2. As such, the immediate future of Pixar remains uncertain, with many industry observers speculating whether Elio's opening is a harbinger of a persistent trend affecting Pixar's output.