Elio Box Office & 28 Years Later Opening Weekend Sales
- Pixar's latest animated film, "Elio," experienced a rocky start, earning only $14 million overseas and $35 million worldwide in its debut.
- Disney hopes "Elio," which cost $150 million to produce,will also benefit from positive word-of-mouth.
- Meanwhile, Universal's "How to Train Your Dragon" remake continues its prosperous run, topping international charts with $53.5 million from 81 markets, bringing its total to $385 million globally.
‘Elio’s Box Office Debut Role Disappoints as ‘Dragon’ Soars
Updated June 22, 2025
Pixar’s latest animated film, “Elio,” experienced a rocky start, earning only $14 million overseas and $35 million worldwide in its debut. This marks the lowest opening for a Pixar film, even below “Elemental,” which opened to $44.5 million globally in 2023. However, “Elemental” rebounded due to positive audience feedback, eventually grossing $496 million.
Disney hopes “Elio,” which cost $150 million to produce,will also benefit from positive word-of-mouth. The film tells the intergalactic tale of a boy mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to aliens. The animated film role faces limited competition until paramount’s “Smurfs” arrives in theaters July 18.
Meanwhile, Universal’s “How to Train Your Dragon” remake continues its prosperous run, topping international charts with $53.5 million from 81 markets, bringing its total to $385 million globally. The enthusiasm for Hiccup and Toothless bodes well for Universal,which has already announced a sequel,”How to Train Your Dragon 2,” slated for 2027.
sony’s “28 Years Later,” the zombie adventure sequel, secured second place with a $30 million debut from 59 markets. Combined with its North American opening, the film has already grossed $60 million worldwide. The United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, and South Korea are among its top markets.
“28 Years Later,” a follow-up to “28 Days Later” (2002) and “28 Weeks Later” (2007), follows survivors discovering a new mutation nearly three decades after a rage virus outbreak. costing $60 million, it is poised to become the franchise’s highest-grossing installment. Sony plans to launch a new zombie trilogy, with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland at the helm. The sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” is set for release in 2026.
Despite “Elio’s” slow start, Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” continues to thrive, grossing $910 million globally after five weekends. The live-action remake is expected to reach $1 billion soon.
What’s next
industry analysts are watching to see if ”Elio” can overcome its initial struggles and find its audience in the coming weeks, while ”How to Train Your Dragon” and “28 Years Later” are expected to continue their strong performances.