Pixar’s Elio: Concerns Rise After Story Issues
- Pixar is recalibrating its approach to filmmaking, placing renewed emphasis on established franchises alongside original stories.
- Elio, a summer tentpole about an orphaned boy who wishes to be abducted by aliens, debuted with a concerning $20.8 million domestically and $14 million overseas during its...
- Despite the film's stellar audience exit scores and strong reviews, Disney executives acknowledge internally that Elio may struggle to reach $300 million in total gross.
Pixar is making significant adjustments,pivoting its film strategy after Elio‘s disappointing debut. The animated film’s sluggish box office performance prompts a reevaluation, as Pixar now aims to balance original stories with a return to established franchises. This strategic shift involves a renewed focus on sequels, influenced by the success of Inside Out 2. Disney executives are advocating to bolster long-term original storytelling with the help of known intellectual properties. News Directory 3 delivers the inside scoop on the studio’s plans to revitalize its approach, ensuring both creative innovation and box office returns. Discover what’s next for Pixar.
Pixar Shifts Strategy: Balancing Original Films and Sequels After ‘Elio’s’ Debut
Updated June 24, 2025
Pixar is recalibrating its approach to filmmaking, placing renewed emphasis on established franchises alongside original stories. This shift follows the disappointing box office performance of its latest original film, Elio.
Elio, a summer tentpole about an orphaned boy who wishes to be abducted by aliens, debuted with a concerning $20.8 million domestically and $14 million overseas during its opening weekend of June 20-22. This marks a record low for the animation studio, a subsidiary of Disney co-founded by Steve Jobs.
Despite the film’s stellar audience exit scores and strong reviews, Disney executives acknowledge internally that Elio may struggle to reach $300 million in total gross. Publicly, they express hope for a rebound, citing the example of Pixar’s Elemental, which overcame a slow start to gross nearly $500 million globally in 2023.
Sources indicate that this course correction was already in motion. Alan Bergman,Disney movie studios chief,and other leaders have advocated for a strategic return to franchise entries to bolster original storytelling in the long run. The studio views new intellectual property as potential franchises, citing Inside Out and Coco as examples.
The June 2024 release of Inside Out 2 shattered records, grossing $154 million during its debut and ultimately becoming Pixar’s highest-grossing film ever, with more than $1.69 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Coco has also expanded into a park attraction, with a sequel in development.
Elio is the sixth original Pixar film released since 2020, following Onward, Soul, Luca, Turning Red, and Elemental. Pixar’s upcoming slate includes the original film Hoppers and Toy Story 5, both slated for 2026, followed by the original Gatto in June 2027, and the undated Incredibles 3 and Coco 2.
Of Pixar’s 30 theatrical releases, onyl nine have been sequels, with one prequel, Lightyear. This suggests that Pixar has historically been cautious about franchise building.
Walt Disney Animation Studios, known for the Frozen and Moana franchises, also balances sequels with original films, having released four original titles in recent years: Encanto, Raya and the Last Dragon, Strange World, and Wish.
Comscore chief box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian notes that a PG rating alone does not guarantee a massive opening weekend unless the film has known intellectual property or is part of a well-known franchise. He added that elio will need strong word-of-mouth to sustain its performance in the coming weeks.
“while its opening numbers may not reflect its ambition, the film is a reminder of the kind of creative swing the studio still believes in, and that the industry still needs,” said a source close to the film.
What’s next
Pixar’s shift toward a balanced mix of original films and sequels reflects a strategic effort to maintain both creative innovation and box office success. The studio aims to leverage established franchises to support the development of new and original stories for years to come.