The hits just keep coming for Disney's 2025 theatrical slate. Following three live-action box office bombs, Elio's underwhelming performance makes four flops and counting for the House of Mouse.
Pixar Animation Studios' original film Elio has failed to fill seats following its June release. While the film is Disney's first animated release of the year, it follows three prior box office disappointments, including Captain America: Brave New World, Snow White, and Thunderbolts*.
Released on February 14, Captain America: Brave New World struggled to connect with audiences and was overshadowed by lukewarm reviews and production issues. Then, plagued by controversies, Snow White, Disney's latest live-action remake, failed to enchant audiences following its March 21 debut. Lastly, on May 2, despite positive reviews, Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* couldn't appeal to a broad audience due to its relatively new cast and prior MCU disappointments.
As Disney faces the reality of its fourth theatrical miss with Elio, the question is why this particular film also failed to draw families and fans.
Is There Something Wrong With Disney's Pixar?
Amid Disney's ongoing reliance on franchises and sequels, Elio was positioned as an original concept from a gold standard animation studio and one that meddled in the genres of sci-fi and even horror (find out why Pixar opted for horror here!)
Still, there were warning signs ahead of Elio's debut, as well as reasons for why it just couldn't perform. For instance, one of the most obvious and talked-about issues was Disney's marketing which was seemingly limited, vague, and failed to convey Elio's stakes or even appeal.
Part of that, however, may be due to Elio's premise. While Pixar's storytelling is always more about than just the plot, an alien abduction movie on the surface is nothing unique, nor is it relatable, and it's difficult for audiences to connect with bizarre alien creatures. Furthermore, not all Pixar fans love the studio's rather cartoonish animation style for film and which its used in past films like Luca and Turning Red.
Then, of course, there's also the Disney+ problem. While there's some truth to Disney having trained audiences to bypass theaters and wait for a movie to drop on Disney+, that blame only applies to Disney's more mediocre releases. Audiences didn't wait for Inside Out 2 or Moana 2 to drop on streaming, suggesting audiences will pay the already-high cost for tickets and popcorn if a movie is considered an event or already synonymous with quality. If anything, this consumer habit has only been fueled by Pixar's string of hits and misses in recent years.
With little hype, mixed reviews, and no assurance that it would be worth the money, audiences felt little urgency to check out Elio. The question now is whether the film can improve its ticket sales throughout its theatrical run, like Elemental, or possibly find its base once it arrives on Disney+. Meanwhile, with four high-profile flops in a row, it will be interesting to see how Disney responds and if its 2025 slate can rebound moving forward.
Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina, Elio follows an 11-year-old boy who is mistaken by aliens as Earth's ambassador and transported to the Communiverse, a coalition of alien civilizations. Starring Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, and Brad Garret (whose childhood influenced his creepy character), Elio debuted in theaters on June 20.
Discover why Pixar changed Elio following the film's first trailer here!
