Pixar's latest summer flick, Elemental, has been in theaters for over a month, so many are wondering: when will it start streaming on Disney+.
Having released on June 16 alongside DC's The Flash (a historic box office bomb), Elemental got off to a slow start, earning $29.6 million opening weekend (domestic).
This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as critics rated it the worst of any original Pixar film.
In relation to other Pixar films, that's only ahead of Toy Story, not adjusted for inflation. Elemental has accumulated some income, grossing over $315 million at the worldwide box office to date.
That's almost $100 million more than the animation studios' big 2022 summer release: Lightyear.
When Will Elemental Stream on Disney+?
Elemental will likely be a big hit on Disney's marquee streamer.
During its initial five days on Disney+, Chris Evans' Lightyear was streamed by 1.7 million households in the United States, with a total viewing time of 1.3 billion minutes, earning it the third spot among all streaming titles for the week.
The 2022 Toy Story spin-off dropped on Disney+ on August 3 of that same year, just 47 days after its June 17 release date.
However, Lightyear's Disney+ release was announced on July 19, 2022. That date has already passed this year, which may indicate that Elemental will hit streaming later.
August 9 could be a potential Disney+ release date for Elemental. It's 54 days after its theatrical release and lands on Wednesday, a popular release day for the streamer.
However, this may be an optimistic date for those waiting for Elemental to become available online.
Disney's The Little Mermaid remake has yet to announce an official Disney+ release date and the company's films like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went to the streamer over 80 days after their respective releases.
With that, fans can expect Elemental to become available on Disney+ by early September.
Pixar's Streaming Issue
The straight-to-streaming releases of Soul, Luca, and Turning Red may have irreversibly impacted every future Pixar film.
During the Bob Chapek era at Disney, streaming was pushed to the forefront while working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This changed the behaviors of family moviegoers. Why shell out around $100 to take a family of four to the latest Pixar film, when they've been hitting Disney+ for $7.99 a month?
Especially considering children are a huge part of Disney+'s target audience, curating much of their new content to that age demographic.
Pixar is one of the most successful animation studios in the history of Hollywood. Known for award-winning films that have generated $15 billion at the worldwide box office in totality. So it would be a share to see that lucrative legacy fade away.
Elemental is now playing in theaters.
