After an unlikely box office run, Pixar's Elemental finally has an online release date.
The animation giant's latest caught many off guard, becoming one of the summer's biggest box office surprises and carrying momentum at the ticket window that Disney's recent animated films just haven't.
The element-based romantic comedy earned $129 million domestically (according to Box Office Pro), out-ranking big-budget blockbusters like The Flash.
This extended run at the theaters is a stark difference from some of Disney and Pixar's recent animated ventures that either failed completely or were released directly to Disney+.
Elemental Comes Home This August
Disney officially announced the online release date for Pixar's Elemental.
According to a Disney press release, the animated romance will arrive on digital video-on-demand storefronts on Tuesday, August 15.
A physical 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release was also announced, coming just over a month later on Tuesday, September 26.
The digital and physical releases come packed with special features and deleted scenes as well as the animated Pixar short Carl's Date, which premiered in front of Elemental in theaters.
Some of these bonus goodies include a special look at the film's primary setting Element City (Next Stop: Element City) as well as an alternate opening to the film which focuses on Leah Lewis' protagonist Ember as she helps a newly immigrated Fire family "navigate through, and acclimate to, Element City."
The movies will also come accompanied by an audio commentary for the film from director Peter Sohn, supe tech Sanjay Bakshi, supervising animator Mike Venturini, and directing animator Gwendelyn Enderoglu.
The full list of special features and deleted scenes can be seen below:
- Carl's Date (Short Film)
- Ember and Wade
- Next Stop: Element City
- Paths to Pixar: The Immigrant Experience
- Intro Ember (Deleted Scene)
- Mom Rejects Wade (Deleted Scene)
- Dante Challenge (Deleted Scene)
- Brook Dinner (Deleted Scene)
- Beach Proposal (Deleted Scene)
- Elemental Filmmaker Commentary
What's Next for Pixar's Elemental?
Seeing this news will have some wondering when exactly Elemental will come to Disney's streaming hub, Disney+.
The movie will hit PVOD storefronts 60 days after its initial theatrical release date. This could mean a Disney+ debut will come not too far after that.
Disney looks to be leaning into longer and longer windows between that initial online release and a film popping up on Disney+ with many of its big-screen ventures.
A film like The Little Mermaid has been available to purchase online for over a month yet still does not have a Disney+ release date.
A number that was recently thrown out for several Disney movies coming to streaming was somewhere between 45-90 days after their theatrical debut.
Given Elemental's long legs at the box office and surprising momentum, that more than likely means Disney will lean on the more liberal end of that 45-90-day window.
90 days after Elemental's June 16 release date would be Thursday, September 14.
Seeing as the film's Blu-ray launch is set for just under two weeks later (September 26), and Disney+'s common Wednesday content drops, the best bet right now for Elemental's Disney+ premiere would be Wednesday, September 27, just one day after its physical release.
Elemental is playing in theaters worldwide now.
