Pixar’s new animated movie, Elio, has crossed a major milestone after a disappointing opening weekend. The new Pixar flick revolves around Elio Solis, an 11-year-old boy with a vivid imagination who accidentally becomes an intergalactic ambᴀssador. Having only made $35 million worldwide on the opening weekend, the movie broke a record as the lowest the studio had in three decades.
According to The Numbers, Elio has made $43 million at the worldwide box office, despite having a historically slow opening weekend. The number consists of $29 million from domestic earnings and $14 million from international sales. Currently, the original animated film is the 25th highest-grossing domestic movie released this year.
What This Means For Elio’s Box Office
Elio Is Far From Breaking Even
Elio reportedly had a budget of around $150 million, with some reports claiming that the film might have taken more than $300 million to make. While the film has crossed the $40 million box office milestone, it still has a long way to go to break even.
Several factors, including long delays, a confusing marketing approach, and the rise of streaming platforms, could all contribute to Elio‘s box office disappointment.
On the other hand, the movie’s lukewarm box office doesn’t necessarily mean the new Pixar original animated film is doomed. Elemental had a similarly challenging situation during the opening weekend, right behind Elio as the studio’s second-worst, but the movie ended up grossing almost half a billion by the time it wrapped its theatrical run.
Our Take On Elio’s Box Office
Elio Still Has A Chance To Succeed At The Box Office
Elio had a rocky start, but it has a chance to repeat Elemental‘s rare box office phenomenon. The movie, which is currently sitting at an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and 91% from audiences, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. More moviegoers will likely flood into the theaters to watch the movie when the words start to spread.
Animated movies, known for their labor intensity, can be very expensive to make, and have been struggling at the box office in the post-pandemic era.
As a Pixar feature, the new animated sci-fi film will eventually arrive on Disney+, which means parents who have the subscription might prefer to watch it from the comfort of home with their kids instead of making a trip to the theaters. This could negatively impact the movie’s box office performance.
Animated movies, known for their labor intensity, can be very expensive to make, and have been struggling at the box office in the post-pandemic era. Elio‘s box office could lead to less IP for original animated films from the studio if it follows the current growth pattern.
Source: The Numbers
