Pixar’s next movie is another original project, and while this is exciting, the studio really can’t afford another repeat of Elio‘s box office struggles. While Pixar has released some incredibly successful franchise entries in recent years, like Inside Out 2, the studio’s original films haven’t done nearly as well, putting the future of Pixar’s new IP in jeopardy.

Elio was Pixar’s 2025 attempt at launching a new franchise, and if the film was a success, the creative team already had ideas for Elio sequel projects. Unfortunately, Elio was a big box office disappointment, making only $120 million as of the writing of this article against a budget of around $200 million. This is the latest in a string of original disappointments like Elemental and Onward.

Pixar has been reᴀssessing its sequel plan, with Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter recently revealing that Pixar’s new balance of sequels and original movies will see them alternate between the two. However, Elio is being followed up by another original film, and after several box office failures, this one needs to be a success for Pixar.

Pixar Desperately Needs Hoppers To Give Them An Original Hit At The Box Office

After Elio’s Box Office Failure

Hoppers is the next movie to come out of Pixar, with it set to release on March 6, 2026. The first trailer for Hoppers has been released, revealing that the film is about a girl who transfers her mind into a robotic beaver in order to fight against environmental destruction. Hoppers looks great, but being an original project from Pixar, it is a risky theatrical release.

With Elio‘s failure, Hoppers really needs to be a box office success. If it turns a profit, it can prove that Pixar is able to release successful original films, hopefully boosting confidence in the next few projects. If it fails, however, it risks Pixar making original projects even less of a priority, which could be disastrous in the long run.

Pixar can’t rely on already-established franchises forever, as there are only so many sequels to Toy Story and The Incredibles that can be made. Pixar will eventually have to turn something original into a franchise, but that hasn’t happened since the success of 2017’s Coco.

The success of Hoppers would mean that Pixar can make sequels to it, giving the studio another leg to stand on. Thus, Hoppers being a big success would be good for audiences and the studio, meaning that it needs to do a lot better than Elio.