"Elio" turns in Pixar's worst-ever box office debut

Eli-oh no: Pixar experienced its worst-ever box office debut this past weekend, with sci-fi adventure film Elio earning just $21 million domestically—and $35 million globally—on a combined production and marketing budget of $250+ million.

It marks the latest disappointing release for the Disney-owned studio, which has found itself in a similar position to the “i” in its name after the leaping light animation.

The Pixar light flickers

With the notable exception of Inside Out 2—the highest-grossing animated film of all time—Pixar has struggled to maintain its dominance at the box office this decade compared to the 2000s (Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Up, etc.) and 2010s (Incredibles 2, Finding Dory, Toy Story 3 & 4, etc.).

• The company’s highest-grossing film so far this decade (outside of Inside Out 2) is Elemental, which ranks 21st all-time among Pixar films.
• Luca (2021) and Turning Red (2022) were both released straight to Disney+, while Lightyear underwhelmed at the box office in summer 2022.

Meanwhile…Other animated or animated-adjacent films are turning in strong performances. Disney's Lilo & Stitch live-action remake secured the biggest domestic opening ever on Memorial Day weekend, while Universal’s live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon has already earned ~$360 million globally across two weekends.

Mark your calendar and preorder the themed popcorn buckets: It’s about to be a Hot Hollywood Summer. Major releases this season include F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Superman.