from Hacker News

Pixar's Newest Movie, 'Elio', Is a Box-Office Dud

by Bogdanp on 6/23/25, 11:11 PM with 32 comments

  • by thcipriani on 6/24/25, 1:30 AM

    Saw it this weekend, it's a solid Pixar movie. But I only learned about it because I was looking to go see a movie and Elio was the most original movie playing at the local theater; I'd heard nothing about it.

    I have heard more about the two live-action remakes (Lilo and Stitch/How to Train Your Dragon) and the sequel (28 years later) that are currently showing.

  • by paxys on 6/24/25, 3:14 AM

    People would go watch original movies in theaters every weekend when tickets were $6 a pop. Now a night at the movies for a family can run into the hundreds of dollars. The cost of a disappointing showing is simply too high. The audience will only pay for Fast & Furious part 27 and Toy Story 16, and so that's what we are stuck with.
  • by rocketvole on 6/24/25, 12:26 AM

    If it wasn't obvious, using Box-Office numbers as a catch-all measure of film success hasn't been reasonable since we came out of Covid. Streaming counts are beginning to play a larger role. It's why so many large studios are willing to make Direct-To-Streaming Movies instead of releasing them in theaters- Sony's (well-rated) "Kpop Demon Hunters" is the most recent example to come to mind.
  • by archerx on 6/24/25, 4:32 AM

    I think it’s 3D calarts style is off putting. The original Pixar character designs are so much better and this feels like a step backwards.
  • by jessyco on 6/24/25, 12:02 AM

    I never heard of the movie, haven't seen any advertisements (YouTube, Radio, friends).
  • by snarkyturtle on 6/24/25, 12:29 AM

    Not super great of them to release an original movie so close to Lilo and Stitch, which is still in theaters and just crossed $900M world-wide. And of course, How to Train Your Dragon, as mentioned in the article.
  • by biglyburrito on 6/23/25, 11:42 PM

  • by joeblubaugh on 6/24/25, 4:24 AM

    Really too bad - this one works well for a 4 year old, which has honestly been a rare find for us.

    That said, I only found out about it by chance when looking for the release date of 28 Years Later

  • by NBJack on 6/24/25, 5:07 AM

    I admit the general aesthetic was off-putting and was a bit hard to get excited for in the previews.

    Looking at the producer's prior work, I can see why it wouldn't appeal to me: I wasn't a fan of Coco, The Good Dinosaur, or Brave either.

    It didn't help that Brad Garrett's voice just didn't seem to ..fit?.. their character, despite the rest of the cast.

  • by Spivak on 6/24/25, 12:24 AM

    I mean on Disney+ right now Elio is 3rd on the carousel behind Frozen on Ice and Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Doesn't seem like they were promoting it that hard.

    You would think a 250 million dollar investment would give them top billing right after its release.

  • by andrewmcwatters on 6/24/25, 4:42 AM

    > Pixar movies are still produced entirely in the United States, increasing labor costs. Some other studios have started to rely on overseas production.

    This is so offensive.