Elio, Disney’s original animated adventure film, is headed towards the lowest opening ever for a Pixar production after reportedly being overshadowed by How to Train Your Dragon and the latest zombie sequel 28 Years Later. According to Variety, Elio minted $9 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,750 locations. The premier animation studio is projected to have its lowest domestic debut ever with Elio, which will be way behind the $29 million for Elemental in 2023.
The film was made on a $150 million budget. It is expected to have a third-place domestic opening in the $20 million to $22 million range, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Box office updates
Released on June 13, Universal’s live-action fantasy film How to Train Your Dragon looks well placed to stay at the No. 1 spot in its second weekend, with an estimated $35.7 million in earnings.
On the other hand, 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle, topped Friday’s chart with $14 million, which included $5.8 million from Thursday previews.
The post-apocalyptic horror film was predicted to open at $35 million, with experts stating that there were high chances for it to reach $40 million as well. Having said that, the film is now eying a rock solid $30-31 million start at the domestic box office in the US.
About Elio
Co-directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, Elio narrates the journey of an 11-year-old boy whose wish to travel to outer space and interact with aliens comes true.
It features voices of Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett and Jameela Jamil among others. Recently, insiders in Disney had lowered their projections to between $20 million and $25 million for the film.
In 2023, the opening of Elemental shocked industry experts, but the film managed to emerge as a sleeper hit and earned around $500 million globally.
Pixar and its parent company Disney are hoping that Elio will have the same power during the summer season, when children are away from school. Elio has generally received positive reviews from critics and an “A” grade on CinemaScore.
FAQs
1. How much money did Elio make?
The film collected $9 million from Friday and preview screenings.
2. Why was Elio delayed to 2025?
Its production was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.
3. Is Elio a good movie?
Disney’s film has generally received positive reviews from critics.
