Pixar’s new animated film Elio has reached a domestic box office milestone, earning a total of $63 million by the end of its fourth weekend in theaters, according to ScreenRant. That’s $4 million for the three-day period from July 11-13, 2025, down 32% from the previous week. That beats the $61. 5 million domestic total of Pixar’s 2020 film Onward. So Elio is no longer the studio’s lowest grossing film of the decade. But despite that and an 82% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Elio’s box office is still a disappointment for a studio that’s used to big hits like Toy Story and Inside Out 2. This is what happens when Pixar’s original films struggle to recover from the pandemic.
Elio, directed by Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina, follows the journey of 11-year-old Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) who gets abducted by aliens and becomes an intergalactic ambassador. Despite its great concept and good reviews, the film opened to $20. 8 million over three days, Pixar’s worst domestic opening ever, behind Toy Story in 1995 which opened to $29. 1 million (not adjusted for inflation). By the fourth weekend Elio has made $63. 7 million domestic and is the 16th film of 2025 to cross $60 million domestic. But its total worldwide gross of $117 million ($63. 7 million domestic and $53. 6 million international) shows it still has a long way to go to connect with audiences.
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The film’s $150 million production budget (not including marketing) sets a high bar for break even, which is estimated to be around $375 million worldwide. To get to that number, Elio would have to almost triple its current global total, a tall order considering its current pace and the competition from biggies like Superman ($123 million domestic opening) and Jurassic World Rebirth ($529 million worldwide). Social media is all over X about Elio, with some saying it’s holding up well considering it lost 505 theaters and will do $65-75 million domestic. Others are calling it a setback for Pixar’s summer.
Elio’s performance reflects the challenges original Pixar films face. Despite Inside Out 2 (2024) doing $1.69 billion worldwide, recent originals like Lightyear ($218 million worldwide) and Onward have struggled to make money. Elemental (2023) is the exception that proves the rule, going from a $29.6 million opening to $496 million worldwide. But Elio’s 48% drop in its second week vs Elemental’s 38% drop suggests it may not have the same endurance at the box office. Pixar’s decision to release films like Soul, Luca and Turning Red straight to Disney+ during the pandemic may have conditioned audiences to expect streaming options and therefore hurt box office attendance.
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Despite its poor box office performance, Elio got good reviews and an A CinemaScore with an A+ from younger audiences. That bodes well for its streaming life on Disney+. But as Pixar’s slate gets more and more sequels like Toy Story 5 and Incredibles 3, they may need to re-think their strategy on original stories. This pivot to established franchises may be a calculated move to ensure box office success in a crowded marketplace.-
