22.06.2025 17:49

Disney-Pixar's latest animated film, "Elio," has had a disastrous opening weekend, setting a new record low for the studio. Featuring the voices of renowned actors like Zoe Saldaña, Brad Garrett, and Yonas Kibreab, the sci-fi adventure debuted in North American theaters on Friday to lackluster results.

Despite positive critical reception, boasting an 86% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on initial reviews, and an even higher 91% score from RT users, the film failed to translate this acclaim into significant box office revenue. The positive critical buzz and enthusiastic audience response proved insufficient to drive ticket sales.

According to Deadline, the film's opening weekend gross is projected at a disappointing $21 million from 3,750 theaters. This underwhelming performance places "Elio" in third place, behind "How to Train Your Dragon" ($37 million) and "28 Years Later" ($30 million). This result is particularly concerning, given the substantial $150 million production budget, excluding marketing and distribution costs.

This opening weekend significantly underperforms previous Disney-Pixar releases. For example, "Elemental," released earlier this year, garnered $29.6 million, and even the studio's debut film, "Toy Story," managed $29.1 million in its opening weekend back in 1995. The considerable financial gap between "Elio's" performance and its predecessors highlights the film's disappointing box office showing. The reasons for this underperformance remain to be seen, though several factors could have contributed to this result, such as audience preference and market saturation.