‘Elio’ Had the Worst Opening EVER For a Pixar Film But Its Too Early to Panic

Heading into the weekend, it was clear that Pixar’s Elio would not have the massive opening frame that Disney has grown accustomed to.

Now that the dust has settled, however, it has become evident that the latest Pixar film fell short of even its most muted expectations.

According to Deadline, Elio will end its first weekend grossing just $22 million in domestic theaters. That number gives the film the lowest opening ever for a Pixar movie. The previous low-water mark was Elemental‘s $29.6 million debut in 2023.

Photo: Disney/Pixar

The question now is, where does the film go from here?

The Good News For ‘Elio’

The good news for Pixar is that despite Elio’s paltry box office numbers, the film is earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Currently, Elio holds an “A” rating on CinemaScore and an 84% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The hope, then, is that the film will follow a similar trajectory to Elemental, which overcame a slow start at the box office to gross $496.4 million.

Photo: Disney

Also working in Elio’s favor is the lack of real competition in terms of family films until Smurfs hits theaters on July 18. 

What Should Pixar Do?

So, while Pixar’s latest original film certainly has its work cut out for it, there is no need to panic.

Photo: Disney

If anything, the studio should learn from Elemental, continue to promote Elio, and hope that strong word of mouth propels the film to an extended box office run.

Photo: Disney

As always, be sure to check back with MickeyBlog. We will continue to update you on Elio’s box office run.

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