Elio Box Office Collection: Hit or Flop? Pixar’s Lowest-Performing Movie in Years
Elio is a 2025 American animated science fiction adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domi Shi, and Adrian Molina,[c] and written by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones, based on a story by Molina, Sharafian, Shi, and Cho. The film features the voices of Yonas Kibreb, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, Young Dylan, Matthias Schweifer, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jamila Jamil. The story follows an eleven-year-old boy named Elio Solis (voiced by Kibreb), who is mistaken for an ambassador from Earth after being taken to the Communiverse by aliens. He must team up with strange alien creatures and face a huge space problem involving the father of a powerful alien he just befriended.
Pixar’s original film, Elio, is on track to cross the $100 million mark in worldwide ticket sales. The film is also doing well at the domestic box office. The animation has been loved by many, but it may not be a major blockbuster. Read on.
The film received strong reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with 91% of viewers approving it. Critics gave it a strong 83% rating and said, “Driven by a message of self-confidence, Pixar’s new space tale magically brings a fresh and creative world to life.” Viewers say it follows Pixar’s signature storytelling style. It’s a wonderfully whimsical and heartwarming space adventure that’s sure to be a favorite for both kids and adults.
About Elio Movie
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina |
| Screenplay by | Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones |
| Story by | Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Julia Cho |
| Produced by | Mary Alice Drumm |
| Starring | Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil |
| Cinematography | Derek Williams, Jordan Rempel |
| Edited by | Anna Wolitzky, Steve Bloom |
| Music by | Rob Simonsen |
| Production company | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Release dates | June 10, 2025 (El Capitan Theatre), June 20, 2025 (United States) |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Voice Cast in Elio Film
| Actor | Character(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Yonas Kibreab | Elio Solís / Other Elio | Elio is an 11-year-old boy with an injured left eye, mistakenly seen by aliens as Earth’s ambassador. Other Elio is his clone. Kibreab recorded both roles simultaneously. |
| Zoe Saldaña | Olga Solís | Elio’s aunt and an Air Force major. Originally written as his mother (to be voiced by America Ferrera), but changed to deepen Elio’s motivation. Ferrera exited due to scheduling issues. |
| Remy Edgerly | Glordon / Other Glordon | A worm-like alien Elio befriends. Inspired by larval insects and microbiotic life like tardigrades. Animation supervisor described him as mysterious, creepy, and toothy. |
| Brandon Moon | Helix | An alien ambassador. |
| Brad Garrett | Lord Grigon | A bulky, armored alien warlord and ambassador; father of Glordon. |
| Jameela Jamil | Questa | A radiodont-like alien ambassador. |
| Dylan Gilmer | Bryce | A boy who shares Elio’s fascination with aliens. |
| Jake Getman | Caleb | Bryce’s friend who later bullies Elio. |
| Matthias Schweighöfer | Tegmen | An alien ambassador. Schweighöfer will also voice Tegmen in the German dub. |
| Ana de la Reguera | Turais | Alien ambassador. |
| Atsuko Okatsuka | Naos | Alien ambassador. |
| Shirley Henderson | Ooooo | A blue, gelatinous supercomputer. Described as a “Swiss Army knife made of droplets” – can turn into screens, projectors, pens, etc. |
| Brendan Hunt | Gunther Melmac | An Air Force analyst and conspiracy theorist. |
| Naomi Watanabe | Auva | Alien ambassador. Will also voice Auva in the Japanese dub. |
| Anissa Borrego | Mira | Alien ambassador. |
| Shelby Young | Diplo Ship | No additional description. |
| Bob Peterson | Universal Users Manual | No additional description. |
| Kate Mulgrew | Narrator of the Voyager 1 Museum Exhibit | Previously portrayed Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager. |
| Tamara Tunie | Colonel Markwell | No additional description. |
| Carl Sagan | Himself (archival recordings) | Archival audio is used in the film. |
How Much Did Elio Earn? Box Office Collection
| Film | U.S. Weekend Gross | Domestic Total | International Gross (Weekend) | International Total | Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elio (Pixar) | Included in Global | N/A | $14M from 43 markets | N/A | $35M |
| – South Korea | — | — | $1.8M | — | — |
| – Mexico | — | — | $1.4M | — | — |
| – France | — | — | $1.3M | — | — |
| – U.K. | — | — | $1.2M | — | — |
| – Italy | — | — | $0.8M | — | — |
| How to Train Your Dragon (Universal) | $37M (2nd weekend) | $160.4M | $53.6M from 81 markets | $197.7M | $358.1M |
| Lilo & Stitch (Disney) | $9.7M (5th weekend) | $386.7M | $19.7M | $523.6M | $910.3M |
| Details | Elio (Pixar Film) |
|---|---|
| Initial Weekend Projection | $30 million (across 3,750 theaters) |
| Actual Weekend Earnings | $21 million |
| Record Status | Worst-ever opening for a Pixar film |
| Comparison to Pixar Hits | Unexpected, given successes like Inside Out, Finding Nemo, Incredibles, etc. |
| Opening Day Earnings | $9 million (includes $3 million from previews on Wed & Thu) |
| Total Gross (as of June 22, 2025) | $35 million worldwide |
| Domestic Gross | $21 million |
| International Gross | $14 million |
| Critical & Audience Response | Positive reviews |
| Production Budget | $150 million |
| Future Outlook | Hoping word-of-mouth improves performance |
Pixar’s ‘Elio’ has now surpassed $72.2 million at the worldwide box office.
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) June 29, 2025
The film has a $150M budget. pic.twitter.com/GjjRrta0LP
FAQs: People Also Ask
Elio was made with a massive budget of around $150 million. After a full week in theaters around the world, it only made $40 million in the US and $30 million in other countries. That brings its worldwide gross to $72 million. With such a high budget, the film now has very little chance of making its money back.
The most likely reasons for Elio’s poor performance include very little marketing, a PG rating, and no links to any popular movie franchises. Also, the market for original animated films is much tougher now than it was when Pixar released hits like Monsters Inc. or the first Toy Story films. It’s much harder for new stories to succeed today.
The highest-budget film is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which cost around $447 million to make. But Avatar: The Way of Water could cost more based on its final budget, which has been reported to be between $350 million and $460 million.
