Pixar's Elio Flops Hard Against 28 Years Later

Despite solid early buzz and glowing reviews, Elio opened to just $21 million domestically and another $14 million overseas, for a global debut of $35 million. That might sound decent—until you remember the movie cost a reported $150 million to make. For comparison: Inside Out 2 opened to $154.2 million in the U.S. alone. Ouch.

It's one of the worst openings Pixar's had in the modern era—behind only Soul and Turning Red, both of which were pandemic-era releases with unique rollouts. On the all-time Pixar chart for worst openers (unadjusted), Elio sits painfully low:

• A Bug's Life – $291K
• Toy Story 2 – $300K
• Soul – $431K
• Turning Red – $578K
• Elio – $21 million
• Toy Story – $29.1 million
• Elemental – $29.6 million

And here's the kicker: Elio wasn't fighting off weak competition. It went head-to-head with How to Train Your Dragon and 28 Years Later, and got steamrolled. Industry forecasts expected it to open around $35–45 million in North America, but it came up short—even with strong word of mouth.

Here's what critics and audiences are saying:

• CinemaScore: A
• Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Certified Fresh)
• Audience Score: 91% (Verified Hot)
• So the reception isn't the problem. It's just… people didn't show up.

Now the big question: can Elio pull an Elemental?

In 2023, Elemental opened weak but legged it out all summer long. It started with $29.6 million, but through slow drops and strong holds, it eventually hit $496.4 million worldwide. At the time, Disney insiders claimed it only lost around $3.6 million, despite the rocky start. That gave Pixar a blueprint for a late-game comeback: hold steady, keep theaters, and get that Labor Day boost.

Elio needs to do something similar—only bigger. Using the standard box office math (a film needs 2.5x its budget to break even), Elio would need to make $375 million just to avoid losing money. That's a long road from $35 million.

Its window isn't great either. With Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps landing in July, Elio risks getting completely lost in the summer stampede. If it wants any shot at staying in theaters through Labor Day and pulling off a miracle, it'll need incredible legs—and no new animated competition breathing down its neck.

Right now? It's looking like Elio may end up being Pixar's first full-on box office bomb in years.