Pixar's 'Elio' Was a Box Office Bomb — And the Internal Drama Was Worse

Final box office tally? $147.7 million worldwide on what insiders say was a budget well north of $200 million. Even the studio's own employees now call the project "catastrophic."

A Story That Got Sanded Down to Nothing

Elio began life under writer-director Adrian Molina, who screened early footage in 2023 that staff reportedly loved. One scene had the main character turning beach trash into fashion (nicknamed the "trash-ion show"), and another hinted at a boyhood crush. But leadership didn't like how "feminine" Elio came off, and started pulling back anything that felt too queer-coded.

As one former artist put it:

"It was pretty clear… they were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio's sexuality."

By the time the rewrites were done, most of the character's charm had been scrubbed out. The environmental message? Gone. The pink tank top? Gone. A sequence that hinted at a crush? Also gone.

Director Out, Cast Recast, Crew Burned Out

The real fracture came in mid-2023, after a test screening got polite applause but zero audience interest. Molina presented his cut to Pixar leadership — accounts vary on how harsh the feedback was, but shortly after, he was out. He was offered a co-director slot with Madeline Sharafian, but after more notes, rewrites, and pushback, Molina walked.

Sharafian was then joined by Turning Red director Domee Shi, and the film was overhauled. America Ferrera, originally cast as Elio's mom, exited due to "scheduling conflicts" — though insiders say repeated re-recording requests and Molina's departure were part of it. Her character was rewritten as Elio's aunt and recast with Zoe Saldaña.

Said one former Pixar staffer:

"America was upset that there was no longer Latinx representation in the leadership."

Release, Reception, and Regret

Elio finally hit theaters on June 22, 2025, with a devastating $20.8 million opening — the worst in Pixar history. Despite a decent 81% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A CinemaScore (A+ from viewers under 25), the film never recovered.

Former crew say it's no mystery why:

"You remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing."

Another put it more bluntly:

"He was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me."

Bigger Problems at Pixar?

The Elio mess isn't isolated. Multiple former staff point to a pattern of leadership avoiding anything that might look too bold or too personal. Pete Docter said in 2024 that Pixar should make "the most relatable films possible" — a comment many read as code for playing it safe.

One artist summed up the mood inside the studio:

"A lot of people like to blame Disney, but the call is coming from inside the house."

Other projects have reportedly faced similar internal edits — including the upcoming Hoppers, which toned down its environmental themes, and an early pitch that was told: "You can't have divorce in this movie."

Pixar isn't in trouble overall — Inside Out 2 pulled in $1.6 billion globally, and Toy Story 5 is already in development. But Elio left deep scars. Former staff still wonder whether the box office crash could've been avoided — if only they'd let the original creative team tell their story.

As one ex-crew member put it:

"I'd love to ask Pete and the other Disney executives whether or not they thought the rewrite was worth it. Would they have lost this much money if they simply let Adrian tell his story?"