It Was Disney+ That Killed Pixar's 'Elio'

The marketing was fine, in terms of what's expected from Pixar trailers and how often those previews were seen in theaters. But audiences made the choice not to show up.

Pixar’s Elio landed with a domestic ($20.8 million) and global (barely $35 million) thud, to the point where even Elemental-level legs won’t get it past the unadjusted domestic cume of Lightyear ($118 million in 2022). Even Sinners-worthy legs will still put it below The Good Dinosaur ($123 million in 2015). As often happens when any movie championed by high-information film fans and entertainment journalists opens poorly, much of the blame will invariably go to “bad marketing.” Like most cases concerning higher-profile films, franchise flicks or tentpole releases that underwhelm commercially, “twas marketing” lets moviegoers off the hook for not showing up for what they *allegedly* want for their multiplex-specific entertainment. It wasn’t the marketing that got “him.” It was Disney+ that killed Elio… while fatally maiming Pixar and Disney’s ability to drive consumers to non-sequel animated theatricals.