A report has revealed the production turmoil that the new Disney/Pixar film Elio underwent in the years leading up to its release.
Elio broke an unfortunate record as it had the lowest domestic box office opening ever for a Pixar film, earning only $21 million. Despite the positive reviews, it is on track to become the biggest flop in the studio's history.
What Changes Were Made by Pixar on Elio During Production?
The Hollywood Reporter revealed some of the major changes that Pixar made to Elio, including the titular character's sexuality and its directors, based on the insiders they spoke to.
Originally, the character of Elio was going to be portrayed as queer-coded, reflecting the identity of the original director, Adrian Molina.
While Molina insisted that the film is not a coming-of-age story, the characterization faded throughout the production, and he was made more masculine.
An early test screening also showed that, while audiences enjoyed the film, none of them said that they would see it in a theater. After a conversation with the Pixar leadership, Molina left the project, and he was replaced by new co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi.
"Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing. The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original," an anonymous former Pixar artist said.
America Ferrera, who was originally attached to the film, left the project allegedly due to Molina's departure and "was upset that there was no longer Latinx representation in the leadership."
What is the Future of Pixar After Elio?
The next Pixar release is another original film, Hoppers, which will arrive in theaters in March of next year.
However, the report claimed that the film's themes of environmentalism have been toned down, and an insider shared a note that the director allegedly received, "That director was told, ‘You can’t have divorce in this movie,’ which is so wild."
Pixar is also working on more sequels, such as Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, and Coco 2, which are all in either production or pre-production.
It remains to be seen how Elio's performance will alter Pixar's upcoming slate, especially when it comes to original material.
Why do you think Elio failed at the box office? Let us know in the comments.
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