The new Pixar film Elio has given the studio its worst box office opening yet as it debuted with disappointing numbers.
The latest offering from Pixar follows Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, who finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
How Much Did Elio Earn in Its Domestic Box Office Opening?
According to Deadline, Elio earned a disappointing $21 million in its domestic weekend box office opening.
As a result, it now has the worst debut ever in Pixar's history, and it will likely become one of the rare films in its slate that are box office flops.
The latest Pixar offering ranked third in the ranking with How to Train Your Dragon (in its second weekend) in the first place with $37 million, and the new zombie horror 28 Years Later in the second place with $30 million.
This is a massive disappointment for Disney and Pixar, since the film reportedly has a production budget of $150 million.
Elemental previously held the record of having the worst Pixar opening, but it ended up being a word-of-mouth sensation in the weeks after and ended up grossing almost $500 million worldwide.
Why Did Elio Disappoint at Its Box Office Opening?
There are different factors that are being considered regarding why Elio ended up being a disappointment at its box office opening weekend.
This is all despite the positive reviews that it received from critics and nabbing a perfect "A" CinemaScore from the audiences who watched it on its opening night.
RelishMix reported that the social media engagement for Elio was down and less than 30% compared to the usual family-friendly fare.
"Negative-leaning convo on Elio is bearing the weight of past disappointments from Disney and Pixar, as well as those who are cautious given the film’s delayed release by almost a year, given how the movie was supposed to debut last summer," RelishMix wrote.
"Comments include, ‘Looks like a fun movie, but Pixar’s quality really seems to be diminishing,’ and, ‘Pixar is dead. This looks absolutely atrocious. All these new ones look the same!’ and, ‘Damn why did they announce this like a couple months ago only to release it like around a year later.'"
Box office analysts are now wondering whether the positive word-of-mouth could turn things around for Elio in the coming weeks and potentially break even by the end of its theatrical run.
Did you watch the film last weekend? Let us know in the comments.
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