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Elio (Pixar - June 2025)
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
Jurassic obliterated any chance Elio had here, bumping it down to like 5 showings a day in our small theater. If anything I see it being used as a babysitter movie of sorts for kids who are too scared to see Jurassic.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
The critical response to these projects also suggests that Lasseter doesn't possess some sort of innate magic that would turn Pixar around.
I don't know really what to say about the reports of Elio's troubled production. On the one hand, I lean toward the idea that the Molina version couldn't have done any worse than the one they released and higher-ups noting creatives to death is not the way to go. On the other, I can only imagine what would be going on in this forum alone if we were discussing a new Pixar film about a queer-coded 11 year-old and that also allows me to imagine exchanges around suggested changes in which both the higher-ups suggesting the changes and those who felt offended by them had understandable perspectives.
easyrowrdw
Well-Known Member
Visiting family and they wanted to see Elio. Except for the front row, the theater was full. It was a small theater on a discount day, but I was still pretty surprised. Everyone in our group liked the movie.
Nevermore525
Well-Known Member
Watched both Elio and Jurassic Rebirth at a local drive in. Elio was the better story movie, but doesn’t matter when it’s going against safer IP plays.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I must say that, for all this talk about how all the creative turmoil during the process of making the film, the end result was actually a very good film. Why it didn't motivate people to see it is a valid topic for discussion, but all the indicators we have suggest those who saw it liked it.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I’ve said all along that I don’t think the 2022 iteration of the film looked that enticing. So I would chalk this up to one of the rare instances that they retooled and it was actually better.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
It seems very possible. Even the Hollywood Reporter article that was fairly sympathetic to the perspective of those involved with the original version noted that the initial test screening suggested issues when literally no-one said they would see it in the cinema.
erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
The original trailer and the lead up trailers didn't do much for the film. Couple that with very lackluster character art style. I really believe that the lead up to a film is more important now than ever. If you don't grab people's interest you'll be facing an uphill battle. And then you need to hope it grows some legs like elemental and climbs back in it. We're past the point of "I'll see it just because it's Pixar/Disney".
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
Disney is probably thankful they made the changes just to avoid the backlash, had they kept the queer aspect, and then it bombed like it has, the dialog surrounding this movie would be totally different. Funny how a movie can bomb and go relatively unnoticed but make the same movie with a LGBT lead that bombs and it becomes headline news because it fits into the culture wars, had it done this poorly with the original story I can only imagine the endless speculation over woke/broke, inclusion, etc.
I think it boils down to a lack of trust in the brand, a lot of people have lost faith in the quality of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar so there’s not much reason to go to the theater and pay $15 a person to see a movie, that may or may not be any good, when you can just wait a couple months and comfortably watch it at home on D+ (and not feel like you wasted your money if you turn it off after 20 minutes).
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
A Disney movie in the 70s was considered something you take young children to. It was never something that adults would go see voluntary. During the 90s, Disney's animation and story telling proved it could be enjoyed by adults. There where things that both children and adults could latch on to. Pixar had the same thing going. Kids could enjoy the movie but the adult stuff would just go over their head. Now Disney has eroded their brand enough that adults can't trust the content will be for children.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I don’t understand how production can get so far with filmmakers trying to slip in things they know the studio doesn’t want right now. The producers / directors are still living in 2022. Disney needs to clean house.
I thought Elio was good. Not great but good. Having the studio and filmmakers at odds can’t be a good thing though. You end up with a product that’s neither here nor there with no clear vision especially after the studio heads demand changes deep into production. But I can’t fault Disney when some producers are choosing to use these films as some sort of catharsis or biopic when these movies need to appeal to a wide audience and make a ton of $$$ just to break even.
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Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
I think the Studio and the filmmakers were on the exact same page a couple years ago, Disney just changed course when they realized it was costing them millions at the box office, it’s much easier for the creatives to continue on the same path when it’s not their money on the line and they aren’t the ones responsible for explaining the loss to the shareholders.
I think it comes back to the CA echo chamber, when nearly everyone around you believes the same way it’s easy to believe the whole world feels that way. They learned the hard way the world wasn’t as ready for change as they thought they were.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
In all fairness, has Disney ever really explained any of their "losses", especially to shareholders? I can't recall them ever really "explaining" anything. Sure they may give some "reasons", but never really a explanation, especially not one that is satisfactory to anyone around here.
brideck
Well-Known Member
Finally saw Elio, and my spouse and I both enjoyed it a ton. Nice nods to Close Encounters in there and I'm always happy to hear Carl Sagan featured (2nd time this year, also in The Life of Chuck). I think it really landed in a good place story-wise. If you weren't paying attention to the production history, I don't think you'd be able to tell that it went through a bunch of re-dev just from watching the finished product.
It wasn't a particularly "easy" movie -- both in subject matter and humor -- so it's a miss for the primary demos that are still driving theater attendance. It was hard to tell how much the young kids in our screening liked it. Beautiful work from Pixar, though.
It wasn't a particularly "easy" movie -- both in subject matter and humor -- so it's a miss for the primary demos that are still driving theater attendance. It was hard to tell how much the young kids in our screening liked it. Beautiful work from Pixar, though.