'Elio' gives Pixar its worst box office opening ever

Pixar knew that Elio, an original space adventure, would most likely struggle in its first weekend at the box office.

- BROOKS BARNES

Animated movies based on original stories have become harder sells in theaters, even for the once-unstoppable Pixar. At a time when streaming services have proliferated and the broader economy is unsettled, families want assurance that spending the money for tickets will be worth it.

But the turnout for Elio was worse — much worse — than even Pixar had expected. The film, which cost at least $250 million to make and market, collected an estimated $21 million from Thursday evening through Sunday at theatres in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore, which compiles box office data.

It was Pixar's worst opening-weekend result ever. The previous bottom was Elemental, which arrived to $30 million in 2023.

A month ago, when the Elio marketing campaign began to hit high gear, Pixar and its corporate owner, Disney, had hoped that Elio would, in the worst-case scenario, match the