Pixar's Elio: A Story of Changes and Challenges

Pixar's latest film, Elio, had a rocky journey from concept to release. Initially, the movie was filled with unique and vibrant elements that reflected its director's vision. Elio, the main character, was designed to be a queer-coded boy with a passion for environmentalism and fashion. One of the most memorable scenes involved Elio creating clothing from trash and showing it off to a hermit crab, a moment that was loved by the team at Pixar. However, as the film progressed, many of these distinctive traits were removed. Feedback from leadership led to Elio becoming more masculine, and scenes that hinted at his queer identity were cut. This included a scene in his bedroom with pictures suggesting a male crush. While some elements, like the trash fashion, remained, they were not explained in the final film. The problems with Elio started early. During a test screening in Arizona, viewers enjoyed the movie but did not express interest in seeing it in theaters. This was a red flag for the studio. Around the same time, director Adrian Molina presented his latest cut to Pixar leadership. The feedback he received was not well-received, and he soon left the project. The film was then taken over by new directors, Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi. After a yearlong delay, Elio finally hit theaters in June 2024 and had the lowest opening weekend in Pixar's history, with just $20. 8 million domestically.The changes to Elio were noticeable to those who worked on the film. Former Pixar employees expressed disappointment with the final product, stating that the character lost his unique identity and became more generic. Despite this, the film received positive reviews from critics and an A CinemaScore from audiences. Some changes were more obvious than others. For example, America Ferrera, who was initially cast as Elio's mom, left the project due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Zoe Saldaña as Elio's aunt. The production of Elio raised questions about Pixar's commitment to diversity. Some former employees felt that the studio was moving away from underrepresented characters and voices. This was fueled by comments from Pixar's chief creative officer, Pete Docter, who suggested that the studio should make the "most relatable films" possible. This came after backlash to Disney's response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill and the box office failure of Lightyear, which featured a same-gender kiss. The high production cost of Elio, estimated to be well over $200 million, made its box office failure even more significant. Former Pixar employees emphasized that the new directors did their best to create a great film under difficult circumstances. However, the final product left many creatives questioning whether the changes were worth it. As Pixar moves forward, the studio will need to address the concerns raised by the Elio production. The studio has planned "48-hour hackathons" to encourage creative ideas, but it remains to be seen whether these will lead to successful projects. For now, the pain of the Elio process continues to linger for those who saw the film's potential.