“Catastrophic" - Pixar’s ‘Elio’ Slammed by Employees, LGBTQ Themes Erased Again

Pixar’s latest film, Elio, reportedly underwent massive changes before its release, including the erasure of LGBTQ+ themes.

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Pixar just can’t seem to catch a break. The legendary animation studio responsible for several classic films and franchises, including Toy Story, Inside Out, and The Incredibles, has struggled to dominate pop culture like it once did.

More recent releases like Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), and Lightyear (2022) all failed to perform in the same way as previous films, though the COVID-19 pandemic certainly played a role in changing the landscape of cinema. Pixar did see success with Elemental (2023) and Inside Out 2, the latter of which is a sequel to one of the studio’s most popular films.

The same cannot be said for Elio, Pixar’s most recent release, which has only managed to gross a little over $70 million since premiering on June 20, 2025. The film opened to just $20 million and is on track to be Pixar’s worst-performing film ever. Couple this with Elio‘s reported budget of $150 million, and it’s safe to say Pixar is not the consistent animation juggernaut it once was.

One artist who worked on Elio estimates the film’s budget is north of $200 million, which they said makes the “catastrophic box office” performance feel worse.

However, Elio also faced issues internally, with a new report revealing that the film’s story and character underwent big changes.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elio’s characterization shifted to be more masculine in accordance with feedback from Pixar leadership. Originally, Elio was intended to be queer-coded, with the film even hinting at a same-sex crush.

Insiders claim scenes were cut from the film, including one where Elio put on a fashion show while cleaning up the beach, with him wearing a pink tank top. Other sources claim the film was never intended to be a “coming out” story due to how young Elio’s character is.

This is hardly the first instance of Pixar being hesitant about inclusivity in its films. The company faced scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle over the same-sex kiss in Lightyear. Some argued the kiss should not be included in a children’s film, while others argued it was barely in the movie enough to notice.

Pixar also faced scrutiny over its handling of Win or Lose, an original animated series created for Disney+. Late last year, reports came out that Pixar had cut a transgender character from the show entirely, prompting outrage online. A spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company told outlets that while one of the series’ later episodes was set to feature a transgender storyline, the studio decided to cut it a few months before release.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” the Disney spokesperson said.

Elio appears to be the latest example of a growing trend of Disney and Pixar being a little too calculated regarding themes of inclusion and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

“It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments inthe film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer,” said one former Pixar artist. “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.”

The Hollywood Reporter also claims that Elio originally faced trouble during an early test screening held in 2023. Sources indicate that audiences enjoyed the film, but no one said they would pay to see it.

It’s possible Elio may get its second wind once it releases on Disney+, though it’s still months away from hitting the streaming platform. Other recent releases, like Disney’s controversial Snow White live-action remake, found a second home on Disney+, as did Pixar’s Elemental.

However, Elio‘s performance paints a grim picture for what used to be a steady voice in the animation and film industries.

Have you seen Elio? What do you think of the film?