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Credit: Disney/PixarIn 1995, The Walt Disney Company teamed up with Pixar Animation Studios and completely changed the entertainment industry with the release of Toy Story, the first feature-length film made completely with computer animation. Since then, the two studios have worked together and released more than two dozen animated films, with many leaving an indelible mark on fans.
Unfortunately, in recent years, Pixar has been struggling with a series of box office failures. Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022) were not released in theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, there was Lightyear (2023), which lost Disney tens of millions of dollars.
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Thankfully, Disney and Pixar have been able to turn things around recently, primarily because of the summer 2024 release of Inside Out 2. The highly-anticipated sequel was beloved by fans around the world and grossed nearly $1.7 billion worldwide.
However, it looks like Disney and Pixar are not overly confident in their upcoming animated film, and they have pushed its release back for a second time.
Elio tells the story of a young boy who is obsessed with everything that has to do with outer space and aliens. A group of aliens accidentally think that Elio is the ambassador to Earth and beam him up to the Communiverse. Elio must form bonds with the alien lifeforms and “navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions.”
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When it was first announced, Elio was slated to hit theaters on March 1, 2024. Then, in October 2023, Disney announced that the movie would be pushed back to June 13, 2025.
Now, the movie has been pushed back once again. Elio was supposed to premiere in theaters on the same day as the DreamWorks Animation live-action film How To Train Your Dragon, which is expected to do very well.
It appears that Disney and Pixar do not want their new original story to compete with a franchise that has already proven itself to be incredibly popular. So, instead of premiering on June 13, Elio will now premiere on June 20, 2025.
This is not Elio’s first setback. In August, it was revealed that both director Adrian Molina and star America Ferrera had stepped away from the project.
Elio’s delay is not the only change Disney made to its current slate. Disney also removed two untitled projects from its lineup, one of which was supposed to premiere on September 12, 2025, and the other earmarked for January 16, 2026. However, a third untitled film was slated for October 24, 2025. We do not have any details on these films.
Elio will star Yonas Kibreab as Elio Solis, Zoe Saldaña as Aunt Olga, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, and Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa. Adrian Molina wrote the script, and Turning Red director Domee Shi directed the film.
Are you excited to see Disney and Pixar’s Elio in theaters? What is your favorite Pixar film? Share your thoughts in the comments!