Elio Never Had A Chance
Elio opened to a total $21 million over its debut weekend, trailing far behind 28 Years Later and How to Train Your Dragon.
It's Monday, June 23rd. Here's what's happening.
🍿 The Big Picture
A heat wave swept through the Midwest this weekend. Where I live, the energy demand was so great that it caused a power outage. With no A/C, the obvious move was to escape to the movies. I was hosting a house full of kids at the time, so I offered to take them all. A/C, delicious popcorn, candy, a great movie–this seemed like a no-brainer.
Naturally, the tweenagers asked, “What’s playing?” I mentioned that a new Pixar movie had just come out. “Really?” they said, genuinely surprised. “Yes,” I replied. “It’s called Elio.” “What’s it about?” they asked. “I think it’s about a lonely space kid who wants friends,” I said. But honestly, I wasn't even sure.
They stared at me like I had lost my mind. We ended up going to the pool.
Later, back at home, they watched Warner Bros.' A Minecraft Movie on HBOMax.
And that, right there, is Pixar’s problem. For a studio that once owned the kids’ market, it’s clear they’re no longer connecting. None of the neighborhood kids even knew this movie existed. Not to mention a storyline that is overly complex and, possibly unappealing to kids. The film is getting solid reviews. But somehow, this movie never even had a chance.
What happened to Pixar, a company that used to be untouchable? For some reason, they dumped this movie without marketing it to their audience. Elio opened to a total $21 million over its debut weekend, trailing far behind 28 Years Later and How to Train Your Dragon, a remake that’s already been in theaters for over a week. This is the worst opening for a Pixar film ever.
Look, I’m rooting for Pixar. I love the early stuff, both Inside Out films, and Up remains one of my all-time favorites. But it’s obvious they are struggling to find their footing. Let’s hope they do, because the industry is better with Pixar at its best.
🎥 Extra Coverage
Neon is crushing it with their movie acquisitions and the awards are piling up. Building their "brand" seems to be the logical next step. (Dirt)
Alamo Drafthouse and Toho International have announced a multi-year collaboration to bring classic Godzilla movies to their theaters. (Variety)
Studio Ghibli may be the best animation studio ever (or is it Disney?), but even the great Hayao Miyazaki is not perfect. Here are five films that the studio started but never finished. (CBR)
📈 Movie Stock Index
Market Close: Monday, June 23rd, 2025
Total Value: $106,113.29
Today's Change: $536.89 (0.51%)
Total Gain/Loss (Since 05/12/25): $6,113.27 (6.11%)
Mixed day for movie stocks, but ultimately we ended on the positive side (0.51%). Lionsgate popped nicely today (5.90%) as did their spinoff company Starz (6.01%).
Disclaimer: The MovieNewsPro Stock Index is a virtual index - there are no actual funds invested. Sector index total value dollar amounts are based on an initial hypothetical investment of $100,000 on May 12th, 2025. We are not licensed investment advisors and our information should not be used as investment advice. Invest wisely.
🏆 Film Festivals
Doc Edge Film Festival, New Zealand - June 18-July 31
Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, US - June 18-28
Oakville Film Festival, Canada - June 18-25
Raindance Film Festival, UK - June 18-27
Brussels International Film Festival, Belgium - June 20-28
Kimolos International Film Festival, Greece - June 21-25
Mediterrane Film Festival, Malta - June 21-29
London Screenings, UK - June 23-25
Sunny Side Of The Doc, France - June 23-26
Biarritz Film Festival Nouvelles Vagues, France - June 24-29
Docs Ireland, Ireland - June 24-29
Palm Springs ShortFest, US - June 24-30
Nantucket Film Festival, US - June 25-30
Oak Cliff Film Festival, US - June 26-29
FilmFest Munich, Germany - June 27-July 6
📺 Watch This Tonight
First Reformed (2017)
Directed by Paul Schrader
The perfect example of what Schrader calls "transcendental style in film", using slow takes, static frames and a visual flatness. Ethan Hawke shines.
Follow Us On Social Media: Letterboxd | Bluesky | LinkedIn
Disclaimer/Transparency
MovieNewsPro is a film industry news monitoring service. All stories have been previously reported elsewhere and are not exclusive stories to MNP. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of reporting. MovieNewsPro uses a full array of technology to gather information, including machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence throughout its business monitoring, editing and reporting process.
