Disney hits a slump with fourth box office disappointment in 2025

Disney fails to break its string of theatrical underperformers with Pixar’s Elio release as it has become the studio’s fourth box office underperformer of 2025.

Elio is an animated science fiction adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.

Despite being the only animated release of the year so far, it failed to impress the audience following its June premier.

Previously, films like Captain America: Brave New World, Snow White, and Thunderbolts were also high-profile flops for the House of Mouse.

Behind the theatrical failure of every film, numerous reasons surfaced including production delays and controversy to franchise fatigue.

But Elio’s poor turnout indicates a broader problem for Disney. The film came with the brand recognition of Pixar and had no major competition in the animation space at its release but still it has an underwhelming response from the audience. 

It points to a disconnect between Disney’s current storytelling strategy and fans' expectations.

Taking to Instagram, fans expressed their disappointment in this movie writing: “Computer animation colors. Nothing to be proud of.”

Another one wrote: “All the bot heart comments won’t help this movie failure.”

This raises major concerns about the studio's creative direction, marketing approach, and reliance on established franchises or formulas.

What was Elio's box office performance as compared to other Pixar films?

Pixar's Elio had the worst opening weekend box office performance in the studio's history, earning $21 million domestically and $35 million globally. This performance marks a significant decline compared to past Pixar films and comes despite a substantial production and marketing budget of at least $250 million.

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