A rough summer for Pixar’s latest original.
Pixar’s newest film Eliojust had the weakest opening weekend in the studio’s entire history. Despite strong reviews and a warm audience reaction, the numbers were brutal. In North America, the film only managed to bring in around 21 million dollars, with global totals struggling to catch up. For a studio that once dominated the animation box office, this kind of result raises tough questions.
Pete Docter Knows The Risk, But Won’t Stop Taking It
Pixar’s chief creative officer Pete Docter acknowledged the struggle at the Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Summit & Gala. He openly admitted that it is a tough time to push original films, especially when audiences tend to flock to familiar names and characters. But he also made one thing very clear: playing it safe is not the answer.
"If we stop trying new things, we’re going to end up making Toy Story 27," he said.
That might be a joke, but the point behind it is serious. Pixar wants to stay true to the creative risks that built its legacy in the first place. Even if that means failing sometimes.
It is not the first time Pixar has seen one of its original stories underperform. Films like Lightyear, Onward or The Good Dinosaur all stumbled commercially, even if some gained a following later. The reality is simple but disappointing: launching fresh ideas in today’s franchise–driven world is getting harder and harder.
Creativity Over Comfort
While Elio flopped, Inside Out 2 smashed records and became the first 2024 film to cross the billion dollar mark. Viewers knew what they were getting, and they showed up in huge numbers. This kind of success can be tempting for any studio. Why take a chance on something brand new when you can follow a formula that already works? But Pixar seems to believe that storytelling cannot just be about what is safe and profitable, it also needs to be meaningful.
For every sequel that prints money, there is a filmmaker out there dreaming up something no one has ever seen before. Pixar is choosing to keep that door open, even if it means failing sometimes.
The Long Game Might Still Pay Off
It is worth remembering that some original Pixar films, like Elemental, had weak starts but eventually found their audience. Thanks to streaming, they turned around and became hits. The same might happen with Elio, especially once it lands on Disney Plus.
Not Just A Pixar Problem, But Ryan Coogler's Sinners Gives Us Hope
This isn’t just about Pixar. We’ve been flooded with reboots, sequels and remakes for years now –you name it, they’ve probably already done it or are planning it right now. Franchises get dragged out decades later, shows that barely ended get rebooted, and every new announcement sparks the same comments: "we don’t want this, we don’t need this, this will ruin the original." And people are right. Even American Psycho is being remade, which makes no sense because it’s still iconic and relevant. But this cycle keeps going because people still watch. Studios play it safe, banking on nostalgia and familiar names.
And while everyone claims to want original stories, they often flop because audiences ignore them. That’s the contradiction.
Still, there’s hope. Sinners came out earlier this year with zero franchise behind it, as a completely original tory and crushed expectations. It opened with 48 million dollars in the US, made over 364 million worldwide and became the highest grossing original live action film of the decade. And deservedly so! It proved original ideas can win if people actually show up.
Of course, some sequels and reboots make sense. Sometimes they’re genuinely great, they expand the universe, bring characters back in a meaningful way, and make fans happy. But we can’t forget about all the untold stories out there. That’s what used to make movies feel magical: going in blind and discovering a whole new world that grabs you completely.
Every reboot that exists today was once just an original idea someone believed in. Sinners showed us that it’s still possible. We need to keep space for those kinds of stories, the ones that make us feel something real and fall back in love with movies. And thank God, Pixar isn’t giving up – they’ve told some of the most beautiful stories ever made, and the world needs more of that.
Are you tired of reboots and sequels, or do you enjoy them? Let us know!