Pixar has faced a rough stretch in recent years.
The studio was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with films like “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red” skipping theaters entirely and heading straight to Disney+. Meanwhile, “Lightyear” turned out to be a significant commercial and critical disappointment. However, the tide started to turn with “Elemental,” which overcame a lackluster debut to become a moderate success, and “Inside Out 2,” which emerged as a massive blockbuster.
Next in line for Pixar is “Elio,” and if anything, I believe Disney is just happy to get this one off its back as it has been a major crux for Pixar boss Pete Docter.
Back in 2023, a source revealed that the studio had serious concerns about the film during production, indicating it needed substantial reworking. Initially slated for a March 2024 release, “Elio” was delayed to June 2025. The release delay seems to confirm those struggles.
“Elio” was initially directed by Adrian Molina, but in 2024, he was replaced due to a “scheduling conflict,” which absolutely nobody believes. Despite his departure, Molina still holds a co-directing credit. The film is now being led by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian (“Turning Red”).
The story centers on a young boy, Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who is accidentally transported to space and mistaken for Earth’s ambassador. The voice cast features Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett, and Zoe Saldaña.
Behind the scenes, “Elio” has experienced major upheaval throughout its lengthy development, to the point where the budget tipped toward the $300M mark. A significant portion of the creative team was replaced midway through production—which, if you’ve seen both the 2023 and 2025 trailers, explains the dramatic shift in tone and style. While most of the character designs have remained intact, the latest trailer, released last month, revealed that some heroes and villains swapped roles entirely.
Alongside the director change, the film underwent extensive revisions in both its narrative and character development. The trailer also confirmed that Zoe Saldaña was now voicing Elio’s aunt, Olga Solis, replacing America Ferrera, who was originally cast as his mother but exited due to—wait for it—scheduling issues.
The earlier trailer leaned into a more somber sci-fi, highlighting Elio’s emotional distance from his hardworking mother. Although comedic elements were present later in the trailer, the overall portrayal of the protagonist was notably gloomier. That contrasts sharply with the lighter, more upbeat tone seen in the updated footage—and that’s all Domee Shi’s doing, as she was tasked with making it a more comedic affair.
A good film might still emerge when “Elio” premieres next month, but cautious optimism is warranted given the considerable drama surrounding the production since it began in the summer of 2022.
The source material, for the uninitiated, is Arrowhead Game Studios' co-op shooter — muscle in power armor defending "Super Earth" from bugs and robots in a war game.