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Elio (film)

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Elio
Teaser poster
Directed by
Produced byMary Alice Drumm
Starring
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures[a]
Release date
  • June 13, 2025 (2025-06-13)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Elio is an upcoming American animated science fiction adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is being directed by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian (in the latter's feature directorial debut) with additional direction by Adrian Molina, and produced by Mary Alice Drumm.[2][3][4] The film stars the voices of Yonas Kibreab, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett, and Zoe Saldaña. It follows an eleven-year-old boy named Elio Solis (Kibreab) who accidentally becomes the intergalactic Ambassador of planet Earth after being beamed up to the Communiverse by aliens for making contact. Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms and survive a series of formidable trials.

The film was officially announced at the D23 Expo in September 2022, with Molina and Drumm already attached to the project as director and producer respectively, while Kibreab and America Ferrera were revealed to be cast in the lead voice roles of Elio and his mother, respectively. Jamil and Garrett joined the cast in June 2023. In August 2024, it was announced that Ferrera left the project due to scheduling conflicts and she would be replaced by Saldaña as Elio's aunt, while Shi and Sharafian would replace Molina as the directors though he still retains a director credit.[b][4]

Elio is scheduled to be released in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on June 13, 2025.

Premise

For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar's all-new movie Elio, the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth's ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.[5]

— Pixar

Voice cast

  • Yonas Kibreab as Elio Solis, an eleven-year-old one-eyed boy who is mistakenly identified by aliens as Earth's ambassador.[2][3]
  • Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, a cobra/manta ray-like alien ambassador.[6]
  • Brad Garrett as Ambassador Grigon, a bulky, four-legged alien ambassador.[6]
  • Zoe Saldaña as Olga Solis, Elio's aunt.[4][7]

Production

Development

On September 9, 2022, during the D23 Expo, Pixar announced a new film titled Elio, with Adrian Molina set to direct and Mary Alice Drumm set to produce.[2][3] It would have marked Molina's feature-length solo directorial debut after having co-directed and co-written Coco (2017). At the same time, Molina and Drumm talked about the film by helping pose the question, "What if I told you we're not alone in the universe, and everything you've ever heard about aliens is true?" Shortly after, the announcement came with a planned screen glitch and a message with alien text saying, "Bring us to your leader."[8]

On June 12, 2024, Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter revealed that Turning Red (2022) director Domee Shi was working on the film.[9] She was officially announced as the new director at the D23 fan event on August 9, 2024, alongside Madeline Sharafian with Molina leaving the film to work on a new project, although he is reportedly retaining his directing credit.[b][4]

Casting

On September 9, 2022, during the D23 Expo, America Ferrera and Yonas Kibreab were announced to have been cast in the leading voice roles of Olga Solis and her son Elio, respectively.[2][3] On June 13, 2023, with the release of the teaser trailer and poster, Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett joined the film's voice cast.[6] In August 2024, Docter stated that Ferrera stepped out due to scheduling conflicts; parts of her voice acting still remain in the film's teaser trailer. As a result, the character of Olga was rewritten as Elio's aunt and voiced by Zoe Saldaña.[4][7][10][11]

Release

Elio is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on June 13, 2025 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[12] It was originally scheduled to be released on March 1, 2024,[3][13] but in October 2023, the film was delayed to its current release date.[12] According to Pete Docter, the film's delay was due in part to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike as well as the change in leadership on this film and other projects at Pixar.[4]

Marketing

Following the project announcement, the first look concept art of the film was released on September 9, 2022.[14][3] Joshua Meyer of /Film said it "sounds like the kind of fresh, original storytelling that Pixar built its brand on."[8] A teaser trailer was released on June 13, 2023, featuring "Good Feeling" by Austin French.[15] Ethan Anderton of /Film said "Adding some charm to this story is the fact that Elio isn't exactly the most confident kid. Though he's artistic and creative, he's also more of an indoor kid who doesn't fit in with his peers. But perhaps being among a group of aliens who aren't human will allow him an opportunity to make a connection without any societal pressure. This just might be the opportunity Elio needs to come out of his shell."[6] Pauli Poisuo of Looper says while it "obviously doesn't give too much of the story away, it certainly looks gorgeous and intriguing."[16]

Notes

  1. ^ Distributed under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.
  2. ^ a b While Molina is no longer actively directing the film, he is reportedly retaining his director credit due to his amount of work that is being kept in the film.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Julie & T.J. (August 9, 2024). "Pixar at the 2024 D23 Expo – News Consolidation". Pixar Post. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d @Pixar (September 10, 2022). "Starring America Ferrera as Olga Solis and Yonas Kibreab as Elio. Directed by Adrian Molina & Produced by Mary Alice Drumm, Disney and Pixar's Elio lands in Spring 2024" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Pedersen, Erik; Grobar, Matt (September 10, 2022). "Elio: Pixar Sets New Pic About 11-Year-Old Boy Beamed Into Space; America Ferrera Stars & Coco's Adrian Molina Directs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Drew (August 10, 2024). "Pixar Chief Pete Docter Talks New Elio Directors, Story and Casting Changes | Exclusive". TheWrap. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  5. ^ "Upcoming". Pixar Animation Studios. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Anderton, Ethan (June 13, 2023). "Elio Trailer: An 11-Year Old Boy Heads To Space In Pixar's Next Movie". /Film. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (August 9, 2024). "Zoe Saldaña Joins Cast Of Pixar's Elio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Meyer, Joshua (September 9, 2022). "Disney Announces New Pixar Sci-Fi Adventure Comedy, Elio [D23]". /Film. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  9. ^ Romano, Nick (June 12, 2024). "Pete Docter previews Pixar's future: Inside Out Disney+ series, more Monsters, Inc., and more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Taylor, Drew (August 10, 2024). "Pixar Chief Pete Docter Talks New Elio Directors, Story and Casting Changes | Exclusive". TheWrap. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (August 9, 2024). "Pixar's Elio Adds Zoe Saldana". Variety.
  12. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela (October 27, 2023). "Disney Delays Snow White and Elio a Year, Removes Jonathan Majors' Magazine Dreams From Calendar". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Kit, Borys (September 10, 2021). "Disney's Live-Action The Little Mermaid to Open on Memorial Day Weekend in 2023". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  14. ^ @Pixar (September 10, 2022). "You're invited on Disney and Pixar's newest adventure... ELIO. Meet Elio: A boy who finds himself transported across the galaxy & mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador for our planet Earth.😮" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "Austin French's "Good Feeling" Featured In New Disney Pixar Trailer". Gospel Music Association. July 5, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Poisuo, Pauli (June 13, 2023). "Elio's First Trailer Is An Out Of This World Adventure From Pixar". Looper. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
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