After having the highest-grossing movie of 2024, Pixar will try to capitalize on the momentum with its new animated tale, Elio. Will Pixar magic resonate with audiences for the second consecutive year? View Elio’s opening weekend box office predictions and odds below.
What Is Elio About?
After the death of his parents, Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) wishes to be abducted by aliens. Every day, Elio lies on the sand and waits to be abducted.
One day, Elio’s wish comes true as aliens beam him up to their spaceship.
Elio is in his personal heaven, especially in the Communiverse, a place where aliens from all worlds interact with each other.
The aliens mistakenly believe that Elio is the ambassador to Earth. Elio uses this as an opportunity to establish communication with the aliens, and he slowly forms a friendship with a worm-like creature named Glordon (Remy Edgerly).
When a crisis threatens to disrupt the galaxy, look no further than Elio to be the one to save the day.
Elio’s cast features Zoe Saldaña as Aunt Olga, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, and Shirley Henderson as OOOOO.
Elio is directed by the trio of Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina.
Elio opens in theaters on June 20.
Elio Opening Weekend Box Office Odds
| Elio Opening Weekend Box Office: Domestic | Odds |
|---|---|
| Less than $20 million | +245 |
| $20 million-$23 million | +233 |
| $23 million-$26 million | +300 |
| $26 million-$29 million | +614 |
| Over $29 million | +1567 |
Odds via Polymarket on 6/19/25 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Pixar has a history of huge box office returns. Look no further than last year’s Inside Out 2, which grossed $652 million domestic.
Inside Out 2 was a sequel to a popular movie. Therefore, the audience was familiar with the story.
Elio is an original story not based on IP. That’s a hard sell for audiences, making its box office trajectory difficult to predict.
The odds say Elio’s opening weekend will open between $20 million and $23 million (+233).
With a budget of $150 million, that’s a less-than-ideal start for a Pixar movie.
What Elio has on its side is a lack of competition. The next major animated movie is Smurfs, which opens on July 18. With a strong word of mouth, Elio can be an optimal choice for families over the next month.
The question is, will audiences want to see an animated original with new characters?
