Pixar has been one of the biggest names in animation ever since it released its first feature in 1995 with Toy Story. The movie would go on to start a multi-film franchise and be named one of the greatest animated movies of all time. Pixar has prided itself on seeing fairly consistent success at both the box office and among critics. Just this year, their film Inside Out 2 made over $1.6 billion to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Inside Out 2 also received good reviews, and is considered a favorite for coveted awards such as the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
The last few years have looked different for Pixar, however, as the studio has undergone some changes. These include altering the release format of some of its movies, with films such as Luca and Soul going directly to Disney+ rather than getting a wide-release theatrical run. Pixar has also been altering the types of stories they tell, opting for more personal, character-driven works such as Turning Red and Elemental rather than their classic Pixar format. While these changes have been met with mixed reception, it looks like the studio is about to shake things up again with their next film.
Pixar’s 2025 Movie Elio Will Push Genre & Ratings Boundaries
Elio Will Include “Sci-Fi Horror References”
The director of Pixar’s Elio says that the film will push the studio’s ratings boundaries by including horror genre references. Elio is a 2025 Pixar film about a space-obsessed young boy who finds himself embroiled in an intergalactic adventure wherein he has to bond with alien lifeforms, all the while discovering himself in the process. Elio will be co-directed by Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, and Madeline Sharafian. Elio‘s leading voice cast includes Yonas Kibraeb, Zoe Saldaña, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil.
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In an interview with Empire, Sharafian makes unique promises about Elio‘s genre and intensity. The directory noted that the Pixar movie will include “some sci-fi horror references.” Elio will pay homage to Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Thing. She also noted that Elio will “ride that line of the PG movie” by being “weirder and a little creepier” than films with that rating typically would be. Check out the full quote from Sharafian below:
[Elio has] some sci-fi horror references. It’s one of our best surprises, so I don’t want to give away too much. I’m always trying to push it to be weirder and a little creepier, to ride that line of the PG movie.
Our Take On This Elio Update
This Is An Interesting Director For Pixar
In a time wherein Pixar’s future has often seemed a bit jumbled, this Elio update is one of the more exciting changes the studio could make. While Pixar films do not shy away from intense emotions (think the Up opening sequence or the existential environmentalist themes of WALL-E), it is rare that their moments of peril conjure any sense of typical genre horror. Sharafian does not claim this homage will be inherently terrifying, but if it pushes the boundaries of what is PG, Elio has the potential to be unlike anything Pixar has seen before.
Source: Empire
Elio is a film directed by Adrian Molina, centered on a young boy who is mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador at an interplanetary organization. Unprepared for the role, Elio must navigate interactions with diverse alien species and face challenges in the quest to understand his true identity.
- Director
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Adrian Molina
- Release Date
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June 13, 2025
