Disney and Pixar‘s animated adventure “Elio” crash-landed in its box office debut, earning a dismal $14 million overseas and $35 million globally.
Those ticket sales rank as the worst-ever for Pixar, the animation empire behind “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Finding Nemo.” Prior to this weekend, 2023’s “Elemental” held the ignominious title of lowest-grossing debut with $14.9 million internationally and $44.5 million worldwide. With great word-of-mouth, “Elemental” enjoyed staying power throughout the summer and climbed to $496 million globally.
“Elio,” too, has scored great feedback from audiences, so Disney is hoping the intergalactic tale about a young boy who connects with aliens after getting mistaken for Earth’s ambassador will endure on the big screen over the next few months. That’ll be vital because “Elio” cost $150 million to produce, not including a hefty global marketing spend. Though Universal’s “How to Train Your Dragon” likely catered to the same family friendly audience as “Elio,” there won’t be much competition on the animated front until Paramount’s “Smurfs” lands in theaters on July 18.
“How to Train Your Dragon” flew to the top of international charts again with $53.5 million from 81 markets in its sophomore outing. The live-action remake has grossed $197 million overseas and $385 million globally after two weekends of release. Moviegoers clearly have sustained enthusiasm for Hiccup, Toothless and the mystical world of Berk, who were first introduced to audiences in 2010’s animated “How to Train Your Dragon.” That’s encouraging for Universal because the studio has already announced a live-action sequel, “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” for 2027.
Second place went to Sony’s zombie adventure “28 Years Later,” which captured $30 million from 59 markets in its first weekend of release. Combined with a $30 million debut in North America, the film has earned $60 million worldwide to start. Top territories are Mexico ($2.7 million), Australia ($1.7 million) and South Korea ($1.5 million).
“28 Years Later” is the sequel to 2002’s “28 Days Later” and 2007’s “28 Weeks Later.” Set almost three decades after a contagious rage virus unleashed its wrath on the world, the story follows a group of isolated survivors who venture to the mainland and discover a mutation that is threatening to ravage the rest of the population. “28 Years Later” cost $60 million and will soon become the highest-grossing installment in the franchise, which is presently “28 Days Later” with $75 million worldwide. Sony intends “28 Years Later” to ignite a new zombie trilogy, spearheaded by the property’s creators, Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. This new film was shot back-to-back with its sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” which will debut in 2026.
Despite a tragic start for “Elio,” it’s not all doom and gloom at Disney. “Lilo & Stitch” has grossed $523.6 million overseas and a blockbuster $910 million globally after five weekends. The live-action remake is expected to become the year’s first billion-dollar release.
