Nolte: ‘Elio’ Hits All-Time Box Office Low for Pixar – Disney’s Fourth Bomb of 2025
The Disney Grooming Syndicate’s box office problems continued this week, now that Elio has won the distinction of earning the lowest box office opening of any movie in Pixar’s 30-year history.
With a catastrophic $22 million opening, Elio earned less than even Pixar’s very first feature, 1995’s Toy Story, which opened to $29.1 million.
With the only exception being the live-action version of Lilo & Stitch, this is Disney’s fourth flop out of five 2025 releases.
Tee hee.
In addition to Elio, Snow White, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts, have all flamed out this year, which likely means the groomers have lost over a billion dollars … so far.
Captain America: Brave New World barely crossed $400 million worldwide, and easily cost that much to produce and promote.
Thunderbolts failed to cross $400 million worldwide, and nearly cost that much to produce and promote.
Snow White barely crossed $200 million worldwide, and easily cost twice as much to produce and promote.
And now Elio — more lilke Elolio, amirite? —which likely cost around $250 million to produce and promote, lands the worst opening in Pixar’s 30-year history.
To break even, a movie has to gross at least twice what it costs because movie theaters eat up half the gross.
So, why would a remake of Lilo & Stitch soar, while everything else Disney touches turn to shit?
I see a pattern…
People have seen Lilo & Stitch. What I mean is that audiences are familiar with the 23-year-old animated version. So, going in, everyone pretty much knew what they were gonna get.
Not so with Disney’s other four 2025 flops. And when you are a Disney company that has spent the last decade deliberately insulting its audience by woke-raping beloved franchises and aggressively sought to queer little kids, no one (especially parents) wants to subject themselves to another one of Disney’s surprises—which usually involves some sort of sexual fetish aimed directly at destroying the innocence of children.
Snow White should’ve been the safest of all five for fans of classic Disney. Still, star Rachel Zegler repeatedly made it clear that her live-action remake was an apology for the beloved original, a repudiation, and a feminist makeover. No one wanted to see that.
As far as Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts, Marvel has sucked the big one for the last six years. Woketardery took over and killed the most successful franchise in movie history.
Finally, who can blame parents for wanting nothing to do with Elio after Disney aggressively used a Toy Story movie (Lightyear) and Strange World to push adult sexuality (in those cases, homosexuality) at little kids who are not ready for it, and parents who know their children are not ready for it.
Disney is Satan.
John Nolte’s first and last novel, Borrowed Time, is winning five-star raves from everyday readers. You can read an excerpt here and an in-depth review here. Also available in hardcover and on Kindle and Audiobook.
