Elio Was Originally Gay, Pixar Retooled Movie After Disastrous Screening

What went wrong with Elio? A new report suggests that after a disastrous test screening, Elio had to be completely retooled. The Pixar movie underwent significant changes to the story, including details about Elio’s sexual orientation.

What happened to Elio after the test screening?

Elio’s problems reportedly began well before it hit theaters last month. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Elio was initially portrayed as a “queer-coded character.” Adrian Molina, the original director who identifies as gay, did not want to make a coming-out story due to Elio’s young age. However, Elio’s queer inclinations, including a picture implying a male crush, were removed from the movie. Elio’s love of fashion and environmentalism was swapped out for a more masculine personality.

During the summer of 2023, Molina conducted an early test screening in Arizona. This turned out to be a catastrophe. Reports say that “not a single hand was raised” when viewers were asked if they would see Elio in a theater.

Molina then screened his cut to Pixar COO Pete Docter. It’s unknown what feedback Docter gave Molina, though rumors suggest the director was “hurt by the conversation.” Either way, Molina left the project shortly after to work on Coco 2. Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi became the new co-directors.

After Sharafian and Shi provided their first cut, several creatives working on Elio allegedly stepped down due to their disappointment in the changes to the story.

When Elio was first announced in 2022, America Ferrera was set to voice Olga, Elio’s mom. In 2024, Ferrera dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña replaced Ferrera to play Olga, now Elio’s aunt. Ferrara apparently recorded all of her dialogue but dropped out due to Molina’s departure. “There was no longer Latinx representation in the leadership,” one of THR’s sources said about Ferrera’s reasoning for her departure.

Elio features the voice of Yonas Kibreab as Elio, a young space fanatic with a huge obsession for aliens. Elio’s dream comes true when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse and meets aliens. “Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader,” the official synopsis reads, “Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.”

Released on June 20, Elio opened to $21 million domestically, the worst opening in modern Pixar history. Elio remains in theaters.

Source: Comingsoon.net