Pixar's Worst Start: Elio Debuts to Unprecedented Box Office Flop

Box Office Bombshell: Pixar's Elio Tanks, How to Train Your Dragon Soars!

The summer blockbuster season has been sizzling hot, but one film has left everyone stunned - and we're not talking about the dragon riders from How to Train Your Dragon! Yes, you heard that right; Pixar's latest offering, Elio, has crashed and burned at the box office, securing the worst opening weekend in modern Pixar history!

According to Variety, Elio's abysmal debut of $35 million globally is a far cry from what was expected. With a production budget of $150 million, it seems highly unlikely that this film will turn a profit anytime soon. The movie, which follows a young boy mistaken for an ambassador after inviting aliens to visit Earth, received critical acclaim with a 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 91% audience score.

However, it appears that fans just didn't show up in droves as expected. Opening in 3,750 theaters, Elio earned a paltry $5,600 per-screen average, leaving many wondering what went wrong. The film's poor performance is all the more surprising considering its unique premise and impressive visuals.

Meanwhile, How to Train Your Dragon is still riding high on its second week in theaters, despite facing stiff competition from new releases like Elio and 28 Years Later. The live-action adventure, starring Miles Thames, Nico Parker, and Gerard Butler, has collected a respectable $37 million in ticket sales, with international showings adding another $53 million to its global total of $358 million.

28 Years Later: Apocalyptic Fright Flick Scaring Up Big Numbers!

The apocalyptic thriller 28 Years Later, starring Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, has also made a splash at the box office. With a solid opening weekend of $30 million from 3,444 theaters, this fright flick is set to remain a top contender for weeks to come.

Critics have given 28 Years Later a strong 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating, while audiences have responded with a more enthusiastic 65%. The film's success is not surprising, considering its talented cast and the enduring popularity of the 2002 original, 28 Days Later.

The Rest of the Box Office News:

• Lilo & Stitch, Disney's live-action romp, has dropped to fourth place but remains one of the most successful films of 2025 with a global total of $910 million.
• Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning rounded out the top five, with international audiences proving more welcoming than domestic viewers.
• Materialists, the romantic comedy starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, has plummeted from third place to sixth, collecting a mere $5.8 million in its second weekend.
• Ballerina, an action thriller from the world of John Wick, debuted at number seven with a lackluster $4.5 million in ticket sales.
• Karate Kid: Legends and Final Destination: Bloodlines took up the eighth and ninth spots, respectively, while newcomer Kuberaa, an Indian morality tale, debuted at number 10.

Stay tuned for next weekend's box office battle between Brad Pitt's F1: The Movie and M3gan 2.0 - it's going to be a wild ride!