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San Francisco Chronicle
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pixar faces backlash after cutting LGBTQ, Latinx content from ‘Elio'
Pixar insiders, stung by the box-office failure of ' Elio,' are slamming the Emeryville animation studio's decision to remove its gay-coded content and Latino representation, claiming it stripped the film of its heart and identity. 'Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing,' a former Pixar artist told the Hollywood Reporter in a story posted Monday, June 30. The changes reportedly led to the departure of the animated feature's original director Adrian Molina and star America Ferrera. 'The 'Elio' that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian's best version of the original,' added the artist, who spoke to THR under anonymity. Pixar suffered the worst opening weekend in its history with 'Elio,' which was released in theaters on June 20 and pulled in just $21 million in North America and $14 million overseas in its first three days. It earned an additional $10.7 million last weekend, but that's still a 49% drop for a film estimated to have cost between $150 million and $200 million. 'I'd love to ask Pete and the other Disney executives whether or not they thought the rewrite was worth it,' says the artist, referring to Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter. 'Would they have lost this much money if they simply let Adrian tell his story?' The studio, reacting to rejection by audiences, has taken to social media to call out fans and critics for not supporting original content. Molina, who co-wrote and co-directed Pixar's 2017 hit ' Coco,' is an openly gay filmmaker whose original cut of 'Elio' reportedly included a sequence in which Elio, an 11-year-old boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens to escape his lonely life, collects trash on the beach and turns it into a pink tank top and shows it off to a hermit crab as his 'trash-ion show.' Also eliminated was a scene in Elio's bedroom with pictures suggesting a male crush. 'Elio was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me,' added another former Pixar staffer who worked on the film. The film was delayed for about a year after a disastrous test screening in Arizona in 2023. The audience said they generally enjoyed the movie, but when asked how many of them would see it in a theater, not a single hand was raised, according to THR's report. Molina also screened the film for Pixar leaders, including Docter, and the filmmaker was reportedly 'hurt' by the conversation that followed. Molina exited the project soon afterward and was eventually replaced by ' Turning Red ' director Domee Shi and East Bay native Madeline Sharafian. Molina is still credited as co-director on the finished film. Ferrera, who had already recorded dialogue as Elio's mother Olga, also left because 'America was upset that there was no longer Latinx representation in the leadership,' the former Pixar artist said. In the reworked film, Olga, voiced by Zoe Saldaña, is now Elio's aunt who is raising him after his parents' death. 'I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,' former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who provided feedback during the production as a member of the company's internal LGBTQ group PixPRIDE, told THR. 'The exodus of talent after that (original) cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work.' It is unclear if executives at Disney, the parent company of Pixar, were involved in the changes, although the former Pixar artist said, 'A lot of people like to blame Disney, but the call is coming from inside the house.' This is not the first time Pixar has faced controversy regarding queer content. A same-sex storyline was reportedly removed from its 2021 film 'Luca.' When ' Lightyear,' an offshoot of the ' Toy Story ' franchise, hit theaters in 2022, conservative commentators slammed it for including a same-sex relationship and kiss, prompting bans in potentially lucrative Middle Eastern territories. 'Lightyear,' which featured Marvel's 'Captain America' star Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, severely underperformed at the box office, which may have led to the decisions made a year later during the production of 'Elio.'
Scotsman
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Is Pixar's Elio on Disney Plus? When could it come out
Elio is Pixar's most recent film - but can you watch it on Disney Plus? Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Elio is Pixar's latest original movie. It has been released but you may have missed it. But when will it be on Disney Plus? Pixar has aimed for the stars with its latest movie in the form of Elio. The 2025 film is the storied studies latest animated original. Following a young boy who is mistaken for the ambassador of Earth by aliens, it has finally arrived in cinemas. Disney and its studios have kept viewers on their toes with exactly when its movies come to streaming. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You might be wondering if Elio is available to watch at home yet. Here's all you need to know: What is Pixar's Elio about and age rating? It's always exciting to see a new Pixar film on the release roster for the coming year - and their latest animated masterpiece looks like a real treat. It sees an 11-year-old boy accidentally becoming the intergalactic ambassador for Earth after being beamed up by aliens. Sounds like fun. | Contributed The brief synopsis on Disney Plus reads: 'An alien-obsessed boy finds himself transported across the galaxy and mistaken as Earth's leader.' It has a rating of 6 plus on the app, meaning it is available for children - but perhaps not very little ones. Is Pixar's Elio on Disney Plus yet? At the time of writing, Elio is not available to watch on Disney Plus yet. The movie released in cinemas on June 20 and it did not have a simultaneous release on streaming. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad During the pandemic a number of Pixar films - including Luca, Soul and Turning Red - went straight to Disney+. However the most recent releases such as Inside Out 2 and Elio have been exclusive to cinemas initially. Disney has not yet set a date for when Elio will be available on streaming - or at home in general. Expect more details in the coming weeks and months. The movie giant's most recent films have stuck more firmly to the 90 day theatrical window. Moana 2 sailed into cinemas in November last year and did not arrive on Disney Plus until March of this year, for example. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pixar's ‘Elio' reportedly stripped of queer representation after test screenings
The version of 'Elio' that hit theaters on June 20 is not the same movie that Adrian Molina, the film's original director, intended to put out. Pixar removed LGBTQ+ elements from the animated feature after receiving negative feedback from test screenings with audience members and executives, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film follows an 11-year-old boy named Elio who is mistaken for Earth's ambassador by aliens and is beamed up to the Communiverse — an intergalactic organization — to represent the planet. Trouble began in the summer of 2023 during a test screening in Arizona. After the film was over, audience members were asked to raise their hand if the movies was something they'd pay to see in theaters. No one did, causing Pixar executives to worry. According to THR, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter informed Molina after a separate screening for company executives that storyboard artist Madeline Sharafian would be promoted to co-director. Molina, who is gay, was given the option to co-direct the film with Sharafian but chose to exit the project instead after his original vision was changed. Shortly after, Docter announced internally that 'Turning Red' director and co-writer Domee Shi would join 'Elio' as co-director. Changes to the film included getting rid of a scene in which Elio shows off a pink tank top made out of beach litter to a hermit crab, as well as removing picture frames from Elio's bedroom wall that displayed a male crush. Executives also asked him to make the main character more 'masculine.' 'I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,' former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who was a member of the company's internal LGBTQ+ group and provided feedback during the production of 'Elio,' told THR. Ligatich added that a number of creatives working behind the scenes left after the new directors went in a different direction. 'The exodus of talent after that cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work,' she said. Actor America Ferrera was originally attached to the project as the voice of Elio's mother, Olga. Following Molina's departure, the 'Barbie' actor left the production because the film lacked 'Latinx representation in the leadership.' The character was later changed to be Elio's aunt and was voiced by Zoe Saldaña. In March 2025, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger announced Molina would return as co-director for 'Coco 2,' a follow-up to the 2017 film he co-wrote and co-directed. 'Elio' earned Pixar its worst domestic opening after it premiered on June 20. he film made $21 million at the box office and currently holds a 'fresh' 83% critics rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. 'The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian's best version of the original,' a former Pixar staffer who worked on the film told THR. '[The character] Elio was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me,' added another Pixar staffer. In a 2018 interview with the Huffington Post, Molina said he was 'all for it' when asked what it would take for an animated studio to green light a story with a queer protagonist. The Times reached out to Pixar for comment, but the studio did not respond.
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Deep heart, cosmic originality
PIXAR's Elio is the kind of animated film that sneaks up on audiences and gently blows them away with a telescope-sized dose of heart, humour and originality. In an era when sequels and spin-offs dominate, this charming standalone story arrives like a beam of light from the stars, refreshingly weird, wildly imaginative and deeply sincere. Beneath the glow-in-the-dark alien creatures and intergalactic hijinks lies a story that is grounded in the universal struggles of identity, belonging and the very human desire to be understood. And in true Pixar fashion, wraps all that emotion in a wonderfully absurd adventure involving alien ambassadors, unlikely friendships and one 11-year-old boy's very big misunderstanding. Genuine sense of wonder Elio is a film best approached with an open heart and no expectations, just the willingness to embrace the unknown. For those who do, a pleasant surprise awaits: this is one of Pixar's most original and emotionally rewarding stories in recent years. There is a genuine sense of wonder that pulses through every scene, thanks to the direction of Turning Red 's Domee Shi, Coco co-director Adrian Molina and Burrow 's Madeline Sharafian. The trio crafts a cinematic world that does not just look vibrant, it feels lived-in, alien yet oddly familiar. The Communiverse, home to dozens of eccentric extraterrestrials, is bursting with personality, from bureaucratic chaos to moments of surprising tenderness. Still, it is not just the visuals or the worldbuilding that wins over the audience. It is the characters. They are the heart and heartbeat of this cosmic journey. Unforgettable characters Elio Solis, voiced with wide-eyed charm by Yonas Kibreab, is the kind of protagonist one cannot help but root for. Awkward, imaginative and full of quiet courage, Elio brings a fresh energy to Pixar's line-up of young heroes. His personal growth throughout the story is subtle yet powerful, unfolding naturally amid all the outer space absurdity. Alongside him is Aunt Olga, voiced by Zoe Saldaña, whose recent Oscar-winning status only reinforces what is already clear: she brings soul to every character she plays. As Olga, she balances warmth, strength and vulnerability in a way that makes her more than just a side character, she is the emotional anchor of the film. Then there is Glordon (Remy Edgerly), a squidgy alien companion whose comedic timing and unwavering loyalty easily secure him a spot among Pixar's most lovable oddballs. Along with Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), Ambassador Questa (Jameela Jamil) and the hilariously cryptic OOOOO (Shirley Henderson), the ensemble forms a cosmic council of weirdness that somehow makes perfect sense. Each character contributes something unique and together, they create a symphony of voices that echo the film's core message: differences are not just accepted, they are celebrated. There is a moment, no spoilers, of course, when the story unexpectedly pivots from quirky fun into something far more emotionally profound. That is the Pixar magic at work. One second, the room is full of laughter, the next, silence. The kind where the throat tightens, the eyes sting and suddenly, there is a very real need to pretend that it is just allergies. It is these emotional pivots that set Elio apart from standard family fare. The film is unafraid to dig deep and it earns every tear with genuine storytelling, not manipulative sentimentality. Deserving wider audience Despite being nestled within Pixar's prestigious legacy, Elio does not carry the same built-in hype as the Toy Story or Inside Out franchises. And that is precisely why more people should be talking about it. It is a film that takes a risk by being new, by not banking on nostalgia and by speaking directly to those who have ever felt like an outsider even on their own planet. It is a reminder that original stories still matter and that animated films can do more than entertain, they can teach, heal and connect. At just over an hour and a half, Elio does not overstay its welcome. It says what it needs to say clearly, beautifully and with a healthy dose of cosmic chaos. Whether watching it alone, with family, or simply as someone who loves meaningful storytelling, it is hard not to walk away from Elio feeling just a little more connected to the universe. This is a must-watch film, not just for kids, but for anyone who remembers what it felt like to be misunderstood, to be scared of being different and to finally find a place where being different is the best thing one can be. In short, Elio is so good. It is heartfelt, funny, wildly imaginative and proof that Pixar still knows how to pull off an emotional haymaker in a sea of sequels. Just give it a try, you will not regret it.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Grey's Anatomy legend addresses possible show return and it's not good news
Former Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh has opened up on the possibility of returning to the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh has shared her thoughts on a potential return to the show, and it's not good news. Sandra is most recognised for her role as cardiothoracic surgeon Cristina Yang in the long-running medical drama. Cristina was part of the original group of interns, alongside Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and George O'Malley (TR Knight). During her tenure on the show, Cristina was at the centre of numerous high-profile storylines. Her relationship with Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) notably concluded on their wedding day in the third series, she was left shaken following the hospital shooting at the end of the sixth series, and was aboard the plane that crashed in the eighth series, reports the Mirror US. After ten series, Cristina departed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for a job in Zurich, Switzerland. She took up a position at the Klausman Institute for Medical Research, a hospital established by her former mentor and ex-fiancé, Preston. Since then, Sandra has starred in a variety of popular films and TV shows, including Killing Eve, The Chair and Turning Red. More than a decade after her departure from Grey's Anatomy, fans are still holding out hope for Cristina's comeback. However, Sandra has now addressed the possibility, and it's not the news fans were hoping for. In a chat with Deadline, the 53-year-old actress expressed appreciation for the show's fans, but also stated that she had "to be true" to herself. "What I have noticed, this is ten years out from leaving the show, is the deep appreciation that I have for the people who appreciate Cristina," Sandra said. "It is that love that has made me go, 'Oh, the fans really, really, really want it,' and for the first time, that's when I started opening up the idea." However, she added: "For me, I think to really be true to the people who enjoy your work, you have to be true to yourself. So, at this point, I don't think so." This sentiment echoes what Sandra expressed last year when probed about reprising her role as Cristina. "I love that you asked me that, because Cristina Yang is, of course, near and dear to my heart. [But] I will say, not anytime soon, my love," she had previously shared with Entertainment Tonight. "I hope people feel like I did my job, which is that I brought to life a character and she had a growth over ten seasons, and that it was true. She was ready to move on, and so have I." The season 21 finale of Grey's Anatomy aired in May, culminating in a nail-biting cliffhanger as a mother threatened to blow up a gas tank unless Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) performed surgery on her child. The explosive conclusion left viewers on the edge of their seats, with the destinies of several characters up in the air. Fans are eagerly awaiting the premiere of season 22 later this year to discover the aftermath of the devastating blast.
