Pixar’s “Elemental,” released in theaters June 16, saw the second-worst opening sales in the studio’s history. At just $29.5 million domestically and $15 million worldwide, the film following humanoid iterations of the four elements finding themselves and falling in love saw a rocky start to covering its $200 million budget. As of June 25, the film has accumulated $121 million in a surprising comeback, but it has not dissuaded concerns over the studio’s recent poor performance.
Pixar’s previous theater-released films Onward, released in 2020, and Lightyear released in 2022, also saw disappointing sales. Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer, said in an interview with Fox News that the creators of Lightyear “asked too much of the audience” by introducing a meta, sci-fi concept without fan-favorite Toy Story characters. Both films also feature LGBT+ themes that saw controversy amongst audiences.
Pixar is struggling to refind its footing after switching to digital streaming releases following the pandemic. Films Turning Red, Soul, and Luca were the first to be initially or exclusively released on the streaming service Disney+. The strategy was employed in part to accommodate families unable to physically travel to theaters. While most of these films saw high critical acclaim, the transition back to traditional screening is proving to be difficult.
Poor Marketing
Despite “Elemental’s” box-office comeback, some moviegoers claim they have not heard of the film’s release. Others who have seen the film give positive reviews, but got a different story than expected. Many are attributing this disconnect to poor marketing in the months leading up to the release.
“Elemental” appears to be an allegory for immigrant families. Fire Town, the home of female lead Ember, has similarities with American Chinatowns. As Ember and the male lead water element Wade pursue a relationship through cultural differences, the film also highlights a lack of accessibility and visibility for marginalized groups.
However, the trailer and much of the marketing shies away from this metaphor. Additionally, several advertisements leading up to the film’s release focus on the side character “Clod”, a comedic earth element vying for Ember’s romantic interest. According to Hollywood critic Cindy White, this may have been an attempt from Pixar to not appear “woke.”
“In hiding the film’s central conceit…Pixar ended up with a generic marketing campaign that tried to appeal to everyone, yet didn’t really speak to anyone,” White said.
Despite criticisms from moviegoers, the “Elemental” marketing team executed notable advertising stunts, including a viral photorealistic fire extinguisher surrounded by Elemental characters Ember and Wade.
The Future of Pixar
The turnaround in the box office means “Elemental” will probably see better overall sales than previous films Onward and Lightyear, but Pixar has work to do in repairing its image.
Fans are starting to expect films to eventually be released on Disney+, coupled with going to the movies, becoming increasingly expensive. Seeing a film on the big screen is now reserved for special occasions. “Elemental” is also competing with several popular titles this month, making winning audiences even more difficult.
“Elemental” may be the start of a trend for Pixar movies, having better long run than open-day sales and gradual popularity through word-of-mouth. The issue lies in new franchises like Elemental not having established fanbases. “Right now, the world seems to want the comfort of what they know, which is sequels, and movies based on things like comic books or video games,” said Docter in an interview with Variety.
Pixar also recently laid off 75 employees not sparing even instrumental players like the Lightyear director and the woman that saved the production of Toy Story 2. Critics and fans alike worry about the creative direction of the studio. American cultural history expert Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier said in an interview with AV Club that she is fearful “that Disney will fold Pixar into Disney Animation completely.”
Looking Up
Concerns aside, Pixar, which has long been held as the golden standard of animation, has not been written off. If the studio continues to be innovative and new franchises find their niches, it will bounce back from complications caused by the pandemic. The belated success of Elemental gives hope for upcoming films “Elio” and “Inside Out 2.”
Elemental is in its second week of movie screening. It is currently battling “Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse” for the best daily box-office performance.
Written by Elena Wilson
Sources:
The New York Times: Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Falls Flat, Adding to Worries About the Brand; by Brooks Barnes
AV Club: What went wrong with Elemental—and where does Pixar go from here?; by Cindy White
Variety: After ‘Elemental’ Bombs, Can Pixar Restore Its Box Office Touch?; by Rebecca Rubin
Fox News: Pixar exec says ‘Lightyear’ movie flopped because ‘we asked too much of audience’; by Alexander Hall
Fandom Wire: “Didn’t even know this movie came out already”: Fans Remain Clueless as $200M Pixar Movie ‘Elemental’ Finally Beats ‘Across the Spider-Verse’; by Prantik Prabal Roy
Inside The Magic: Newest Pixar Movie Slammed for Racist Allegory; by Jessica Nicole
Fandom Wire: “Marketing for this movie has been terrible”: ‘Elemental’ Predicted to Perform Worse Than Chris Evans’ Lightyear, Fans Enraged as Quality Dips; by Anushree Banerjee
Screen Rant: Elemental Box Office Sees Heated Comeback After Recording Pixar’s 2nd Worst Opening Weekend Debut; by Matthew Rudoy
The Mary Sue: Everyone’s Pretty Sure This Ad for Disney’s ‘Elemental’ Is Illegal; by Brooke Pollock
Variety: Pixar Boss Pete Docter Says the Studio ‘Trained’ Families to Expect Disney+ Debuts, ‘Elemental’ Buzz at Cannes Was ‘Confusing’; by Jazz Tangcay
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Ian Kennedy’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Budiey’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
