The new trailer for Elio promises some fantastic fun for an intergalactic Pixar outing! However, it also hints the film may have undergone a major change in production!
It's been a tricky time for Pixar. The animation studio suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all banished to Disney+ while Lightyear became the company's biggest flop.
They turned it around, with Elemental overcoming a poor opening to become a box office success and Inside Out 2 being a monster hit. Elio was going to be arriving in March of 2024, only to be bumped to this summer.
The first teaser, released in 2023, had the apparent setup of an alien race contacting Earth and demanding, "Give us your leader." Thanks to a telephone snafu, the aliens mistake young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) for Earth's leader and whisk him into space, where Elio has to "defend" humanity to the universe.
A new trailer has been released that hints the actual film may be different from what fans expected!
The Elio trailer promises a universal friendship
The new trailer shows Elio already a misfit and outcast on Earth, teased by other kids for his eyepatch and belief in aliens. That builds to him using a communications center to send a message into space, begging to be abducted.
The wish comes true when Elio heads into space and befriends Glordon (Remy Edgerly), a quirky alien. He's the son of Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) who expects his son to follow in his footsteps (well, more like slimy trails) as an intergalactic warlord. Instead, Glordon would rather be a peaceful guy with Elio helping him.
We see some wonderful visuals and the bonding of Elio and Glordon. There's also a bit of Elio's aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), who is able to contact him and is happy he's made a friend in space. The film looks to be a nice comeback for Pixar in terms of a great storyline and gorgeous animation.
But does it also show there was a big change in direction?
Did Elio change directions?
What strikes someone comparing this trailer to the teaser is how the story seems to have shifted. That teaser sold the idea that Elio brought into space was just pure accident of the aliens mistaking him for Earth's leader.
Here, we hear an alien say that "We search the universe for dreamers and stargazers like you." That hints that they heard Elio's message and chose him specifically for wanting to be in space. That matches how, rather than be terrified, Elio is overjoyed at being taken into space and embracing this adventure. This indicates there were some storyline changes due to production issues.
Originally, the film was directed by Adrian Molina, but in 2024, it was announced that Molina was departing the film due to scheduling issues. He still retains a co-directing credit with Turning Red runners Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian taking over.
Among the changes made was that originally (as in the first teaser), America Ferrera played Elio's mom. Due to scheduling conflicts, Ferrera was replaced by now-Oscar winner Zoe Saldana and the character changed to Elio's aunt.
It should be noted that this doesn't mean the movie is in trouble. If we were to talk about the Disney movies that changed directions mid-proudction and became hits, we'd be here all day. Almost every Pixar film has undergone such changes, often for the better.
These changes can explain why Disney delayed the movie by over a year, to give it time to shift up the storyline. It could be that Pixar executives thought the original concept with Elio playing on being Earth's leader with the aliens not grasping the ruse may have been too reminiscent of the classic sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest and that it lacked the Pixar touch.
The story now seems to focus on Elio loving being in space and a place he finally feels he belongs. There is action in a possible alien invasion of Earth, yet the trailer sells the friendship of Elio and Glordon as the real focus, which does fit Pixar.
That this comes from the directors of Turning Red, one of Pixar's best recent efforts, is a good sign. That movie was wonderful, nailing the dynamics of a tense mother-daughter relationship and acceptance. Elio can do the same with the young boy, realizing that maybe he doesn't need to leave Earth to find a place to belong.
With the trailer hinting at this new story and direction, one hopes Elio becomes another Pixar smash when it hits this summer.
Elio premieres in theaters June 20, 2025.