Following its surprising but triumphant box office comeback, Elemental scores blockbuster Disney+ viewership numbers. The 2023 Pixar film explores a world where anthropomorphized representations of the elements carry out their day-to-day lives, following fire element Ember (Leah Lewis) and water element Wade (Mamoudou Athie) as they fall for one another. Upon its release, Elemental was largely well-received by critics, though early box office returns suggested it could be a flop when it failed to meet opening projections.
After becoming a summer sleeper hit and making an incredible box office comeback, Elemental has achieved further success through its Disney+ release, as Variety reports that it has become one of the service’s highest-performing titles of 2023. Across the first five days of its availability, Elemental has attracted 26.4 million views, surpassing The Little Mermaid‘s own impressive debut, which only racked up 16 million views. Elemental currently holds Disney+’s best 2023 movie debut, as well as having the best animated opening on the platform since Turning Red in 2022.
After Elemental, Could Other 2023 Disney Movies Find Redemption On Disney+?
Elemental‘s success on Disney+ could be part of a surprising trend for the studio’s summer releases. Both Elemental and The Little Mermaid have seen a surprisingly strong response upon their release on Disney+ after struggling to find an audience in theaters. Though Elemental managed to become a hit, The Little Mermaid saw a more mixed response, joining a number of other features that resulted in Disney struggling at the box office across the summer.
However, with both Elemental and The Little Mermaid attracting strong viewing numbers on the platform, it is clear that audiences are still interested in these projects, and other factors may have been in play for their muted theatrical runs. The summer movie season has been crowded, with too many high-budget features released at the same time. Should Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and The Haunted Mansion‘s Disney+ releases gather strong viewership numbers, the studio may reevaluate when they should release their features, giving each movie adequate space to find an audience.
Though it still remains to be seen if Disney’s other summer films can have a similar streaming comeback, Elemental‘s record-topping comeback is a positive sign for the Pixar’s animated future. After Lightyear‘s lackluster performance and various departures at Pixar, there have been concerns about what the future could have in store for the beloved company. With Elemental being a sleeper hit in theaters and now on streaming, it is clear that there remains interest in the company’s thoughtful tales.
