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The surreal sci-fi space adventure Elio is set to be Pixar’s 28th animated feature, their first since 2023 sleeper-hit Elemental. One of a few upcoming Pixar movies on Disney’s release slate, Elio is about 11-year-old Elio Solis, a young boy who accidentally becomes the intergalactic ambassador for planet Earth. With longtime Pixar writer Adrian Molina making his directorial debut for Elio, there are already a lot of signs the next Pixar movie could capture the same magic the studio is known for when at its best.
Available To Stream On Disney+
While there haven’t been many Elio cast members revealed yet or much about the story beyond the basic premise, the teasers and behind-the-scenes reveals for the new Pixar movie have already gained attention — especially after 2023’s Elemental became a hit on Disney+. With a 2025 release date set by Disney and the first teaser footage already available there’s plenty to discuss when it comes to Pixar’s Elio.
Most Recent Elio News
Pixar’s Elio Has Been Delayed
The latest Pixar Elio news came on October 27, 2023. Disney unfortunately announced that due to the still-ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes the Elio release date has been delayed (via THR). While the new Pixar movie previously scheduled for a 2024 premiere the Elio release date has now been pushed back to June 13, 2025. This is over a year away from its original March 2024 release date, and Elio wasn’t the only upcoming Disney movie to be delayed (the other being the upcoming live-action Snow White).
Elio Is Confirmed
Pixar’s Elio Will Be The Studio’s Next Original Movie
Elio is confirmed, with Pixar first announcing the upcoming original movie in September 2022 at Pixar’s D23 Expo presentation. Adrian Molina will make his solo directorial debut with the movie, after co-directing Coco with Lee Unkrich. Molina is a longtime Pixar staple who also worked on the projects Lightyear, Luca, Monster’s University, and Toy Story 4, among others. Elio also marks Mary Alice Drumm’s first full effort as a producer following associate producer credits on Coco, The Good Dinosaur, and Brave.
Elio Release Date
Pixar’s Elio Premieres in 2025
The Elio release date is June 13, 2025. While the new Pixar movie was originally scheduled to release in March 2024 ahead of the release of Inside Out 2 it was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. There is no word yet about whether the movie will simultaneously be available on Disney Plus or when the movie will otherwise hit streaming.
Elio Cast
Who Is Starring In Pixar’s Elio?
The Elio cast has only been partially revealed. America Ferrera is voicing Elio’s hardworking mom, Olga Solis, while Yonas Kibreab has the title role. Ferrera is best known for starring in the TV shows Superstore and Ugly Betty and playing Carmen in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Kibreab is a child actor who has appeared in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Sweet Tooth.
Following the Elio trailer release, two more Elio cast members have been revealed. Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett will play Ambassador Questa and Ambassador Grigon, respectively. The characters are two alien ambassadors that Elio meets at a strange, interplanetary location. Jamil is a British actress best known for playing Tahani Al-Jamil in the sitcom The Good Place, while Garrett is best known for playing Robert, Ray Borano’s brother in Everybody Loves Raymond. Garrett is no stranger to Pixar, as he also voiced a role in 2007’s Ratatouille.
Elio Story Details
What Is Pixar’s Elio About?
Elio is unlike any other Pixar movie on Disney’s slate. The animated feature is about an 11-year-old boy who lives with his mom, Olga, and has a hard time fitting in. Olga is working on a secret military project after learning of a signal from outer space. But Elio intercepts the signal and is beamed up to space instead of his mother, leading to an adventure of a lifetime in a strange alien-based city. While Elio is shy and has a hard time making friends, at D23 Ferrera called Olga, “super-confident, smart and can hold her own in any situation.”
Pixar has released an official plot synopsis for Elio (via Pixar), which is as follows:
For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new movie Elio, the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Elio Trailer
Watch The Trailer For Pixar’s Elio
The new Elio trailer sees Elio sucked into outer space after chaos erupts at his mother’s work, and he’s mistaken for the leader of Earth by aliens. While it isn’t clear why, Earth is seemingly on trial when Elio meets with other aliens at the interplanetary location, and it’s up to the boy to save humankind. However, it isn’t all end-of-the-world stakes, as Elio bonds with one alien who also has a strained relationship with his mother. Based on the trailer, Elio promises one of the most colorful and spectacular-looking Pixar movies in years.
Elio could even deliver on the sci-fi elements that audiences and critics didn’t get with Lightyear. Elio is full of inventive alien designs and complex sci-fi themes, but at the same time, it doesn’t seem like it’s taking itself too seriously. Elio is shaping up to be an instantly lovable Pixar character, and the movie has that underlying family theme that’s a typical Pixar trademark, as there’s a clear lack of communication between the main character and his mother. Overall, Elio could be a classic Pixar movie, as the trailer certainly sets up an adventure with a lot of heart.
