This is undoubtedly a pity-Pixar's new work "Elio" did not bring box office surprises like "Elemental".Instead of becoming a dark horse, it became a complete failure case.
"Elio"'s box office defeat is sad because this video is actually not bad.It has stunning alien design, light and interesting stories, and even quotes a line from Carl Sagan, which not only evokes the audience's awe of the infinite possibilities of science, but also makes us miss one of the most thoughtful great minds of the 20th century.
Of course, we can blame all this on poor marketing, This is not unreasonable, and the competition for blockbusters during the same period really makes it difficult for Elio to break through.But even so, we cannot deny that this is not Pixar's best work.Worse, it is reported that Elio has undergone serious creative changes behind the scenes, with the final release being very different from what the original creator and director envisioned.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals the upheavals behind the film: from the deletion of homosexual elements to the sharp weakening of Latino cultural performance.These changes directly resulted in the exit of star and co-director Adrian Molina and actor America Ferrera.After reading this report, it is hard not to be angry that Pixar personally ruined a work that could be of great significance. Out of fear of public reaction, they polished the original unique and moving story to mediocrity, but no one cared about it.
According to reports, Elio's protagonist, Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), was originally a character with a strong LGBTQ hint, which also reflects Molina's identity as a publicly come out gay director.Although he did not intend to make the movie a "coming story" - Ellio was only 11 years old after all - there were indeed many details in the original script that clearly pointed to the character's sexual orientation.
For example, there was a scene that was shown to Pixar employees two years ago: Ellio picked up garbage on the beach and transformed it into a clothing that included a pink vest; and another scene showed Ellio's bedroom walls covered with photos that suggested he had a good impression of men."It's clear throughout the production that the company's top executives have been constantly 'smearing' those clips that suggest Ellio's queer identity," a former Pixar artist told THR.
However, with increasing feedback from Pixar management, Ellio's image has gradually been portrayed as a more "traditional masculinity".It was reported that during an early preview, the audience expressed their love for the film, but had no strong motivation to watch it in the cinema.This phenomenon is not an isolated case, but the result of Disney's long-standing strategic mistakes - CEO Bob Iger has also admitted that It was a bad decision to put some Pixar movies directly on streaming.
After that preview, Molina left the project, and the film was redirected by new co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi."I feel deeply saddened and indignant about these changes. After that edited version came out, many people chose to leave, which fully demonstrated how disappointed everyone was - they destroyed an otherwise beautiful work with their own hands."
In addition to the erasure of queer elements, Elio also lost another important identity feature: the Latino identity of the protagonist Elio Solís.
Considering Molina's background and the initial voice-over lineup, one would naturally expect the film to tap into the narrative potential of Latino culture.However, this is almost completely missing in the final version, which is undoubtedly a huge waste of opportunity.
As early as the first release of "Elio" in 2022, Emilyca Flira appeared on the stage of Disney D23 fan conference, introducing her to play Ellio's mother Olga.But in the film, the character is voiced by Zoe Saldaña and becomes Elio's aunt.According to THR, Frira has completed the dubbing work, but she chose to withdraw from the project due to Molina's departure."Emilyca is disappointed because there are no longer Latino voices in the leadership." Indeed, you shouldn't just name the protagonist Ellio Solis, invite Latino actors to dub, and arrange a parent role working in the army without giving any cultural connotation.
It is these two major changes that make Elio ultimately lack a distinct identity.What is presented to the audience now is a relaxed and interesting but no highlights, a dull Pixar summer production—as the preview audience said, you “don’t need” to go to the cinema to watch it.
Of course, the queer element in Elio is cut, which is not an isolated case.Just last year, Pixar's Disney series "Win or Lose" also cut off the transgender plot line due to high-level intervention.If Pixar wants to reshape the brand image, regain the trust of the audience, and truly get rid of its dependence on sequels, it must learn to respect creative freedom - let the creators truly "create", rather than deprive the most core and powerful part of the work.
At present, "Elio" is being screened in theaters.
