When Pixar’s animated film Elemental debuted in June, it didn’t blaze a trail at the box office like many of the studio’s previous hits. Opening with around $30 million domestically, it fell short of the usual massive box office success associated with Pixar films. However, the story took an unexpected twist as the film continued to draw audiences, resulting in a remarkable feat at the box office.
Directed by Peter Sohn, Elemental unfolds in a world of elements and revolves around the love story of Ember, a fiery character, and Wade, who is more indecisive. Despite its modest start, the film’s fortunes turned around.
Recently, Elemental surpassed the $400 million mark at the global box office, with $148 million of that coming from domestic audiences. This achievement is exceptional, as it represents a multiple of approximately five times its opening weekend earnings—a feat not commonly witnessed in a theatrical landscape where most moviegoers tend to flock to cinemas during the opening weekend.
The success of the film can be attributed to various factors. It boasts a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a favorable reception among moviegoers. Additionally, it holds an “A” CinemaScore, contributing to strong word-of-mouth recommendations. In a summer marked by a scarcity of family-oriented films, Elemental has emerged as a popular choice across age groups. Watch the trailer below:
REELated:
Tony Chambers, Disney’s EVP of Theatrical Distribution, expressed satisfaction with the film’s trajectory, noting, “After a disappointing opening weekend, we’re really pleased that audiences have discovered what a great movie it is.”
Remarkably, Elemental stands out as an original story in a landscape where many top-grossing animated films are sequels or part of established franchises. In fact, it’s the first original animated film from any studio to surpass the $400 million milestone since 2017.
International audiences have also played a significant role in Elemental’s success. It capitalized on a clear path during the domestic summer play period, with top-performing international markets in South Korea, Mexico, France, and the UK driving its global gross. Notably, the film has raked in $48 million in South Korea, becoming the most-viewed foreign film of the year and the highest-viewed Pixar film released in the country.
The film recently premiered in Japan, its final international market, securing a promising start for the upcoming Obon holidays. The journey of Elemental underscores that the true measure of a box office success story lies not only in how a film begins but in how it concludes.
Chambers observed, “Recently it’s been more challenging for original animated and live-action IP to break through, but you can’t create a franchise without taking a swing, and no other studio has taken more swings than Disney.”
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