Elio Flop Sparks director Reality control for original animated movies and the Pixar animation must evolve

Pixar’s Helium Open with only $ 21 million at the box office, the weakest debut of the Studio ever and Wall Street realized it. While the critics were relatively kind (84% on rotten tomatoes), the financial base was not only of the film itself.

According to Wall Street analyst Doug CreutzThis flop highlights a deeper problem that could remodel the future of animated films and believes that it is not only the executive that should take blame.

“We expect that the film studies react to this clear trend by giving way to less original IP animated films (do not blame the managers of the films, blame the public).

: The problem, of course, is that without new successful properties, a study cannot grow its IP portfolio. This could be particularly problematic for Disney, which depends on the Flywheel of animated films/parks/consumer products to help guide the company’s general growth. “

So, if the public continues to ignore the original ideas, the industry will stop creating them. This means more sequels, less risks and a creative panorama that plays it safe.

Creutz stresses that since 2022, original Disney animated films, including Pixar and Universal, including lighting, have an average of $ 412 million globally, which is less than half of the average of $ 844 million brought by sequel to the same period.

That gap is enormous and becomes darker when you realize the Super Mario Bros.which has earned $ 1.36 billion is considered “original” in some comparisons, despite being based on a game franchise of decades.

From a corporate point of view, Elio’s failure stings for something more than only pride. The CEO of International Theme Park Services, in an interview with Bloomberg said: “The intellectual property has really become the cornerstone of the modern themed parks sector”.

With $ 34 billion of annual revenue on the parks on the line, Disney has on each animated film to make more than selling tickets and must sell toys, sparkling attractions and generating long -term fandoms.

But beyond the trends of IP and the market, there is another problem that is building for a while. I think Pixar’s animation style runs out with the public. Despite the emotional narrative, it forms what I have noticed, many spectators seem that visual aesthetic has become stale.

An online common complaint is the artistic style. Pixar is not evolving visually in the way they have other studies. Sony Pictures Animation has taken great and daring oscillations with Spider-Man: in the spider-Versetto AND Turtles Ninja Mutants teenagers: mutant chaospushing the boundaries and re -growing how animation can be. HeliumOn the contrary, I felt visually safe and even underwater.

Honestly, the story deserved better. Elio had strong narrative ideas, but imagine how much more powerful it could have been with an interesting and innovative animation style. Pixar still has an incredible talent at hand, but clings to a look of the house that is starting to feel creatively.

This is not just a flop movie. It is an entire creative direction that loses Steam and the public, in one part, allows it. If the spectators present themselves only for predictable family and sequel, then new ideas will have no chance. Studies are looking closely and are adapting accordingly.

The road to go for the original animation has become a little more rough. If that road leads to a bold reinvention or more recycled IP, it can depend less on the risk of study and more on the fact that the public is willing to present itself for something new.

Via: deadline