Disney has once again collided with the conservative cautionary wall that has been erected for the company over the years.
A recent expos by the Hollywood Reporter unveiled the disastrous performance of Pixar's animated film "Elio," a project so poorly managed and creatively compromised that it may be remembered as Pixar's worst theatrical release.
The expos revealed that "Elio" was initially conceived as a story about an 11-year-old boy with a passion for fashion and a crush on another boy. This original narrative, supported by co-director Adrian Molina and others, including actress America Ferrera, was discreetly replaced with a version more digestible to a broader audience.
According to the Western Journal, the studio employed a team, including three directors, who repeatedly revised the story to present a more conventional protagonist. However, this process resulted in the alienation of the cast and crew.
An anonymous source quoted in the Hollywood Reporter's expos described the project as being out of touch even before it alienated its audience. The source revealed that Ferrera was "upset that there was no longer Latinx representation" and consequently withdrew from the project.
The fallout from Pixar's mismanagement was a $200 million flop that failed to attract an audience. "Elio" debuted with a mere $20 million in domestic earnings three weeks ago. For a studio renowned for billion-dollar franchises like Toy Story, a $20 million opening is a death knell.
The decline of Pixar and Disney has been evident since their earlier successes, and "Elio" is not an isolated failure. As a father, I viewed the initial trailer and never contemplated taking my family to watch what was evidently a politically correct disaster. I was not alone in this sentiment. As of Tuesday, "Elio" had only garnered approximately $42 million from American moviegoers.
Midway through its average theatrical run, "Elio" is a confirmed failure. This Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) disaster is the latest in a series of missteps by Disney and its subsidiaries. This year's uninspiring, live-action remake of "Snow White" is another example of a forgettable release.
"Elio" serves as further evidence that Hollywood's persistent fixation on identity politics and "representation" at the expense of storytelling can have costly repercussions. The Hollywood Reporter's expos reveals that Pixar executives were torn between telling a compelling story and promoting a social agenda to children. In the end, Disney/Pixar failed on both fronts.
Conservatives have been raising concerns for years as Disney has strayed from its role as a producer of timeless, family-friendly content and plunged headfirst into radical activism. From introducing homosexual plotlines in "Lightyear" to race-swapping beloved characters and implementing DEI initiatives that alienate core audiences, Disney has consistently prioritized promoting political correctness over traditional wisdom.
Parents are switching off. Moviegoers are staying home. Shareholders are likely the only ones associated with the studio who are still glued to screens.
In fairness, "Elio" was never destined to be "Toy Story." However, it didn't have to be a disaster either. If Disney/Pixar had concentrated on their proven formula of character development, plot, and universal themes, the film might have had a chance of recouping at least some of its production and advertising costs.
Instead, Pixar produced an expensive catastrophe by a politically correct committee that lacked appeal. The company now faces another loss, and if someone doesn't steer the ship in a different direction, it is headed for certain disaster.
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