The 2023 Pixar film ‘Elemental’ upon release, was considered to be a major flop, bringing in less than its original projected $40 Million opening. It was also heavily criticized for its predictable story. The idea that Pixar was no longer the company people once knew began to set in, and it looked like Disney would lose a lot of money off of it.



But now it appears that the film does have some “positive news” as, according to Box Office Mojo, the film is now the company’s most successful post-pandemic release. 



As of this writing, the film has surpassed $300 Million worldwide, putting it ahead of the previous title holder Encanto, which had $256.8 Million. Disney’s other animated features, such as Raya and the Last Dragon and Strange World, were also disappointments, bringing in only 130.4 Million and $73.6 Million, respectively.



Even Pixar’s own Lightyear, a film based on a previously existing brand, was crushed by Elemental since it only brought in $226.4 Million. But let’s not forget that Soul, Luca and Turning Red never had a chance at the box office as they were relegated to Disney+ content. Not to mention Onward was pulled from theaters relatively quickly as a result of the pandemic. 

Despite the somewhat mixed word of mouth, the film has seemingly been gaining traction as time has gone on. Outperforming other films like DreamWorks’ Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken and The Flash from Warner Bros. Perhaps the recent dry spell of films has led to people checking it out.



Now with Elemental becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated film after the COVID-19 pandemic, does that mean it will be successful? Not entirely. The film had a $200 Million budget behind it, not to mention the cost of marketing and theater cuts. Realistically the film needs somewhere close to $550 Million – $600 Million to turn a profit.

Will Elemental be able to make Disney a profit? Or will they keep losing money? Let us know your thoughts.

Source: Box Office Mojo