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Pixar’s latest animated feature Elio crash-landed at the global box office, pulling in just $35 million in its debut weekend — $14 million from international markets and $21 million domestically. The underwhelming start marks the lowest worldwide opening in Pixar’s history, falling below even 2023’s Elemental, which managed $44.5 million globally in its first weekend.
Despite strong audience feedback, the $150 million space adventure — about a boy who is mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to a galactic council — faces a steep uphill climb to profitability. Disney is hoping positive word-of-mouth will mirror Elemental’s trajectory, which overcame its slow start to ultimately gross $496 million worldwide. With no major animated competitors arriving until Paramount’s Smurfs hits theaters on July 18, Elio may still have a chance to recover in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Universal’s live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon soared in its second weekend, collecting $53.5 million from 81 markets. Its international total now sits at $197 million, with $385 million worldwide — a strong performance that’s fueling excitement for the already announced 2027 sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2.
Over at Sony, the zombie genre saw new life with 28 Years Later, which opened to $60 million globally — $30 million from 59 international markets and another $30 million from North America. The film performed best in the U.K. ($6.4 million), Mexico ($2.7 million), Australia ($1.7 million), and South Korea ($1.5 million). A follow-up to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), the third installment continues the franchise nearly three decades after the original outbreak, as a group of survivors uncovers a dangerous viral mutation.
With a modest $60 million budget, 28 Years Later is already on track to become the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, surpassing the original’s $75 million total. Sony has plans to expand the series into a new trilogy, with The Bone Temple already completed and slated for a 2026 release.
