The team behind “Coco” has a new coming-of-age tearjerker in the works for Pixar. “Elio,” the 28th animated feature from the legendary studio, is directed by Adrian Molina who wrote and co-helmed 2018 Oscar-winning film.
“Elio” is centered around the titular 11-year-old underdog (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who has an active imagination and is beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from various galaxies. The official synopsis reads: Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
America Ferrera voices Elio’s mother Olga, with Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett cast as intergalactic ambassadors.
In addition to Molina, “Coco” associate producer Mary Alice Drumm also produces “Elio.”
“Elio” joins the slew of upcoming Disney/Pixar projects, including “Inside Out 2” and “Elemental,” which premiered at Cannes. Siddhant Adlakha’s IndieWire review praised the “stunning images and thoughtful aesthetics” behind the feature with themes of the American Dream and immigrant experience.
“‘Elemental’ has enough charming moments to get by, even if its meaning lies less in its ill-conceived immigrant saga, and more in the personal drama that lives a few layers beneath it,” the review reads.
Pixar’s first original long-form animated television series also debuts on Disney+ in 2024. Titled “Win or Lose,” the series hails from longtime Pixar executives Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates and tells the story of a week in the life of a middle school softball team called the Pickles as they prepare for their championship game. Each of the episodes will tell the same story from the perspective of different characters, with different animation styles utilized depending on the character POV.
“Win or Lose” isn’t the only high profile animated series that’s hitting Disney+ soon. “Zootopia+” is set to continue the 2016 film‘s storyline with six one-off episodes, with one featuring Martin Scorsese as a rodent in “The Godfather of the Bride.”
“Elio” premieres in theaters on March 1, 2024. Check out the teaser below.
