The Pixar of summer 2025 is here, and it's going to have to do a lot to follow last year's blockbuster, Inside Out 2. While the whole of Hollywood seems to be succumbing to the call of sequels, remakes, and reboots, the animation studio is maintaining its usual philosophy and isn't content to simply continue its most popular franchises. Original stories are at the heart of Pixar's DNA and intend to stay there. Before seeing Buzz and Woody on the big screen in summer 2026, viewers will be able to immerse themselves in two completely new universes, starting with Elio, released in theaters this Wednesday, June 18.
If this production seems to have come out of nowhere, it's not a false impression. After an initial teaser released in 2023, the animated film, initially scheduled for March 2024, was then pushed back a year to be reworked under the supervision of new directors. And since this change of schedule, it's safe to say that Elio has been rather discreet. Pixar's latest film is far from enjoying the same media coverage as Inside Out 2, but don't see this as a sign of a bad film that Disney is trying to eclipse. Quite the opposite: Elio is a very human intergalactic journey that, although fundamentally different from its early drafts, is well worth our attention.
Should we be concerned about last-minute changes?
If your only contact with Elio dates back to the 2023 teaser, the film you're about to see in theaters may surprise you. The connections between the characters, their personalities, and the structure of the script were all reworked when Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi (Red Alert) took over the project from Adrian Molina (Coco). Young Elio is no longer accidentally abducted by aliens; the boy, now passionate about space, is desperate to make contact with extraterrestrial life forms. Olga Solis's character, initially introduced as his mother, has finally become his aunt, forced to raise her nephew following the death of his parents. Even the antagonist takes on a completely different form.
Normally, so many changes would be cause for concern. After all, it was by turning the Moana series into a last-minute feature film that Disney ended up giving us a lackluster sequel. Does this complete overhaul of Elio give us a disappointing Pixar? Absolutely not. What started out as a rather banal science fiction adventure ultimately gives way to a touching storyline, a true ode to difference that will warm the hearts of children (and adults) who have never felt like they fit in.
When science fiction leads to acceptance
After the excellent Red Alert, which did not fail to return with nostalgia to the most difficult, but important moments of adolescence, directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian seem once again to dedicate their film to the challenges of youth. The creative duo took advantage of the framework offered by science fiction to represent a childhood that we see all too rarely on screen. Elio is an energetic boy, with his mind everywhere and nowhere, but especially elsewhere: in space. This unusual passion for the cosmos also leads him to be rejected by most of his peers. So, it doesn't take long for us to find in this young protagonist the portrait of a neuroatypical child, desperately seeking to find his place while no other human seems to "function" like him.
And it's thanks to this particularly intelligent redesign that the world of Elio ends up working so well. Because, if the visuals of the film have not changed and remain faithful to what Pixar has been able to offer us in recent years, anchoring such a story in a cosmic world not only allows us to offer a unique work of science fiction, but also to reinforce the message that the film is trying to share with us. This image of aliens welcoming with open arms a boy who has nevertheless been abandoned by humans will not go over anyone's head: enough to hit us right in the heart while reminding us that we still have a lot of work to do in terms of empathy on Earth.
A simple Pixar, but no less effective
If the subtext of Elio is particularly effective, it should still be noted that the screenplay structure remains very, even too simple. Against a backdrop of lies, Elio proclaims himself the representative of planet Earth, and desperately tries to preserve his secret in order to maintain his relationship with his new alien friends, and especially with young Glordon (whom we almost want to call the most adorable Pixar character). The bond between Elio and Glordon quickly becomes the central theme of this story, since this unexpected friendship also presents itself as a promise of peace for the cosmos.
Glordon's father, seeking war and destruction, naturally disapproves of this peaceful friendship. We then find many clichés that are generally attributed to works derived from Romeo and Juliet, enough to give the impression of discovering a more childish West Side Story, less dramatic and with a backdrop of friendship rather than romance. As you will have understood, Elio does not reinvent anything, but it is also thanks to this familiar structure that the film is so easy to watch. We then let ourselves be carried away by the natural unfolding of the story, enough to concentrate on the well-crafted humor and the beautiful moral that the directors have managed to infuse into this project.
A French version that aims very just
To top it all off, Elio benefits from a high-flying French dubbing, despite the involvement of novice profiles. While the practice of star talent – that is, the inclusion of celebrities in the voice casting of a film to increase its popularity – tends to be criticized, the French adaptation teams have this time managed to find actors whose motivation and curiosity for dubbing truly bear fruit. In the supporting roles of scientist Gunther Melmac and galactic ambassador Tegmen, we find Jamy Gourmaud and Alban Lenoir, whose voices seem unrecognizable as they let loose in their interpretation.
But it is above all worth highlighting the vocal performance of Zita Hanrot in the role of Olga Solis, Elio's aunt. The gentleness and sincerity that the actress brought to each of the character's interventions are particularly touching and allow us to deepen the humanity of the relationship between Olga and Elio. We feel all the distress, but also the love that the young woman feels towards her nephew: a feat that is surprising to say the least, knowing that this is the actress's first experience of dubbing.
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