Pixar’s new bet,
Elio
, arrived in theaters in June with a sweet story about belonging, grief, and intergalactic friendship. However, a report from the
The Hollywood Reporter
revealed that the final version shown on the big screen is quite different from the original idea conceived by the director
Adrian Molina
And that scenes with LGBTQ+ subtexts were removed throughout the process.
According to sources cited by the publication, the problems began in 2023, when an initial version of the movie was shown to testers and Pixar’s leadership. The response was lukewarm, with many saying they wouldn’t go to the cinema to watch the film. Shortly afterwards, Molina, who is openly gay, left the project’s direction. Although he received an offer to remain as co-director, he decided to step down due to changes made to his original script.
From then on, the film underwent a creative restructuring in the hands of
Madeline Sharafian
e
Domee Shi
. During this process, scenes that hinted at Elio’s possible queer identity were cut. Among them was a sequence referred to by the crew as the “trash-ion show,” in which the protagonist creates an outfit from beach trash and models it for a crab, as well as visual elements in his bedroom suggesting an interest in another boy.
It became clear over the course of production that the leadership was erasing these moments suggesting Elio’s sexuality,” said a former Pixar artist anonymously. “Suddenly, you remove a fundamental part of the character’s identity, and the film no longer has anything to say.
Sarah Ligatich
, former assistant editor at Pixar and member of the internal LGBTQ+ group PixPride, also commented on the changes. “I was deeply saddened. What they did was destroy a beautiful piece of work,” she said. She also reported that several team members left the project after Molina’s departure, although the report also includes sources denying this information.
Another point that stands out is that, according to behind-the-scenes reports, the orders to soften the LGBTQ+ subtext came from Pixar itself, not Disney. “Many people usually blame Disney, but the decisions were coming from within Pixar,” said a source. “It’s as if the executives were already anticipating and obeying before even being asked.”
Elio’s case adds to other recent controversies involving the erasure of LGBTQ+ representation in the studio’s productions. In December 2024, Disney confirmed the removal of a transgender storyline from its series
Win or Lose
. Also in 2024, a report from IGN revealed that the team of
Inside Out 2
was instructed to “tone down the LGBTQ+ elements” of the story.
With an estimated budget of $150 million, Elio grossed just over $40 million in the U.S., marking Pixar’s worst opening for a film. Because of this, former employees question whether the decision to soften the themes may have actually alienated the audience that could have identified with the original concept. “Would they have lost so much money if they had simply let Adrian tell his story?” asked one of the interviewed artists.
Elio is now playing in theaters. Check the showtimes for your city.
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