Elio Was Originally Gay, Pixar Retooled Movie After Disastrous Screening

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According to a recent report, it appears that Elio, as portrayed in the movie, initially faced severe issues during a test screening, necessitating a total overhaul. The Pixar film experienced substantial alterations, particularly concerning Elio’s character and his sexual orientation.

What happened to Elio after the test screening?

It seems that difficulties surrounding the character Elio emerged prior to the film’s release last month, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. They revealed that Elio was originally intended to be a character hinting at being gay (queer-coded). The original director, Adrian Molina, who is also gay, chose not to create a coming-out story for Elio due to his young age. However, elements suggesting Elio’s queerness, such as a photograph implying a male crush, were eliminated from the film. Instead, Elio’s love of fashion and environmentalism were replaced with a more traditionally masculine demeanor.

In the scorching summer of 2023, Molina carried out a preliminary showing of a movie in Arizona. Regrettably, this event turned out to be a disaster. As per reports, not a single viewer expressed interest when asked if they would watch Elio on the big screen.

Following this, Molina shared his edited version with Pixar’s COO, Pete Docter. The specific feedback Docter provided to Molina remains unclear, but whispers hint that the discussion left Molina feeling disappointed or hurt. Regardless of the details, Molina departed from the project soon after and shifted his focus towards Coco 2. Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi were then appointed as the new co-directors.

Following the initial draft by Sharafian and Shi, it is said that a few creative team members involved with Elio resigned out of dissatisfaction over the revisions made to the original storyline.

Initially slated for 2022, America Ferrera was intended to voice Olga, Elio’s mother. However, scheduling issues caused Ferrera to withdraw from the project in 2024. Zoe Saldaña stepped in to take over as Olga, now Elio’s aunt, due to Ferrera’s departure being prompted by Molina’s exit. According to one of THR’s sources, Ferrera felt there was no longer any representation from the Latinx community in the leadership following her decision to leave.

Elio is mistakenly believed to be Earth’s ruler, compelling him to forge connections with quirky extraterrestrial beings, grapple with a crisis of cosmic magnitude, and unravel the mystery of where he truly belongs in this vast universe.

On June 20th, the movie Elio debuted with a domestic box office take of $21 million, marking the poorest opening for any Pixar film in recent times. However, Elio is still playing in cinemas.

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2025-07-01 17:40