When new Pixar movies arrive, audiences usually expect the studio’s signature mix of heart, humor, and themes that resonate with viewers of all ages. But the creative process behind those polished final films can sometimes be far more complicated than it appears on screen. That seems to be the case with Elio, the studio’s sci-fi adventure released last year, which reportedly went through several story revisions during development. According to reports, those changes included removing an LGBTQ+ storyline. Now, we have a brutally honest explanation for that decision, according to Pete Docter.
Docter, the chief creative officer of Pixar, addressed the reasoning behind some of the creative decisions made during Elio’s production. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he explained that the studio was mindful of how certain themes might land with families and younger viewers. As he put it:
We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, around the time of the movie's release, Pixar removed LGBTQ+ representation from the movie during development after the project allegedly struggled during test screenings. The animated film follows an 11-year-old boy who is accidentally mistaken for Earth’s official ambassador and transported to an intergalactic organization known as the Communiverse. While the premise remained intact, several character details reportedly changed significantly before the film reached theaters.
Trouble for the film’s original direction reportedly began during a 2023 test screening in Arizona. Per reports, audience members were asked at the end of the screening whether they would pay to see the film in theaters. The response, or lack of one, raised concerns among studio executives about how the movie was landing with viewers.
Following additional internal screenings, Pixar leadership began making adjustments to the project. At the time, Adrian Molina, who originally directed the film and had previously co-directed Coco, was leading the creative vision. Molina, who is openly gay, was reportedly given the option to continue co-directing after the studio expanded the leadership team. Eventually, however, Molina chose to step away from the project as the film began to move in a different creative direction.
New directors were brought in to guide the film forward, including Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, the filmmaker behind Turning Red. Some of the adjustments reportedly included removing visual details that hinted at Elio’s identity and personality in earlier versions of the film. For example, scenes that showed the character wearing a pink tank top made from beach litter and images in his bedroom suggesting a male crush were cut from the final version.
According to people who worked on the project, executives also pushed for changes to make the central character feel more traditionally “masculine.” Those creative shifts reportedly caused tension within the studio, and some members of the production team chose to leave the project after the film’s direction changed. The film also saw changes in its voice cast and character structure. America Ferrera was originally attached to voice Elio’s mother, but after Molina’s departure, the character was rewritten as the boy’s aunt and ultimately voiced by Zoe Saldaña.
Despite the behind-the-scenes changes, Elio ultimately reached theaters with a solid critical reception, holding an 83% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even more impressive 89% audience score. However, its theatrical debut proved challenging, with the film posting one of Pixar’s lowest domestic openings.
It’s been a while since the animation studio enjoyed the kind of dominant run it had in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when hit after hit defined the brand. In discussing the studio’s approach, Docter has emphasized that Pixar’s primary goal is to tell stories that resonate with the widest possible audience. That philosophy may help explain some of the creative decisions made during Elio’s development.
You can currently stream Elio, along with the rest of Pixar’s catalog, with a Disney+ subscription. Meanwhile, the studio’s latest theatrical release, Hoppers, just hit theaters amid the 2026 movie schedule, so check your local listings if you’re planning a trip to the theater. Early critical response to Hoppers has been overwhelmingly positive, and the film is already approaching a milestone the studio hasn’t reached since 2017’s Coco.
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