Elio was allegedly a queer-coded character, however Pixar didn’t make it come true

Elio was initially written as a queer-coded character, in accordance with a number of stories following the movie’s underwhelming launch. While Pixar’s advertising and marketing and early drafts hinted at this path, the ultimate reduce of the film makes no clear reference to the protagonist’s identification, sparking questions on why these components had been eliminated.

The dialog started after The Hollywood Reporter printed an in depth article on June 30, 2025, sharing accounts from people accustomed to the movie’s manufacturing. According to a number of insiders, Elio was initially envisioned as a queer-coded character, drawing from unique director Adrian Molina’s perspective as an overtly homosexual filmmaker.

While Molina didn’t intend for the movie to be a coming-out story, the character was crafted with refined identification cues. These included a scene of Elio gathering trash on the seaside and turning it into clothes like a pink tank high, in addition to bed room decor suggesting a male crush.

Over time, these particulars had been eliminated following inside suggestions. Leadership at Pixar reportedly inspired adjustments that led to Elio being portrayed in a extra historically masculine means. As a outcome, themes of environmentalism and private expression via vogue had been downplayed or erased. Some components, like a cape manufactured from soda can tabs, stay within the last model however with out context or narrative clarification.

Pixar allegedly eliminated queer components from Elio throughout manufacturing

According to those stories, the queer-coded components in Elio had been allegedly a part of early improvement, however adjustments had been made after suggestions from check audiences. Reports famous that after screenings in choose markets, Pixar made behind-the-scenes choices to reshoot components of the movie and tone down particular narrative threads.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Adrian Molina, the movie’s unique director, screened a near-complete model in 2023 for Pixar management. He left the challenge following suggestions from chief artistic officer Pete Docter. While there are differing accounts of that dialog, insiders stated Molina was damage by the response. Not lengthy after, Pixar introduced that co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi would take over the movie. Much of the unique content material was reworked or eliminated throughout their path.

Sarah Ligatich, a former Pixar assistant editor and member of the interior LGBTQ group PixPRIDE, informed THR,

“I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made.”

She added that a number of creatives left the challenge after seeing the brand new reduce. One former Pixar artist stated,

“Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing.”

The identical artist additionally famous that Elio’s queerness was persistently diminished throughout manufacturing, describing a means of “sanding down” these moments. Reports additionally famous that in a check screening in Arizona, not one of the viewers raised their fingers when requested if they’d pay to look at the movie in theaters, regardless of having fun with the story. This suggestions contributed to the studio’s determination to vary path, in accordance with THR.

Elio’s last model exhibits no clear indicators of queer coding

By the time Elio reached audiences, the ultimate reduce confirmed little to no proof of the queer-coded themes that had been allegedly current throughout early improvement. Out Magazine and LGBTQ Nation on July 1, 2025, reported that the elimination of those components left viewers with a model of Elio that felt stripped of its unique persona. Hints of the character’s earlier traits stay, comparable to a cape manufactured from soda can tabs, however with out clarification or context.

Sources informed THR that the choice to take away these components got here from inside Pixar management, relatively than Disney. A former Pixar artist informed THR,

“A lot of people like to blame Disney, but the call is coming from inside the house. A lot of it is obeying-in-advance behavior, coming from the higher execs at Pixar.”

The artist additionally talked about that comparable artistic constraints had been utilized to different upcoming Pixar movies, together with Hoppers, the place environmental themes had been reportedly toned down. Despite important approval, together with an 83 % ranking on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore, the movie opened to only $20.8 million domestically, marking the bottom debut in Pixar’s historical past.

By early July, its world field workplace earnings stood at simply over $72 million. Reports additionally point out that the manufacturing finances might have exceeded $200 million, considerably greater than the studio’s official determine of $150 million.

Molina, who had beforehand co-directed Coco, returned to Pixar to work on Coco 2 following his departure from Elio. Meanwhile, some insiders questioned whether or not the end result would have been completely different if the studio had stored Molina’s unique imaginative and prescient. One artist requested,

“Would they have lost this much money if they simply let Adrian tell his story?”

The accomplished model of Elio bears minimal resemblance to the narrative its preliminary creators supposed to convey. The elimination of queer-coded features, the exit of essential contributors, and the film’s monetary return showcase a manufacturing influenced by inside adjustments and exterior tensions.

With new initiatives like Hoppers and Toy Story 5 on the horizon, Pixar’s journey with the movie turns into a benchmark for conversations surrounding artistic path, illustration, and viewers response.

The movie is now displaying in cinemas. What do you concentrate on Pixar’s strategy to the artistic path of this film? Express your opinions and take part within the broader dialogue relating to how identification and narration are influenced in animated content material.