Disney Announces New Pixar Sci-Fi Adventure Comedy, Elio [D23]

Pixar's most recent film, "Lightyear," adjacent to "Toy Story," was also set in space, though it turned out to be a box office disappointment here on Earth ( our reviewer identified it as a film that "boldly goes where many sci-fi films have gone before"). The premise of "Lightyear," based on an existing IP address, was potentially confusing enough for audiences that Chris Evans (who took over the title role from Tim Allen) tweeted, "Just to be clear, this isn't Buzz Lightyear the This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear the toy is based on."

"Elio" sounds like the kind of fresh, original storytelling that Pixar has built its brand on. Prior to 'Lightyear', Pixar's previous three films, 'Turning Red', 'Luca' and 'Soul', had gone straight to streaming due to the pandemic, which is a shame as they all got better reviews than the mediocre "Lightyear". "Hopefully, 'Elio' will mark a return to form for Pixar and help restore the studio to some of its former glory.

"Elio" is expected to arrive in the spring of 2024.