Exclusive: Disney, AT&T gives students first look at new Pixar film
Two hundred students in nine U.S. cities were invited to local theaters to preview Pixar's newest film, "Elio."
State of play: The young people saw the film as part of an AT&T initiative on Connected Learning Centers (CLCs), which partner with local nonprofits to offer free WiFi and tutoring resources.
The telecommunications company has opened 65 CLCs since 2021 and says it will have at least 100 open by the end of 2027.
Driving the news: CLC participants in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando and the Bay Area saw an "Elio" screening on Tuesday.
Pixar's latest film, in theaters now, follows a young, alien-obsessed space fanatic who is beamed up to another universe and mistaken for Earth's leader.
The voice cast includes Zoe Saldaña, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil and Shirley Henderson.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Will '28 Years Later' take a bite out of ‘Elio'? Will ‘Dragon' continue to soar? Here's our box-office prediction
Despite two high-profile film releases this weekend, How to Train Your Dragon won't be slayed at the box office. Universal's live-action adventure will remain on top of the June 20-22 box office, adding over $40 million to its $113 million domestic gross so far. How to Train Your Dragon has earned $227 million worldwide since it debuted last week. More from GoldDerby 'Jaws' turns 50: Steven Spielberg's caught-on-camera Oscar snub still smarts - and shows need for Best Director reform All the 'Abbott Elementary' Season 4 Emmy predictions, including those 'Sunny' guest stars Ryan Murphy and the JFK Jr.-Carolyn Bessette controversy, explained: Why 'American Love Story' Instagram post got so much hate Sony's highly anticipated 28 Years Later, directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), and Disney/Pixar's Elio will face off in a close battle for second place — both are projected to earn around $30 million. 28 Years Later will easily become the franchise's biggest debut, surpassing 2002's 28 Days Later ($10 million) and 2007's 28 Weeks Later ($9.8 million). Beyond its promising start, it won't take much for 28 Years Later to become the highest-grossing installment in the trilogy, a title currently held by 28 Days Later, which earned $75 million worldwide. With strong anticipation and a legacy behind it, the film is set to breathe new life into the acclaimed zombie franchise. Set nearly three decades after the contagious rage virus devastated the world, 28 Years Later follows a group of isolated survivors who journey to the mainland, only to discover that a dangerous mutation threatens to decimate the remaining population. This latest installment will launch a new trilogy from director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. The film was shot back-to-back with its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, slated for release in 2026. Meanwhile, a third entry — and the fifth installment in the franchise — is already in development, ensuring that the iconic series continues to expand its terrifying legacy. Directed by Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi, Elio tells the story of an 11-year-old who unexpectedly forms a unique bond with eccentric aliens after being mistakenly identified as Earth's official intergalactic ambassador. With a production budget of $150 million, the stakes are high for Pixar, which has faced challenges in recent years. Three of its recent original movies — Turning Red, Luca, and the Oscar-winning Soul — were released directly to Disney+ instead of full theatrical runs, raising questions about the studio's box office strategy and its ability to deliver theatrical hits in a competitive marketplace. Last year, Inside Out 2 delivered a record-breaking $1.69 billion worldwide for Pixar, reaffirming the studio's success with sequels, which have consistently proven to be more profitable than original concepts. Early projections suggest Elio could earn the unfortunate distinction of being the studio's worst theatrical debut ever — a title currently held by 2023's Elemental, which opened to a modest $29.6 million in North America. All eyes will be on the weekend numbers to see if Pixar can defy predictions and turn things around. Also debuting this weekend is Magenta Light Studios' Bride Wars, a universally panned action-comedy starring Rebel Wilson as a secret agent who will stop at nothing to save her best friend's wedding. Gold Derby readers predict that How to Train Your Dragon will win the June 20-22 weekend with between $25 million and $50 million domestically. 28 Years Later is the runner-up selection of our oddsmakers. NEW RELEASES Director: Danny Boyle Distributor: Sony Pictures A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors. The horror sequel, starring Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes, has a running time of one hour, 55 minutes, and is rated R. 28 Years Later is certified "fresh" with a 92 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorbale" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 76 percent. Director: Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be. The animated adventure, featuring the voices of Zoe Saldaña, Yonas Kibreab, Remy Edgerly, and Brad Garrett, has a running time of one hour, 39 minutes, and is rated PG. Elio is certified "fresh" with a 86 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorable" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 66 percent. Director: Simon West Distributor: Magenta Light Studios When a mercenary group takes a lavish wedding hostage, they have no idea what they are in for as the maid of honor is actually a secret agent ready to rain hellfire upon anyone who would ruin her best friend's wedding. The action-comedy, starring Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, has a running time of one hour, 45 minutes, and is rated R. Bride Hard is certified "rotten" with a 27 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "overwhelmingly negative" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 15 percent. BOX-OFFICE PREDICTIONS How to Train Your Dragon shows no signs of slowing down, expected to stoke the box-office flames with $40 million in its second weekend. In the highly competitive battle for second place, projections suggest 28 Years Later will narrowly edge out Elio, with the latter facing stiff competition for the younger audience still captivated by Dragon. Each are expected to earn around $30 million. Speaking of younger audiences, Disney's Lilo & Stitch remake is likely to secure fourth place this weekend, bringing in another $8 million domestically. The film has already proven to be a massive success, grossing $864 million worldwide to date. Rounding out the top five will likely be A24's Materialists, a rom-com from Celine Song starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. However, it faces fierce competition from Tom Cruise's action-packed Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Paramount's blockbuster continues to draw audiences, amassing $509 million globally so far. It wouldn't be surprising if Cruise manages to overtake Materialists in the final rankings. Here are Gold Derby's predictions box-office rankings for the top five: 1. How to Train Your Dragon 2. 28 Years Later 3. Elio 4. Lilo & Stitch 5. Materialists Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it's fun and easy! Join the box-office discussion in our forums. Best of GoldDerby Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Click here to read the full article.
Axios
6 hours ago
- Axios
Exclusive: Disney, AT&T gives students first look at new Pixar film
Two hundred students in nine U.S. cities were invited to local theaters to preview Pixar's newest film, "Elio." State of play: The young people saw the film as part of an AT&T initiative on Connected Learning Centers (CLCs), which partner with local nonprofits to offer free WiFi and tutoring resources. The telecommunications company has opened 65 CLCs since 2021 and says it will have at least 100 open by the end of 2027. Driving the news: CLC participants in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando and the Bay Area saw an "Elio" screening on Tuesday. Pixar's latest film, in theaters now, follows a young, alien-obsessed space fanatic who is beamed up to another universe and mistaken for Earth's leader. The voice cast includes Zoe Saldaña, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil and Shirley Henderson.
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
‘Elio' Reviews: Will Pixar's Alien Tale Make Contact With Audiences?
A scene from "Elio." Disney-Pixar's Elio is now in theaters. What are critics saying about the animated sci-fi adventure? Rated PG, Elio's official summary reads, 'For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers — in Disney and Pixar's all-new feature film Elio, the universe calls back! The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession.' 'So, when he's beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio's all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth's leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.' Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, Elio stars the voices of Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe Saldaña as Aunt Olga, Remy Edgerly as Glordon, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa and Shirley Henderson as OOOOO. As of Friday, Elio has earned an 86% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 105 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus reads, 'Catapulted by its theme of building self-esteem, Pixar's latest cosmic wonder Elio boasts a fanciful world of original creations to dazzling effect.' The RT Popcornmeter score and audience summary for Elio are still pending. What Are Individual Critics Saying About 'Elio'? Laura Venning of Empire Magazine is among the top critics on RT who gives Elio a 'fresh' rating, writing, 'It's a vivid, sweet but not saccharine voyage of discovery that proves Pixar is still capable of imagination.' While he has some reservations with the film, Robert Daniels of also gives the film a 'fresh' review on RT, noting, 'Schmaltzy yet sincere, Elio, the latest from Pixar, is as predictable as they come but as tender as they can get. Caroline Siede of The Daily Beast also gives Elio a 'fresh' rating on RT, writing, 'For all its overt '80s homages, there's something timeless about Elio, too. It may be mid-tier Pixar, but that's still likely to make it one of the better-animated offerings of the year.' Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair is among the top critics on RT who gives Elio a 'rotten' rating, writing in his review summary, 'Pixar has begun doing what it once seemed it never would: repeating itself.' Allison Wilmore of New York Magazine/Vulture also gives Elio a 'rotten' rating, noting, 'For a movie about someone learning, in both literal and emotional ways, that he's not alone in the universe, Elio has real trouble getting out of its own head.' William Bibbiani of The Wrap is also a detractor of Elio, writing in his RT review summary, 'It's all about radical acceptance but can only talk about the real-world application of its message in general metaphors, so people who don't actually accept 'weird,' 'different' kids won't have to think about how wrong they are.' Elio is now in theaters nationwide.
