Latest news with #Lilo&Stitch
India Today
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Elio review: Pixar's new offering is sweet and funny but lacks spark
Pixar's latest outing, 'Elio', is a heartwarming and visually rich journey that feels both contemporary and comfortably familiar. Voiced by Yonas Kibreab, the titular Elio is a daydreaming, orphaned misfit who ends up becoming Earth's accidental ambassador in a colourful alien world. The result is a film that's sweet, funny, and family-friendly, but also one that lacks the spark of Pixar's finest by Adrian Molina with co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, 'Elio' is packed with warmth and wonder, but much of it stays on the surface. The film's premise revolves around an imaginative child being mistaken for someone important in an otherworldly setting. This setting leans heavily into Pixar's well-worn 'misunderstood kid meets magical world' template. It is almost like 'Inside Out' meets 'Lilo & Stitch', but without the same emotional punch or layered film begins grounded in real-world science and emotional resonance, but soon the narrative slips into chaotic territory - cloning, galactic politics, and a villainous 'Blood Emperor' (voiced by Brad Garrett) whose Marvel-like menace feels Elio's friendship with the Emperor's insecure son Glordon (Remy Edgerly) offers the film's sweetest emotional thread, it too gets a bit lost in the chaos. Zoe Saldana brings steady warmth as Elio's aunt, but many alien characters remain forgettable and overly the premise holds promise, the writing doesn't quite rise to the occasion several times. The emotional beats feel undercooked, especially when compared to the nuanced storytelling Pixar is known for. The characters or ideas are not given enough space to breath before we transition from one place to another. The film introduces layered themes like loss, loneliness, identity but often abandons them in favour of rapid-fire plot developments and quirky distractions. Glordon's arc and the potential father-son commentary get drowned in the visual noise. It's a script that feels like it's trying to juggle too many ideas, resulting in a finale that's flashier than is certainly a step up from some of Disney's recent misfires. Its retro-Disney vibes, sincere message, and humour make it engaging for kids and comforting for parents. But for those expecting a bold new Pixar frontier, this cosmic tale feels just a little too safe and is now out in theatres.3 out of 5 stars to Elio.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘28 Years Later' $5.8M, ‘Elio' $3M Previews – Friday AM Box Office
UPDATED FRIDAY AM AFTER EXCLUSIVE: Sony's 28 Years Later gobbled up $5.8M in previews Thursday night. That's an excellent preview number for a horror movie, especially in these times, besting the Thursday nights of Final Destination Bloodlines ($5.5M), Sinners ($4.7M), pre-Covid's A Quiet Place ($4.3M) and even post-Covid's Scream VI ($5.7M). The question is whether moviegoers, like the undead themselves, will continue to run to 28 Years Later. More from Deadline '28 Years Later' Review: Danny Boyle Delivers Severed Heads And Broken Hearts In His Gory Zombie-Horror Threequel What Are The Critics Saying About '28 Years Later'? Deadline On The Red Carpet: Aaron Taylor-Johnson On '28 Years Later's Brexit Nod, Danny Boyle Talks "The Growth" Of Horror, Jodie Comer On "Manifesting" A Movie Musical & Tom Rothman With An Actor Tip As we saw with the Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 68% last night, PostTrak audiences were also a hard crowd for this Danny Boyle movie giving it 3 stars and a 54% definite recommend. Men over 25 showed up at 52% and gave the zombie third chapter its best grades at 75%. Women over 25 were next at 27% (72% grade), followed by women under 25 at 13% (65%) and men under 25 at 9% (74%). Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar's Elio in total Wednesday and Thursday previews did $3M. The animated feature is booked in 3,750 theatres including 725 premium large format screens, 2,500+ 3D Screens and 175 D-Box/Motion screens. Elio, 28 Years Later and How to Train Your Dragon are sharing the PLFs, while Imax auditoriums will be held by the latter title. Those who watched Elio, are loving it with a 60% definite recommend from the general audience and 4 1/2 stars. Kids under 12, a near even split between boys and girls at 51%/49%, also think it's 4 1/2 stars. Parents, mostly Dads yesterday at 56%, gave it 4 stars. With yesterday being Juneteenth, a young federal holiday, distribution sources are always mixed on whether it's a big moviegoing day or not. Kids are already off from school. Yeah, but adults are off from work. While not massive, the day did have a pulse, check it out: Eight of the movies in the top 10 saw spikes in their daily grosses over Wednesday including How to Train Your Dragon (+15%), Materialists (+7%), Lilo & Stitch (+16%), Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (+22%), Ballerina (+10%), Phoenician Scheme (+6%), and The Life of Chuck (+3%). Top 5 from yesterday: 1.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 4,356 theaters, Thu $9.7M, Wk $123.4M/Wk 1 2.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 3,675 (-510) theaters, Thu $2.7M Wk $26M (-45%), Total $376.8M/Wk 4 3.) Materialists (A24) 2,844 theaters, Thu $1.6M, Wk $17.5M/Wk 1 4.) Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Par) 2,942 theaters, Thu $1.5M, Wk $15.8M (-27%), Total $171.8M/Wk 4 5.) Ballerina (LG) 3,409 theaters, Thu $1.1M, $14.1M (-56%), Total $46.5M/Wk 2 EXCLUSIVE: Sony's 28 Years Later is coming in with a preview gross tonight that's well north of $5M, we are hearing from sources. But don't start comping it yet to New Line's box office surprise sequel, Final Destination: Bloodlines which did $5.5M in previews for a franchise best opening of $51.6M. Horror films are frontloaded, duh. Rotten Tomatoes audiences are being pretty hard on this Danny Boyle zombie movie at 67% despite critics giving the installment the best reviews the 23-year old franchise has ever seen at 92%. Final Destination: Bloodlines earned both great reviews and audience exits on Rotten Tomatoes respectively with 92% and 87%. Previews began at noon for 28 Years Later. Tracking spotted this viral infected undead post-apocalyptic movie at an opening between $28M-$30M. The movie reps a return for Boyle as director and Alex Garland as screenwriter after 2002's 28 Days Later. That movie opened to $10M back in the day at 1,261 theaters, while 28 Weeks Later, which was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, opened to $9.8M back in 2007 at 2,303 theaters. Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar's Elio after two nights of previews is looking to be around $2.5M-$3M. That's the amount of preview cash that Pixar's summer 2023 movie, Elemental, banked before an $11.7M Friday and $29.6M opening. Elio is hoping to clear a 3-day between $20M-$25M. No RT audience scores yet, but critics enjoyed it at 86% certified fresh. Those reviews are stronger than Elemental at 73% fresh which wind up with an audience score of 93% and a solid A CinemaScore. As we mentioned, the best advertisement for Elio is the movie itself. In a marketplace where it's hard to launch original animation, the hope is that the Adrian Molina-Madeline Sharafian-Domee Shi directed movie pulls an Elemental and posts some wild multiple of 5x or more (that pic ended its stateside run at $154.4M). As we reported previously, Universal/DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon is expected to hold the fort at No. 1 with a second weekend of $40M-plus. Through Wednesday, the Dean DeBlois directed live action take of his animated movie is up to $113.7M. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Which is the best new child-meets-alien movie? We give Elio the edge
ELIO ★★★½ PG. 98 minutes Child meets alien: it's a tale as old as time, or at least a formula that goes back to E.T. Still, given that Disney and Pixar are two branches of the same company, there's something disconcerting about Pixar releasing Elio just a few weeks after Disney brought us the live-action version of Lilo & Stitch. Both films centre on a rambunctious young orphan who has trouble making human friends, but does better when extra-terrestrials are involved – and both incorporate the expected heart-tugging moments and moral lessons, along with parodies of science-fiction cliches. So which one should you or your children see? It's a matter of individual preference, but personally I'd have to give Elio the edge. Lilo & Stitch is mostly old-fashioned slapstick, though not lacking in charm. Elio is more ambitious, and also a whole lot weirder – which is a plus, though questions might be raised about the advisability of showing a child lying on a beach next to a message scrawled in the sand that reads 'ABDUCT ME,' granting he's spelled out he wants to be abducted by aliens, not just anyone. At any rate, it isn't long before young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) gets his wish. Light years away from planet Earth, he seems to have found his chosen family in a non-violent, technologically advanced collective of aliens known as the Communiverse, who accept and appreciate him as his well-meaning aunt back home (Zoe Saldana) never could. Naturally, there are complications. It's not that the members of the Communiverse are hiding anything sinister, but they've jumped to the false conclusion that Elio is Earth's leader. Rather than confess the humiliating truth, he volunteers for a dangerous diplomatic mission involving the monstrous Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) – whose young son Glorgan (Remy Edgerly) proves to be even more of a misfit than Elio, with no true desire to move on from his larval form or join the family business of galactic conquest.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Which is the best new child-meets-alien movie? We give Elio the edge
ELIO ★★★½ PG. 98 minutes Child meets alien: it's a tale as old as time, or at least a formula that goes back to E.T. Still, given that Disney and Pixar are two branches of the same company, there's something disconcerting about Pixar releasing Elio just a few weeks after Disney brought us the live-action version of Lilo & Stitch. Both films centre on a rambunctious young orphan who has trouble making human friends, but does better when extra-terrestrials are involved – and both incorporate the expected heart-tugging moments and moral lessons, along with parodies of science-fiction cliches. So which one should you or your children see? It's a matter of individual preference, but personally I'd have to give Elio the edge. Lilo & Stitch is mostly old-fashioned slapstick, though not lacking in charm. Elio is more ambitious, and also a whole lot weirder – which is a plus, though questions might be raised about the advisability of showing a child lying on a beach next to a message scrawled in the sand that reads 'ABDUCT ME,' granting he's spelled out he wants to be abducted by aliens, not just anyone. At any rate, it isn't long before young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) gets his wish. Light years away from planet Earth, he seems to have found his chosen family in a non-violent, technologically advanced collective of aliens known as the Communiverse, who accept and appreciate him as his well-meaning aunt back home (Zoe Saldana) never could. Naturally, there are complications. It's not that the members of the Communiverse are hiding anything sinister, but they've jumped to the false conclusion that Elio is Earth's leader. Rather than confess the humiliating truth, he volunteers for a dangerous diplomatic mission involving the monstrous Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) – whose young son Glorgan (Remy Edgerly) proves to be even more of a misfit than Elio, with no true desire to move on from his larval form or join the family business of galactic conquest.
Broadcast Pro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Disney's live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch' tops MENA box office in 2025
It also became the highest grossing dubbed title to release in MENA cinemas, following strong performance of its Arabic version in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq. Audiences across the Middle East and North Africa have flocked to cinemas to catch Disney's live-action reimagining of Lilo & Stitch, which has quickly become the region's biggest box office success of 2025. Since its release in May, the beloved blue alien Stitch has captured hearts once again, propelling the film to record-breaking heights. It is now the highest-grossing film of the year across the region, the third highest-grossing Disney live-action title of all time in MENA, and the seventh highest-grossing Disney release ever in the territory. The film has also made history as the most successful Arabic-dubbed title to hit MENA cinemas, with its theatrical release in both Arabic and English in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq. The decision to offer a localised version alongside the original has resonated strongly with audiences, particularly families, who have embraced the movie's humor, emotion, and nostalgia. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), the new Lilo & Stitch stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis. Producers Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin helm the project, with Tom Peitzman and Ryan Halprin serving as executive producers. A touching and wildly entertaining retelling of the 2002 animated classic, the film follows the unlikely bond between a lonely Hawaiian girl and a mischievous alien fugitive who ultimately helps her heal her broken family. Its blend of heart and hilarity has drawn both longtime fans and new audiences into cinemas across the region. Since his debut over two decades ago, the character has gained an enormous fan following, and this latest success underscores his enduring appeal. Stitch-branded merchandise—from fashion and toys to homeware—is flying off the shelves at retailers throughout the region, with Disney Stores in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City and Doha reporting especially high demand for Stitch-themed products. In celebration of the film's release, the iconic character has even been making special appearances in malls across MENA. The studio is set to release a wave of major films in the coming months, including Elio (with an Egyptian Arabic dub in select markets), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Freakier Friday, TRON: Ares, Zootropolis 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash.
