Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter, has revealed the reason the studio decided to excise an LGBTQ+ storyline from its 2025 release, ‘Elio.‘ In a recent interview, Docter quipped that the overhaul was necessary because “we’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.“
The sci-fi adventure film follows an 11-year-old boy, Elio Solis, who is taken to a place called the Communiverse by the aliens accidentally. With an estimated $200 million budget, the movie earned just $154 million worldwide, marking one of Pixar’s weakest box office performances.
What Was The Original LGBTQ+ Storyline In ‘Elio’?
Initially helmed by the openly gay director Adrian Molina (who also directed ‘Coco‘), the film’s main character included small hints inspired by Molina’s own childhood experiences.
According to reports, one version describes Elio riding a pink bicycle and imagining raising a child with his male crush, weaving in themes of self-discovery and identity.
Related: Tom Hanks Reveals Why Pixar Completely Threw Out The Original ‘Toy Story’ Movie
Why Pixar Cut The Queer Elements
While the movie continued to develop. Pixar added the famed director of ‘Turning Red, ‘ Domee Shi, to its directorial team. Although Molina remained involved with the project, the queer themes gradually got removed from the story in order to appeal to a wider audience.
“As time’s gone on, I realized my job is to make sure the films appeal to everybody,” Docter told The Wall Street Journal. A Disney spokesperson also emphasized that some parents are not prepared for media to spark certain conversations with young viewers.
“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” he said.
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Pixar’s History Of LGBTQ+ Controversies
This is not Pixar’s first brush with controversy over LGBTQ+ content. A brief same-sex kiss featured in the 2022 film ‘Lightyear,’ later drew conservative backlash and calls for boycotts. Snoop Dogg also slammed the storyline.
A former Pixar staffer previously lamented to THR that Elio’s final cut was “far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original.”
“Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing,” the artist said. Another Pixar staffer who worked on the film noted, “Elio was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me.”
Docter’s recent remark on making films that “appeal to everybody” has reignited debates over queer representation in family animations. As the studio now moves to projects like Hoppers, the debate underscores between creative authenticity and commercial viability in animation.
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