(ProsperNews.net) – The latest Pixar installment Elemental has fallen flat at the box office. The Disney-owned animation giant has suffered a huge drop in audience figures over the past couple of years, but Elemental’s flop is the worst in the company’s decades-long history. Despite its consistent “woke” output, the organization insists this is not the cause of its misfortune.
Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer, said the primary problem is that people know the films will later be streamed online or shown on one of Disney’s own channels, so the turnout in theaters has significantly dropped. He also blamed the wider economy and said original stories are harder to sell because people fall back on what they know rather than take risks when money is scarce.
However, last year’s biggest flop was Lightyear – a spin-off from the hugely successful Toy Story franchise. It also failed to ignite interest and lost more than $100 million. The film featured a gay relationship and was dismissed as “woke” by several commentators and celebrities.
Similarly, Elemental focuses on racism and introduces Pixar’s first “non-binary” character.
The storyline centers around two individuals – Fire and Water – who fall in love, but the relationship is complicated because one cannot touch the other. The Water character is Wade, who is well-off, while Fire is a poor immigrant.
Actor Mamoudou Athie, who plays Wade, said that due to its multicultural messaging, it spoke to him “on a cellular level.” Producer Denise Ream described the film’s research as talking to many immigrants in America who “have added so much to our Pixar community.” She concludes, “Life is more interesting in a diverse world.”
The production costs of Elemental were around $200 million but it took in just $29 million on its opening weekend. Critics characterized the film as an attempt to win back audiences after the failure of Lightyear, but it earned even less at the box office than the Toy Story spin-off.
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