In fact, Pixar remains one of the most successful studios in Hollywood.

It’s official: Pixar’s “Elio” is a flop. The politely reviewed film cost more than US $200 million and grossed a dismal $152 million as of 27 August 2025. Pundits drew two lessons from this. (Yes, “drew;” I did that.)

First, original animated films are struggling. Supposedly, audiences just don’t want to see them anymore. (Not true—see my breakdown here.)

Second, Pixar itself is in trouble. “Elio” was a flop. “Elemental” was a flop. “Lightyear” was a flop. “Onward” was a flop. Outside of sequels, the last real Pixar hit was “Coco” in 2017—eight years ago.

What’s going on? Quick take: pandemic, people.

Longer take: Pixar is still one of the most successful shingles in Hollywood history, with an unprecedented streak of critical and commercial hits. Yes, I’m including Marvel. That means the bar is incredibly high. People panicked in 2015 after the collapse of “The Good Dinosaur;” now they’re panicking again over “Elio.” But four of Pixar’s last six theatrical releases made money, three topping US $1 billion worldwide. Some crisis. Set your clocks: maybe in 2035 people will panic about Pixar again—and they’ll probably be wrong then, too.

The Golden Age (1995–2015)
Pixar began at the top with “Toy Story” in 1995, its very first feature. A critical and commercial landmark, it revolutionized computer animation. Pixar followed with hit after hit: “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles.” Every one was both a commercial and critical success, with several spawning enduring franchises.

Even “Cars” (2006)—a passion project from John Lasseter—was a “stumble” that still grossed $462 million worldwide on a $120 million budget, while launching a multi-billion-dollar merchandising empire. Some stumble.

Then came another run of triumphs: “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” “Up,” “Toy Story 3.” Even the “lesser” titles—”Cars 2,” “Brave,” “Monsters University” — turned a profit and had their defenders. The streak climaxed with “Inside Out” (2015), a dazzlingly original film that debuted at Cannes and went on to Oscar glory.

From 1995 through 2015, Pixar scored 15 consecutive commercial hits. In fact, of the first 15 Oscars for Best Animated Feature, Pixar won eight. An extraordinary run by any standard.

The “Struggle” Years (2015–Present)
Of course, every winning streak ends. “The Good Dinosaur” (2015) was Pixar’s first real flop: $330 million worldwide against a $200 million budget, with middling reviews.

Hollywood’s reflexive response was predictable: Pixar should make more sequels. (Something it had historically resisted.) And they did.

After “The Good Dinosaur,” the slate leaned heavily on sequels: “Finding Dory,” “Incredibles 2,” “Toy Story 4” — all massive hits. The critique of Pixar shifted: why nothing but sequels? Where was the originality? Fair question. Yet even as the franchise machine rolled, Pixar delivered a gem like “Coco” (2017). And after “Toy Story 4,” six of the next eight releases were originals—though some went straight to Disney+ during the pandemic.

The Current “Cold Streak”
So how bad is it really? Since “Coco” (2017), Pixar has theatrically released six films (not counting “Onward,” kneecapped by the pandemic):

• “Incredibles 2” (2018): $1.24B worldwide
• “Toy Story 4” (2019): $1.07B worldwide
• “Lightyear” (2022): $226M worldwide (flop)
• “Elemental” (2023): $496M worldwide (modest hit after strong legs)
• “Inside Out 2” (2024): $1.69B worldwide
• “Elio” (2025): $138M worldwide (flop)

Verdict: Four clear hits (three of them billion-dollar blockbusters), two flops. That’s not great, but hardly a crisis. By Pixar standards, yes, disappointing; by Hollywood standards, extraordinary.

And don’t forget the pandemic-era originals sent straight to Disney+: “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red.” All three were distinctive, acclaimed, and could have been profitable theatrical releases. “Turning Red” especially feels like a missed opportunity.

Pixar has released 25 films theatrically. Twenty-one were hits. Only four were genuine flops in three decades (“The Good Dinosaur”, “Cars 3,” “Lightyear,” “Elio”). Every other studio would kill for that record.

Pixar’s Track Record by the Numbers
Here’s the tally:

• Total theatrical releases: 25
• Hits: 21
• Flops: 4 (“The Good Dinosaur”, “Cars 3,” “Lightyear,” “Elio”)

Even in the “cold streak” years, Pixar delivered billion-dollar hits that more than offset the rare flops. That’s not collapse—that’s the movie business.

The Verdict
Every studio stumbles. Pixar just does it less often—and recovers more quickly—than anyone else. For every “Elio”, there’s an “Inside Out 2.” For every “Good Dinosaur,” there’s a “Coco.”

Crisis? Hardly. Pixar’s track record remains one of the best in Hollywood.

The bar for Pixar isn’t just high—it’s stratospheric, set by their own unprecedented early success. When your “failure” rate is 16% over three decades, and your “cold streak” still includes billion-dollar smashes, maybe the problem isn’t Pixar.

Maybe it’s our expectations.

Appendix: The Year-by-Year Receipts
For those who like to see the homework, here’s the complete breakdown of every Pixar film, with reported budgets, worldwide grosses, and whether they were hits or flops. It’s the data behind all the charts and arguments above.

* Gross as of 27 August 2025