Our last box office update for “Elemental” covered how the real song of ice and fire overtook the behemoth known as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” at the international box office, but how about measuring it up against the likes of Pixar’s own library of titles? Naturally, attentive students of Ryan Scott’s School for Gifted Box Office Analysts know that inflation, budget, and other various bookkeeping aspects always remain a significant factor in these sorts of conversations. As your substitute teacher for today, I would be remiss if I failed to apply a similar level of nuance to these numbers.
“Elemental” put itself behind the eight ball with its exorbitant $200 million budget, which did absolutely no favors in clearing the path to profitability. Compare that to the downright affordable $30 million that Pixar set aside to make the first “Toy Story,” which completely recontextualizes its final total of a hair under $400 million worldwide. And when you factor in the historic levels of inflation that we’re all too familiar with in 2023 (just take a gander at this handy graphic provided by The Numbers, revealing skyrocketing movie ticket prices while actual tickets sold remain comparatively low), and it’s clear that even this “Elemental” accomplishment comes with an asterisk or two.
Nevertheless, there’s simply no denying the fairy-tale ending that “Elemental” has written for itself throughout the past several months since release. Pixar President Jim Morris recently went on a victory lap with Variety, praising the film’s comeback story. While the film is destined for Disney+ streaming, which further muddies the waters thanks to the studio’s unwillingness to provide concrete streaming numbers, there’s no way around it: Against all odds, “Elemental” has become a Pixar hit.