Pixar’s Elio: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know

The surreal sci-fi space adventure Elio is set to be released in 2025, and hopes are high that it will help the studio recapture its old magic. One of a handful of upcoming Pixar movies on Disney’s release slate, Elio is about 11-year-old Elio Solis, a young boy who accidentally becomes the intergalactic ambassador for planet Earth. With longtime Pixar writer Adrian Molina making his directorial debut for Elio, there are already a lot of signs the upcoming Pixar movie could be a return to form for the studio that has had more than a few cinematic stumbles of late.

While there haven’t been many Elio cast members revealed yet or much about the story beyond the basic premise, the teasers and behind-the-scenes reveals for the new Pixar movie have already gained attention — especially after 2023’s Elemental became a hit on Disney+. With a 2025 release date set by Disney and the first teaser footage already available, there’s plenty to discuss when it comes to Pixar’s Elio.

Most Recent Elio News

A New Cast Member Is Announced

With less than a year until the Pixar movie debuts in theaters, the latest news confirms another actor has joined the cast of Elio. Perhaps one of the most recognizable names in blockbuster cinema, Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy star Zoe Saldaña is set to appear as Elio’s aunt, Olga Solis. The announcement came at Disney’s 2024 D23 fan expo in August 2024, and was revealed onstage by Saldaña herself (alongside co-star Yonas Kibreab).

Saldaña’s casting is one of necessity, as it has also been revealed that America Ferrera has stepped away from the film due to scheduling conflicts. Originally, Ferrera was set to play Elio’s mom, also named Olga, but she has been written out of the film and replaced by Saldaña, who will likely serve a similar purpose in the movie’s plot.

Screen Rant was in attendance and shared the news via X (formerly Twitter):

Elio Release Date

Pixar’s Elio Premieres in 2025

The Elio release date is June 13, 2025. While the new Pixar movie was originally scheduled to release in March 2024 ahead of the release of the blockbuster Inside Out 2, it was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. There is no word yet about whether the movie will simultaneously be available on Disney+ or when the movie will otherwise hit streaming.

Elio Cast Details

Who Is Starring In Pixar’s Elio?

The Elio cast has only been partially revealed. America Ferrera was originally set to voice Elio’s mom, Olga Solis, who works on a top-secret military project. However, she has since stepped away from the project due to scheduling conflicts, and has been replaced by Zoe Saldaña. Saldaña will play Elio’s aunt, who is also named Olga, and will presumably fill the same spot in the storyline.

Meanwhile, Yonas Kibreab has the title role, a young boy who is mistakenly accepted as the ambassador for Earth and whisked away to an alien world. Two more Elio cast members have been revealed, and Jameela Jamil joins Brad Garrett will play Ambassador Questa and Ambassador Grigon, respectively. The characters are two alien ambassadors that Elio meets at a strange, interplanetary location.

The known cast of Elio includes:

Elio Story Details

What Is Pixar’s Elio About?

Elio is unlike any other Pixar movie on Disney’s slate. The animated feature is about an 11-year-old boy who lives with his aunt, Olga, and has a hard time fitting in. Olga is working on a secret military project after learning of a signal from outer space. However, Elio intercepts the signal and is beamed up to space instead of his mother, leading to an adventure of a lifetime in a strange alien-based city.

Pixar has released an official plot synopsis for Elio, which is as follows:

For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new movie
Elio
, the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

Elio Teaser Trailer

Watch The Trailer For Pixar’s Elio

Elio bonds with one alien who also has a strained relationship with his mother.

The new Eliotrailer sees Elio sucked into outer space after chaos erupts at his mother’s work, and he’s mistaken for the leader of Earth by aliens. While it isn’t clear why, Earth is seemingly on trial when Elio meets with other aliens at the interplanetary location, and it’s up to the boy to save humankind. However, it isn’t all end-of-the-world stakes, as Elio bonds with one alien who also has a strained relationship with his mother. Based on the trailer, Elio promises one of the most colorful and spectacular-looking Pixar movies in years.