The Big Picture
- Elemental has become Disney+’s best-performing movie premiere of the year, with 26.4 million views in just five days.
- Despite a lackluster opening weekend, the film showed remarkable legs at the box office and received positive word of mouth.
- The movie earned $484 million worldwide and performed exceptionally well in South Korea, becoming Pixar’s most-watched film in the country.
Elemental has emerged as Disney+’s best-performing movie premiere of the year, securing its position among the platform’s Top 10 movie premieres of all time. During its initial five days of streaming, the film garnered an impressive 26.4 million views. In its first five days of streaming, Elemental has become the most viewed animated movie premiere since Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red was released in March 2022, as well as the most viewed Disney+ movie premiere of all time in Latin America, just ahead of Turning Red.
The movie, released in June, proved an unexpected success at the worldwide box office despite doomsday predictions for the film following a lackluster opening. Despite that moderate opening weekend, the film showed remarkable legs at the box office and performed brilliantly overseas. Word of mouth was also excellent for the film, garnering an ‘A’ from Cinemascore, as well as a 74% Certified Fresh rating and a 93% audience score, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie earned $484 million worldwide, and domestically, grossed $154 million, which is more than five times its opening weekend take of $30 million. That 5x multiplier is a rare feat for any theatrical release and marks the second-highest multiple behind Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story back in 1995. Internationally, the film brought in $330 million. It performed superbly in South Korea, where the movie is Pixar’s most-watched film in the company’s history.
What Is the Plot of ‘Elemental’?
Elemental unfolds in the vibrant Element City, where Ember (Leah Lewis), a second-generation immigrant, assists her father Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) in their family-owned shop. Her deep pride in her Fire-Elemental heritage and her readiness to carry on the family legacy are thrown into doubt when she encounters Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a laid-back individual with a completely different approach to life. Despite their stark differences, their blossoming friendship opens up unexplored avenues for Ember, igniting her dormant creativity and prompting her to question the life she knows. The film also boasts an ensemble cast, featuring the vocal talents of Shila Ommi as Ember’s mother, Cinder, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade’s boss, Gale, and Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s mother, Brook.