Pixar’s latest release may have flopped at the box office, but this 4K Blu-ray could give it a second wind

Buckle into your spaceships, because Pixar’s latest release Elio is getting a 4K Blu-ray edition next month.

The film follows an orphaned young boy named Elio who is desperate to be abducted by aliens to escape bullies and a feeling of not quite fitting in. So, when he is mistaken by an alien interplanetary panel as the leader of Earth, he has never felt more at home. But a lie can only take you so far…

If you didn’t see this animated film hit the big screen or have never even heard of it, you wouldn’t be the only one. Elio had the worst opening ever for a Pixar film in terms of box office statistics, with only $21 million (around £15 million / AU$32 million) on its opening weekend.

That may seem like a massive number but compared to big hitters such as Finding Nemo which earned more than $70 million (around £51 million / AU$108 million) in the same period, it’s not a good stat for Pixar.

Even though it massively unperformed for the studio, critics and audiences alike gave it overall positive reviews. It has a respectable 83 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, and an even better 90 per cent on the Popcornmeter.

On top of that, Empire's Laura Venning gave Elio a four-star rating, dubbing it a "charming, visually inventive adventure that might just inspire a new generation of astronomers to look to the skies".

I managed to catch it in the cinema myself, and found myself very moved by the relationship between Elio and his aunt, who struggles to raise him after the passing of his parents.

The studio has announced the release of the 4K and Standard Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Steelbook, all of which will come out on the 22 September with pre-order available on HMV now. It's also available to rent and buy on services like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+, but for those looking to own it forever the physical disc will be more appealing.

This physical release could significantly boost Elio's fanbase as viewers will be able to watch the film in the best quality possible using their own home cinema set-up. It's highly unlikely it will reach the same heights as its more successful predecessors, but this wholesome coming-of-age movie deserves some love.

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