*For centuries, people have gazed at the stars, wondering if we’re alone in the universe. In Pixar’s “Elio,” it’s the aliens who call back — and they want to talk to a kid.
“Elio,” opening in theaters June 20, 2025, follows 11-year-old Elio Solís, a lonely Earth boy who dreams of contact with extraterrestrial life. When he accidentally gets beamed up to the Communiverse—an intergalactic council of alien leaders—he’s mistaken for Earth’s leader. It’s a cosmic misadventure packed with heart, humor, and stunning visuals.
EUR sat down with the creative team—directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, and producer Mary Alice Drumm—who shared exclusive behind-the-scenes insights.
Director Domee Shi explained the origin of the film’s unique hook. “We knew the concept, what if Earth’s weirdest little boy was abducted by aliens and they mistake him for the leader of Earth, that was Adrian Molina’s original genius idea,” said Shi.
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Director Domee Shi explained the origin of the film’s unique hook.
“We knew the concept, what if Earth’s weirdest little boy was abducted by aliens and they mistake him for the leader of Earth, that was Adrian Molina’s original genius idea,” said Shi.
But making Elio actually want to be abducted cracked the character open. “Seeing a little kid jumping for joy and screaming yes as the tractor beam picks him up just makes you lean in. You wonder: Who would react this way? Why? From there, you get to fill out the character,” she explained.
Co-director Madeline Sharafian added that the choice felt personal.
“We were all Elios at one point,” she said. “For me, wanting to be abducted was like dreaming of going to animation school—a place where people speak your language. It felt like a rootable drive for our hero.”
Visually, the film plays with strong contrasts between the drab, boxed-in world of Earth and the vibrant, organic Communiverse.
“Our North Star was: this is a wish-fulfillment story,” said Shi. “Earth is desaturated with hard edges. Elio is this colorful kid boxed in. Space just blows all that out of the water—it’s welcoming, grand, and epic. When he arrives, we want audiences to feel the same way he does: I want to stay here.”
Shi (Turning Red) and Sharafian (Burrow) both brought their personal cinematic influences to the table, adding layers to an already well-developed world.
“When we joined, Adrian and [production designer] Harley Jessup had built an incredible world,” said Sharafian. “But we added our own touches, inspired by sci-fi movies we love—John Carpenter’s The Thing, Ridley Scott’s Alien, Close Encounters. It became a mishmash of all our tastes that still feels unified.”
Their long-standing collaboration also helped smooth the process. “We’ve worked together at Pixar on other films,” said Shi. “The directors help consult on each other’s movies, so we were already in the same taste and headspace.”
As with all Pixar projects, deep research was key. The team collaborated with SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) to ground their story in real scientific findings.
“We got to work with Jill Tarter and Simon Steel,” said Drumm. “The vastness of the universe, and how many planets out there could host life, was inspiring.”
The team also fell in love with an old-school technology: ham radio.
“I didn’t know much about ham radios or how signals can travel so far,” said Shi. Sharafian added, “They’re still the farthest-reaching signals we can produce—it might be radio waves that reach any alien life.” “And we have a ham radio at Pixar, which none of us knew!” laughed Drumm.
With its blend of sci-fi wonder and emotional connection, “Elio” promises to be this summer’s animated standout.
“Ultimately, it’s about finding where you belong,” said Sharafian. “And sometimes that place might be way out in the stars.”
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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