Pixar Set To Go Intergalactic With New Movie Elio

With Disney's D23 event kicking off in Anaheim, there has already been plenty of news erupting from corner to corner. From updates on their live-action adaptations of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "The Little Mermaid" to exclusive previews of such films as Disney Animation's "Strange World," there's no shortage of exciting reveals coming from the House of Mouse. Some of the most exciting pieces of news we've received so far have come from Pixar Animation Studios. This string of announcements includes the unveiling of anticipated productions such as their upcoming film, "Elemental,"  their long-form Disney + series, "Win or Lose," and their long-awaited sequel, "Inside Out 2." In addition to those announcements, Pixar has also revealed a previously unannounced original film project, entitled "Elio." 

Announced officially by Disney D23 on Friday, September 9, the film's voice cast includes the likes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" star Yonas Kibreab as the titular character and America Ferrera as his mother, Olga (via Deadline). "Elio" will see Pixar continue to forge its path of emotionally touching and groundbreaking original storytelling. On top of this, the film itself appears to see Pixar dabbling back into the realm of science fiction, much in the same way their films "Wall-E" and "Lightyear" have done so. But with Pixar, there always seems to be something up their sleeves to deliver something emotionally resonant and easy to love. In this vein, "Elio" already shows signs of becoming yet another enduring classic within the wide library of gems from the nearly 40-year-old studio.

According to a description on Pixar's official Twitter account, the studio's upcoming film, "Elio," will tell the story of "[a] boy who finds himself transported across the galaxy and mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador for our planet Earth." The film will be directed by Adrian Molina, who was a co-director on Pixar's 2017 Oscar winner "Coco" and has worked on several other Pixar movies throughout the years in varying capacities. Mary Alice Drumm will be producing, having also worked on "Coco" as a producer, along with films such as "Brave" and "The Good Dinosaur." 

So far, only Yonas Kibreab as Elio and America Ferrera as Olga have been announced as cast members. "Olga is super-confident, smart and can hold her own in any situation," Ferrera said while presenting at D23. "She's a character who speaks to me in so many ways as a mother. And of course, with my advanced mathematical degree, I can finally put it to use. Don't Google it." Animation fans might recognize Ferrera for voicing another fiery female character — Astrid from DreamWorks' "How To Train your Dragon" franchise. 

It certainly seems that we're in for another round of Pixar's heart-tugging magic once again as "Elio" seems to blend touching emotion with plenty of sci-fi fun. "Elio" is expected to hit theaters in spring 2024.