Disney+ Is Using ‘Elemental’ to Unlearn Pixar Streaming Release Expectations

One sure thing has been established as a normal expectation since Disney+ launched. Every Pixar Studio film released since 2019 has followed the same formula. It either begins its life right away on the streaming platform or appears within a short window of time soon after it comes to theaters. The head of Pixar has even stated that Disney+ has taught its audience to quickly expect Pixar movies on the service. He has also noted the dangers of this being the norm. It now seems as if Disney+ is trying to decommission what it has established via Elemental.

Is Elemental Streaming Yet?

Elemental was released in theaters on June 16 this year. The Pixar film struggled to find an audience in its opening weekend, leaving many to call it a box office disaster for Disney. This would normally be true. However, the film did something miraculous. It trudged along at a snail’s pace, but its box office revenue didn’t decline as fast as anticipated. In fact, it stayed relatively steady.

Elemental has been labeled as the most successful original Disney film in a long time. It has since gone on to gross almost $445 million at the worldwide box office. With a budget of $200 million, the movie has actually made a profit. This is a far cry from the expectations set after opening weekend.

Furthermore, Elemental has yet to receive a streaming release date for Disney+. This is intriguing information based on Pixar’s track record with the platform.

When Can You Watch Elemental on Disney Plus?

There is still no hint of a date for Elemental coming to Disney+. However, the film has recently been released for digital purchase on demand. Movies tend to go at least a month before heading to streaming once made available for purchase. This means that Elemental will likely not be available to stream on Disney+ until well into September at the earliest.

This news is definitely either frustrating or fantastic, depending on who you ask. Many people have come to expect Pixar films to arrive on their streaming service quickly. For this reason, they might have avoided seeing Elemental in theaters. Others understand Pixar’s need to unravel expectations in the post-pandemic world to reestablish its place as a box office juggernaut.

Elemental Streaming Release Is a Major Change

Since Disney+ launched in 2019, no Pixar release has gone more than two months without appearing on streaming. This started with Onward (2020), which arguably only came to Disney+ in 28 days because of the emerging pandemic. After that, Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022) all launched immediately on the platform without ever going to theaters.

Lightyear (2022) was the first post-pandemic theatrical release for Pixar. However, it only lasted 47 days before it came to Disney+. Elemental has almost doubled that duration and is now approaching three months without a streaming release date announcement.

A New Normal

Disney definitely seems to have noticed the trend. The company has started to change up its strategy and is likely drawing out Elemental‘s streaming release for as long as it can due to the surprising box office turnaround.

This is almost certainly a permanent expectation moving forward for all of their films, even outside of Pixar. Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid movie is not heading to streaming until September 6, which is over three months since its launch in theaters. According to Disney CCO Jennifer Lee, the upcoming Disney Animation Studios’ Wish film will also likely have a normal theatrical run before heading to Disney+. The company seeks to unlearn the expectations the pandemic established, and Elemental is just the start.