Part 6/10:
The failure of Elio is compounded by a lack of hype and poor marketing. Some insiders suggest that it might have been more prudent to release the film directly to Disney+, considering the minimal buzz around it. With a reported production budget that might be closer to $30 million—significantly less than the inflated $150 million initially claimed—the studio did not heavily market the film, possibly foreseeing its poor reception.
This marketing misstep highlights a troubling trend: Disney's decline in effectively promoting original content. The studio appears to have lost confidence in the ability of original animated films to perform well at the box office, further incentivizing a focus on franchising and sequels rather than risky new stories.