"We Want to Bring Hope to Lonely Modern People Through 'Elio'"

A Lonely Boy Sets Out into Space in Search of Friends
Disney-Pixar's New Film Premieres on the 18th
"A Unique Sci-Fi That Turns Cliches Upside Down"

Domi Ci (left) and director Sharafian participated in a video interview with domestic reporters on the morning of the 17th. Walt Disney Company Korea

The Disney-Pixar animated film "Elio," which tells the story of a boy who, feeling the loneliness of being alone, is summoned from Earth into space, will meet audiences on the 18th.

Director Domee Shi, who helmed the project, said in a video interview with domestic reporters on the morning of the 17th, "I projected my childhood self onto Elio, who dreams of going to space and hopes he will be happy if he finds his own community." She added, "Loneliness is something many people living in the modern era struggle with, and it is an emotion everyone experiences."

"During high school, I often felt lonely and thought people didn't understand me. Then, in college, I had a turning point when I met international students. Although our languages were different, by opening up and communicating, I was reminded of the scene in the film where Elio and Glodine form a soulmate-like friendship."

"Elio" was created through the collaboration of director Domee Shi, who worked on "Inside Out" (2015-2024) and "Elemental" (2023); director Madeline Sharafian, who developed the stories for "Coco" (2018) and "Onward" (2020); and director Adrian Molina, who co-directed and co-wrote "Coco."

Pete Docter, who has won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature three times for "Up" (2009), "Inside Out," and "Soul" (2021), served as executive producer, while Mary Alice Drumm, who worked on "The Good Dinosaur" (2016) and "Coco," participated as producer.

The message they wanted to convey through the film is "hope." Director Sharafian said, "I hope that even if just one person who watches the film can escape loneliness or despair and feel hope," and added, "I want viewers to feel, 'This is exactly where I belong.'"

Korean staff members, including FX technical director Lee Jaejun, also participated in this project. Director Sharafian said, "Working with them, I built a special friendship," and added, "I wanted to capture the value of friendship that transcends language and culture in the film."

Movie still from "Elio." Walt Disney Company Korea

The film features a family structure different from the traditional one. Director Domee Shi explained, "The protagonist loses his parents and lives with his aunt, experiencing various conflicts," and continued, "I wanted to depict a unique family relationship that is not often explored in other films." She added, "Stories about mothers and sons are familiar, but the relationship between an aunt and her nephew is less predictable, which allowed us to add more dramatic elements."

Regarding the scenes with alien lifeforms that appear before the protagonist in space, director Sharafian said, "I worked with the art director who participated in 'Ratatouille' (2007) and 'Coco,'" and explained, "We observed things like deep-sea creatures and fungi under a microscope to visualize familiar things from daily life in a fantastical and beautiful way."

Producer Mary Alice Drumm said, "This film is a space adventure, but it is full of amazing elements," and added, "Both directors have a deep understanding of the science fiction (SF) genre, so they used typical cliches but also subverted them to make the film more entertaining."