On an early morning in late January, the filmmakers behind Disney and Pixar’s Elio were over the moon to learn that the cosmic misadventure — about an 11-year-old boy who desperately wants to be abducted by aliens — had been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards®. It marks the second nomination for director Madeline Sharafian; the third for director Domee Shi, who previously won an Oscar® for Bao (2018); and the first for director Adrian Molina and producer Mary Alice Drumm.
“It’s great that the Academy has recognized Elio,” Shi said. “Being nominated has almost given this movie a second life — a chance for even more people to discover it and enjoy it.”
And there’s plenty for people to discover, whether it’s their first or fiftieth time watching the movie. But, for Sharafian and Shi, its horror and sci-fi references rank high on their list.
“It was fun to start Elio off with the warm familiarity you get from a classic [Steven] Spielberg film and then twist it to surprise the audience,” Shi said. “I remember how much fun I had watching E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial [1982], but I also remember being scared by it, too. At Pixar, our films tend to make people cry or laugh, so we thought this could be a great opportunity to get some thrills, some tension, and some gasps out of the audience.”
“This movie is a love letter to the sci-fi movies we grew up with, and we put our own spin on the genre,” Shi continued. “We hope it can fit into the library of classic sci-fi films like Contact [1997] and E.T., or that it could even be like a kid’s introduction to John Carpenter.”
“Elio is step one,” Sharafian said. “A few more steps later, you can watch The Thing [1982].”
Because they “had never worked on anything sci-fi” prior to Elio, Sharafian said she and Shi rewatched “all the classic Spielberg movies” for inspiration. “There’s a nostalgic romance to them,” she said. “They’re about aliens and space, where things are unsettling but also beautiful, and I wanted to capture that feeling. All the settings on Earth were drawn from movies like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind [1977]. There’s something about watching those classics with a new eye that I enjoyed and tried to weave into our own film.”
Because Elio is an original story, it was important to “lay the track” for the audience by including familiar references, Shi said. “We wanted to get them settled in so that they expect one thing and then give them the exact opposite. In that sense, it was really helpful for us to draw on those sci-fi tropes and homages.”
It’s great that the Academy has recognized Elio. Being nominated has almost given this movie a second life — a chance for even more people to discover it and enjoy it.
However, Sharafian noted, they were mindful not to overstuff the movie with so many references that it might risk taking people out of the story. “Elio has a sort of pushed design, and the world is crazy. The audience needs something to rest their feet on. If it’s all psychedelic and wacky, if nothing makes sense and you don’t have anything to ground yourself, you can easily fall out of the movie.”
“The base of the story, which originally came from Adrian, is about a little boy who makes his first best friend in an alien. That E.T. core has always been there and has never changed,” Sharafian said. “As we began to flesh the story out, we weren’t itching to be like, ‘Let’s put The Thing in this scene.’ You’re just sort of searching for what the movie wants. You realize, ‘Oh, we need another clone scene. We’re a sci-fi movie. What do we both like? The Thing. Let’s draw upon what we love from that and make our own scene.’ It’s all about execution.”
Intergalactic Inspiration
When Elio calls out to the universe, the universe calls back.
But what should that call sound like?
“There’s something about Close Encounters‘ tone that makes you lean in; you want to know more, even if it’s a little unnerving and eerie,” Sharafian explained. “We wanted the first act of the movie to almost feel like a thriller, so that you’re wondering, ‘What is calling [to Elio]? Is it good or is it bad?’ When the spaceship finally arrives, you’re still sort of unsure.”
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Film Synopsis
For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers — and in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Elio,’ the universe calls back! Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, gets beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must bond with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and ultimately discover who he is — and where he is meant to be.
The directors worked with sound designer Jeremy Bowker to craft the perfect melody, which was influenced by the work Disney Legend John Williams did for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. “The first time Elio hears it, he only hears half of it, so it is a little ambiguous if it’s a friendly or not-so-friendly tone,” Shi said. “Jeremy played us many versions, and some sounded way too scary: ‘Don’t go to the light, Elio!’ We needed a melody that was simple, that you remember, that was mysterious, that was inviting. Once Elio finally arrives at the Communiverse, Rob Simonsen, our composer, takes Jeremy’s melody and finishes it.”
The Communiverse itself was inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Muppets, Sharafian said: “There’s this absurdity, this silliness, but also this pompousness.”
Another trio of ’80s films — Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985), Walter Murch’s Return to Oz (1985), Disney Legend Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986) — inspired some of the other story elements. “As kids, those films helped teach us how to power through scary moments, because there’s a reward at the end — like a cute little worm, who’s going to be your best friend,” Shi said, referencing Elio‘s Glordon. “You just have to power though all those teeth!”
Ultimately, Sharafian said, what makes the sci-fi and scary scenes “so amazing” is knowing “how many departments have to work in concert to make them happen, and how every single one of them has to take it farther than they usually go. We’re really lucky to work in a place where everybody can be together in the same room and hear the same notes and talk to each other in person. I think those scenes came together so well because of that.”
Cosmic Cast
Zoe Saldaña, who voices Elio’s Aunt Olga, has played aliens across the Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek franchises — and casting her in Elio was anything but coincidental.
“It’s all intentional,” Sharafian said with a laugh.
Star Trek’s Kate Mulgrew, who voices the museum exhibit narrator, is another such casting example. “My mom and I grew up watching Star Trek: Voyager,” Shi shared. “Being an immigrant, my mom really attached herself to Janeway, and I think she picked up on a lot of English from watching Voyager as well. That was a fun nod to the sci-fi I grew up with. Plus, Kate’s voice is so soothing but also so commanding. Of course, we have her talking about the Voyager 1 space probe. It’s a fun Easter egg for people who recognize her voice.”
From Disney Legend James Cameron‘s The Terminator (1984) to ALF (1986-1990), Elio contains plenty more references and Easter eggs — more than Sharafian or Shi can count. “Our graphics team heads most of that up. Domee and I were so focused on the story that a lot of Easter eggs were snuck into the movie without us even knowing about it,” Sharafian said. “We said to them, ‘We like Easter eggs. Go ahead!’ There is a PDF that has every single Easter egg listed, and I remember looking at it once and being like, ‘What? No way!’”
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
