Pete Docter Says Pixar Cut LGBTQ Storyline From ‘Elio’ Because ‘We’re Making a Movie, Not Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Therapy’

Pete Docter, chief creative officer at Pixar and director of “Monsters Inc.,” “Up” and “Inside Out,” recently told the Wall Street Journal why the studio decided to completely overhaul 2025’s “Elio” and cut out the film’s LGBTQ storyline.

Docter told the WSJ that Pixar didn’t want to expose its young audience to things they weren’t ready to see or hadn’t discussed with their parents. He said, “We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.”

“Elio” follows a lonely kid who looks to the stars for friends after being rejected as an outsider by other kids his age. Despite the clever premise, WSJ reports that the film tested poorly in early screenings, with most audiences saying they wouldn’t pay to see it in theaters. In response, Docter ordered a complete overhaul of the film, even though a significant chunk of the animation was complete.