Space is the place for Pixar's 'Elio' (or so he thinks)

By Linda Holmes,

Aisha Harris, Bedatri D. Choudhury, Margaret H. Willison, Liz Metzger, Hafsa Fathima, Mike Katzif, Jessica Reedy

Published June 23, 2025 at 9:34 AM EDT

Elio voiced by Yonas Kibreab in Pixar's Elio. — Elio voiced by Yonas Kibreab in Pixar's *Elio*.

In the new Pixar film Elio, a lonely kid dreams of being abducted by aliens. And then one day, it happens. Eager to find a place to belong, Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) volunteers to save the aliens from a dangerous enemy. Along the way, he makes a friend and starts to think about Earth a little differently. The film was directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi (Turning Red) and Adrian Molina (Coco).

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Linda Holmes

Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour. She began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture, and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living room space to DVD sets of The Wire, and never looked back.

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Aisha Harris

Aisha Harris is a host of Pop Culture Happy Hour.

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Bedatri D. Choudhury

Margaret H. Willison

Liz Metzger

Hafsa Fathima

See stories by Hafsa Fathima

Mike Katzif

Jessica Reedy

See stories by Jessica Reedy