Elio Director Confirms the Movie’s Major ET Inspirations (And One Is Hidden)

Elio co-director Madeline Sharafian confirms that aspects of the upcoming Pixar film were heavily influenced by Steven Spielberg’s classic movie E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial. In an interview with ComicBook to promote Elio (which is out in theaters on June 20th), the trio of Sharafin, co-director Domee Shi, and producer Mary Alice Drumm was asked if the titular character’s name is meant to be an homage to Elliott from E.T. Sharafin confirmed that definitely is, and she revealed that a smaller detail about Elio’s character design was also intentionally chosen because of similarities to E.T.

“That’s 100% odds,” Sharafian said in response to the Elliott/Elio connection. She then elaborated on other E.T. influences in the movie. “There’s even a teeny little … this is the most nerdy [thing] … I remember when we were choosing the coloring for his socks and shoes, we were like, ‘This is the color from at least one scene in E.T.‘ … We were hugely inspired by E.T. and Spielberg films in general.”

Elio is the latest original film from Pixar. The sci-fi story follows the eponymous character, a young boy who dreams about being abducted by aliens. As seen in the Elio trailers, his wish becomes a reality one day when he’s scooped up by a spaceship. Befriending the alien Glordon, Elio embarks on a mission to stop Glordon’s father Lord Grigon from conquering the universe.

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Back in February, Disney pushed back Elio‘s premiere by a week so it wouldn’t have to open directly against the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake. The studio is hoping the shift gives Elio‘s box office prospects a boost. Last summer, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 became one of the biggest hits of the year, earning over $1 billion worldwide.

One doesn’t have to look too hard to spot the parallels between Elio and E.T. In some ways, the former is essentially the inverse of the later. Rather than an alien being lost on Earth, Elio sees a human boy attempt to get home after traveling to a mysterious alien civilization. Elio and Elliott are also very similar in terms of characterization; both are lonely kids trying to find their place in the world who find companionship from the unlikeliest of places. Elio and Glordon look to have a dynamic reminiscent of Elliott and E.T., which likely means Elio will serve up plenty of emotional moments by the time the credits roll. Their back and forth should be very entertaining to watch.

Decades after its release, E.T. remains a pop culture touchstone as one of the most acclaimed and beloved films of all time. Drawing from that seems like a good idea when crafting another poignant sci-fi fale. When Elio hits theaters, it will be interesting to watch Pixar put its spin on that classic formula, and hopefully the E.T. influences help Elio make an impact with audiences. Pixar made a name for itself with a slew of creative, original films that struck a chord with audiences of all ages. Elio looks like it has the potential to be the next chapter of that ever-growing legacy.