How ‘Elio’ Pays Homage to Classic Sci-Fi Films, ‘The Thing,’ ‘Close Encounters’ and ‘Alien’

Corruption alert: This story contains spoilers for “”Elio“Play now in theaters.

Disney PixarThe last animation feature, “Elio” focuses on a desperate young orphan boy to kidnap by foreigners.

The hypothesis of the igave The Creatives is an ideal opportunity to honor the great science fiction classics, including “Alien” and John Carpet “The Thing”. But one film managers Domi Shi (“Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian (“Burrow”) they referred to many “third -type meetings”. “We refer to this film a lot because it also relates to someone who loves space.” “We loved how this movie gave the foreign film a large drum and with the tone, you did not know completely that it is friendly? What are their intentions? We liked that the aura of mystery of the two fields.”

Disney Pixar’s feature also participated in her writing and directed by Adrian Molina (“” Coco “) with a Sheikh and Sharia taking the guidance. The two spoke with diverse From Annecy, where the film was shown to the masses, about Easter eggs and how the issue of unity is echoed in today’s world.

Can you talk about entering this and how it was built on what Adrian has already started?

Madeleine Sharaphian: What helped us a lot is that, since Adrian was making “Elio” and his original, he showed it several times as we do in Pixar. Over the years, we saw the story growing, and we were aware of the characters and with the world, which I think made it easier for us to jump. We have agreed with his taste. I worked with him on “COCO” and worked Domee with him on “Turning Red”. Once we have the movie in our hands, we got a lot of freedom, and we were allowed to make large seizures. One of the things we did is changed the Elio engine. We added the idea that he wanted to kidnap him from foreigners, who was really fun to play with him, and this made him this disguised strange character. Like, why do you want to be kidnapped?

Domi Shi: Our past and childhood were inspired. Being these only children, in our hometown, love to draw every day, in the hope and we pray that we can go to the animated school one day and find our people. This was an inspiration for Elio’s character. We have always loved Adrian’s concept of the strangest child in the world mistakenly in the Earth leader and kidnapping. But in giving him this soft leadership at the beginning of the movie, he loved him for us because we were our obsessive colleagues who in the end found our people, not in space, but in Pixar.

You have this story that Elio is a single and strange child, but his aunt Olga is also isolated, you are trying to discover it, can you talk about how to collect it together.

Sharafian: Olga, which was expressed by Zoe Saldaña, is a great character because she represents Elare Elio. It is part of the reason why the Earth is completely removed, because at the beginning of the movie it does not realize that it is quite alone as it is. It is on his side, but we have always talked about how he is very busy looking at the stars, and it is never seen. The animation told us to focus on it and the scenes they have together. He never caught his attention until the end of the movie, when he finally returns to Earth. We have made this scene where they did not reunite them, everything about seeing each other and similarities.

something: It was always the basic relationship of the story: Olga and Li. This was another shift in the story we brought when we joined. Writer Julia Zhou (“The Transformation of the Red”) put us the idea of ​​converting Olga from Elyo’s mother to Elio’s aunt. It is a family dynamic that is not commonly seen in many films. But there are all kinds of families in real life, and they clicked on us. Ellio made you feel that his life on Earth was unstable. Olga made you feel unbearable, put it under pressure, and more likely to make mistakes. He gave them more conflict. Also, there was another way we were able to personally associate with the character of Olga, too, from this functional woman who was overwhelmed by a sudden and unexpected gift that fell to her lap.

Does Elio call Glordon, and finds friendship in it, what is the key to that dynamism?

something: We talked to many psychologists for children for this movie. We have even consulted with the American General Surgeon at the time, Dr. Vivek Morethi, who talked about the unity epidemic in our current society, and how many people find it difficult to communicate with others and make friendships. One of the things we discovered with experts this idea is that one of the steps to treat unity is to admit that you are alone and that you need help. But many people do not do it, because it is also a feeling that brings a lot of sin and shame. The first thing Elio does, when he enhances his links with Glordon in the movie, is that he leaves his walls and reveals that deep and weak part of himself who was burying him inside. When Glordon admits, “I am afraid that something is wrong with me, and it is not the land.” This is a really big step for him. He did not recognize anyone.

So, who was her “foreign” idea?

something: We are both lovers of huge horror, and it was fun to put ways in the movie.

What are some of your favorite Easter eggs?

Sharafian: The music and the way it calls communiverse first, Elio is completely honored for the “third type confrontation”. We refer to this movie a lot because it also relates to a person who loves space. But we loved how this film gave the foreign film a large drum, and with a fault. You don’t know exactly, are they friendly? What are their intentions? We liked the aura of mystery for the two fields before we revealed that.

something: John Carptter “Something” with cloning. Certainly “foreigner” (in an exchange between Elio and Glordon).

Sharafian: We were inspired by “communication” as a film that uses a lift space for the main character.

something: All classic PIXAR eggs are also present. We got a Pizza Planet truck, Luxo ball. We have even the Easter egg that hints in our next movie, “Hopper”. It is hidden in sight, and there is an Easter egg for the short film “Burrow” (on a sunscreen).

What do I have to take the audience from “Elio”?

somethingIn our world after the rule, I feel that many people may feel Eleio’s feeling. They are struggling with many of their problems, silently. But when they see “Elio”, our hope is to feel inspiration to share their struggle and contact with someone.

This interview has been edited and intensified.