by Disney & Pixar’s latest theatrical film, “Elio in a Chain of Stars,” will be released on August 1, 2025. Director Domy Shi, who directed this film, made his directorial debut with the feature-length animated film “I Sometimes Red Panda,” in which he portrayed the importance of embracing one’s true self through the story of Mei, a girl who transforms into a fluffy red panda when she loses control of her emotions.
In this latest film, he has created a story that anyone can relate to, depicting the “connections” of friendship and family love, through the story of Elio, a lonely man who believes that “if he could go somewhere other than here, something might change.”
The story of Elio searching for his proper place in the world reflects the “loneliness” that director Domy himself felt as a child and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he said, “The path that Elio took to find the ‘connections’ with those around him is important to everyone. I hope this film will resonate with both children and adults.” He spoke about his thoughts on this film.
In “I and Sometimes Red Pandas,” director Domy created a story that will make you laugh, cry, and empathize with the audience, based on his own experiences, such as the conflicts he felt during adolescence, the changes he experienced himself, and the worries he had about his relationship with his mother.
In this film, Elio, who is unable to fit in with the people around him and even builds a wall around himself, telling his aunt Olga, who acts as a parent to him, “I don’t have a family anymore,” travels to the “Comniverse,” where representatives of various planets gather. There, he meets Grodon, a kind-hearted alien boy who is troubled by his timidity, unlike his strong father and those around him, and as they become his first friends and share their hearts, he begins to realize the existence of meaningful “connections.”
This story incorporates director Domy’s own experiences as a child, when he was troubled by the differences he felt with others, and when he was looking for “someone” who could understand him. Director Domy was a so-called “otaku” who loved Japanese anime, such as “Sailor Moon” and “Inuyasha,” and spent his youth feeling different from his friends. Comparing himself to the main character Elio, who dreams of going to a star light years away in search of his proper place, he said, “Elio is like me. We’ve all felt like Elio, that we’re out of here, that we want to run away somewhere.
I was crazy about anime, but there were only two of us in the anime club: my friend and I. I have always hoped to attend animation school. I thought it was like a “communiverse” where there were people who spoke the same language as me, and we could discuss what we liked. I can relate to the feeling of lying on the beach and thinking, “Take me somewhere other than this Earth.” We put that feeling into the movie,” he said, revealing that he put himself into the character. He also revealed that the movie reflected the “desire to connect” that everyone felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “During the pandemic, I felt more isolated and lonely than usual, and I strongly wanted to be connected.
I infused my personal feelings into this movie, revealing that it reflected the “desire to connect” that everyone felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding the film, director Domy, along with fellow director Madeline Sharafian and producer Mary Alice Drumm, said, “Everyone has moments when they feel like they have no place in the world and are alone.
I hope this film will give you the courage to love your true self and help you realize the meaningful “connections” that gently embrace you as you are.” On social media, many people who have already seen the preview have expressed their emotions, such as “I cried my eyes out for Elio,” “I was moved and empathized with Elio,” and “I cried my eyes out at this film that gently comforts the loneliness that everyone feels.”
Elio, a boy who has lost his parents and is alone, Glodon, a lonely alien boy, and his aunt Olga, who is confused but tries to comfort Elio. Set in a colorful world of stars full of Pixar’s imagination, the “connections” they make will surely bring tears to your eyes. Disney & Pixar’s latest theatrical release, “Elio the Star-Straddler,” will be released on August 1, 2025. “Elio the Star-Straddler” August 1 (Friday) Nationwide theatrical release. Distribution: Walt Disney Japan (C) 2025 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
