June 16, 2025

Beauty and the Beast at 30, Elio Projections, and the Live-Action Dragon’s Box Office (Ep. 311)

Beauty and the Beast at 30, Elio Projections, and the Live-Action Dragon’s Box Office (Ep. 311)

In this solo episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill covers the latest from the animation and box office world while Drew Taylor wraps up his trip to Annecy and Disneyland Paris. This week’s highlights include:

  • Live-action How to Train Your Dragon opens to $197M globally, including a $83M domestic debut that surpasses every previous entry in the franchise.

  • Disney’s Lilo & Stitch nears the billion-dollar mark, with over $858M earned just four weeks after release.

  • Pixar’s Elio faces a soft box office forecast, but Jim urges caution against writing it off before opening weekend.

  • Peter Sohn tapped to direct Incredibles 3, with a screenplay by Brad Bird and expectations riding high after Elemental's surprise turnaround.

  • Jim interviews Matt West, director of the 30th Anniversary Tour of Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical, and shares the story of how the animated film came together after a theme park pre-show opened doors for new talent.

From billion-dollar contenders to Broadway anniversaries and surprise animation industry milestones, it’s a jam-packed episode filled with insight, stories, and a little history.

Be Our Guest Vacations

Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

Learn More

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you like what you hear, and would like to support all of the Jim Hill Media Network Podcasts, please consider subscribing - for just $4 / month - to hear more episodes exclusive to subscribers 

Go to disneydish.bandcampcom/subscribe (where you'll find an awesome pic of Jim and Len) to subscribe, then listen for your name to be announced by THE Len Testa on a future Disney Dish.

Thanks for listening!