When Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” hit theaters this past summer, many wrote it off as a flop as the film didn’t hit the projected numbers expected.

The film opened to less than $30 million, according to CNN.

However, the film ended up doing well as time went on to become a sleeper hit and earned a Golden Globes nomination.

“Elemental” was nominated for Best Animated Picture.

The film’s director Peter Sohn called the nod “incredible.”

“It’s just excitement all in this house right now. The dogs are barking,” he explained to KTLA 5’s Dayna Devon.

The film’s journey was an emotional rollercoaster for Sohn.

“It was definitely a dark time in terms of you just wanting the film to connect. It felt like, you know, people weren’t as excited about it,” he explained. “As the film was out there, it just continued to gain attention. And then that love that we were just so excited about. I mean, it’s a love story, after all. It moved us, the team and I that the audiences were embracing it.”

He then explained when he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I think it was maybe a month in and I was getting emails from a friend saying ‘Look how it’s doing in Korea, look how it’s doing here.’ It was still staying strong in the theaters here in the U.S. as well. Right around then, I started smiling. I had a skip in my step.”

The film has been a big part of Sohn’s life, as it was seven years in the making.

He explained how he felt when he first saw the film with an audience.

“That moment when a whole audience begins to get emotional over some of these moments, that’s what it’s all for. We just love being in a theater and feeling that sort of chemical reaction with a group of people all connecting with these characters,” he gushed. “It was one of the high points of this journey.”

“Elemental” is currently streaming on Disney+.

The 81st Golden Globes will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Jan. 7, 2024, at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.