Pixar’s beloved Toy Story franchise has once again proven its enduring appeal, with the fifth instalment shattering box office records and securing the biggest opening weekend of the year.
Toy Story 5 debuted with an estimated $160 million in domestic ticket sales, easily surpassing previous franchise highs.
Launching 31 years after the original film first graced cinemas, the latest animated adventure far outstripped the previous series-best debut of $120 million set by Toy Story 4 in 2019.
Its international performance was equally impressive, raking in $152 million over the opening weekend, contributing to a formidable worldwide total of $312 million.
The “Toy Story” saga remains a cornerstone of profitability for The Walt Disney Co. Before Toy Story 5’s release, the films had collectively grossed over $3 billion, complemented by billions more from merchandise sales.
While 2010’s Toy Story 3 appeared to offer a definitive conclusion, the decision to revive the franchise nearly a decade later, though initially met with some controversy, has proved immensely lucrative.
Toy Story 4 exceeded $1 billion in ticket sales, a milestone Toy Story 5 is almost certainly set to follow. Among animated features, only 2018’s Incredibles 2 achieved a larger opening weekend, with $182.7 million.
However, maintaining the “Toy Story” legacy comes at a cost. The fifth film had a production budget of $250 million, excluding marketing expenses. It sees the return of its iconic voice cast, including Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie. The sequel’s plot sees the toys sidelined when Bonnie receives a new tablet.
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Directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, known for Finding Nemo (2003) and WALL-E (2008), the film also features a new song by Taylor Swift, “I Knew It, I Knew You.” Critics have mostly responded positively, and audiences awarded Toy Story 5 an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting it will maintain its strong theatrical presence for weeks to come.
Following its record-breaking debut, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day slipped to second place, earning $17 million in its second weekend. This performance fell short of Universal Pictures’ expectations, with a 61 per cent drop from its opening weekend, indicating the sci-fi thriller may struggle to gain traction this summer.
Despite this, the $115 million budgeted film, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo, has accumulated $160.4 million globally in two weeks and is well-positioned to remain the leading adult-oriented option in cinemas. Toy Story 5 faced minimal competition from new releases.
Elsewhere, A24’s The Death of Robin Hood, a violent, revisionist take on the classic legend, flopped with just $6 million across 762 screens. The film, starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Michael Sarnoski, had a modest budget of $20 million, but mixed reviews and a “C+” CinemaScore suggested it failed to resonate with audiences.
Neon’s Leviticus narrowly outperformed The Death of Robin Hood, taking $7 million from 1076 theatres. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, this much-discussed low-budget horror film centres on two teenage boys meeting at conversion therapy. It marks a promising start for an independent film with a small $3.5 million budget and positive word-of-mouth, though Leviticus contended with strong competition from established horror hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”
The reigning horror champion remained Obsession, the micro-budget sensation from 26-year-old Curry Barker. In its sixth weekend, it almost matched its 17 million opening from mid−May, adding $14.2 million. The Focus Features release, which cost less than $1m to produce, now boasts a domestic total of $215.8 million and a global haul of $333.3 million.
With Toy Story 5 and Obsession driving sales, the summer box office is up 15 per cent compared to last year, according to Rentrak.
More impressively, summer ticket sales are nearly on par with 2019 figures at the same point, without adjusting for inflation, sitting just 1.9 per cent down from that year. Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, anticipates Hollywood is heading for its most successful summer since before the pandemic, with success stemming from both expected and unexpected sources.
“To me, this is a hybrid summer and this could be the new blueprint for how you build the perfect summer box-office beast,” Dergarabedian commented. “You throw in a mix of very eclectic films and not just the usual suspects — the big franchise films, the known brands — but also films like ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ and original films like ‘Disclosure Day.’”
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:
1. Toy Story 5, $160 million.
2. Disclosure Day, $17 million.
3. Obsession, $14.2 million.
4. Backrooms, $7.3 million.
5. Scary Movie, $6.7 million.
6. Masters of the Universe, $5.6 million.
7. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, $3.9 million.
8. Leviticus, $2.7 million.
9. The Death of Robin Hood, $2.6 million.
10. Michael, $2.2 million.
