Moviegoers proved they still have plenty of love for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang this weekend, as “Toy Story 5” opened to a record-breaking $160 million in domestic ticket sales.
Studio estimates released Sunday confirmed the fifth installment in the Pixar series not only set a new franchise record, but also claimed the title of the year’s biggest opening weekend. The previous best debut in the franchise belonged to “Toy Story 4,” which opened to $120 million back in 2019.
The film arrived in theaters 31 years after the original “Toy Story” first debuted. Overseas audiences were equally enthusiastic, with $152 million in international ticket sales during the opening weekend, pushing the global total to an impressive $312 million.
The “Toy Story” franchise ranks among the most financially successful properties owned by The Walt Disney Co. Before this latest entry, the series had collectively earned more than $3 billion at the box office, with billions more generated through merchandise sales.
While many felt the story wrapped up with “Toy Story 3” in 2010, the decision to bring the franchise back — though controversial at the time — has proven to be a very smart financial move. “Toy Story 4” crossed the $1 billion mark in global ticket sales, and the fifth film appears well on its way to doing the same.
Among all animated films ever released, only “Incredibles 2” from 2018 — which opened to $182.7 million — had a stronger debut than “Toy Story 5.”
The production came with a hefty price tag of $250 million, not counting marketing costs. The film brings back a familiar voice cast, including Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie. The story follows the toys as they find themselves pushed aside when Bonnie receives a new tablet. Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, who previously directed “Finding Nemo” in 2003 and “WALL-E” in 2008, helmed the project. The film also features a brand-new song by Taylor Swift titled “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Reviews have been strong, and audiences handed the film an “A” CinemaScore rating, a sign that word-of-mouth should keep theaters busy for several more weeks.
In second place this weekend was Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” which brought in $17 million in its second weekend of release. That represents a 61% drop from its opening frame — a steeper decline than distributor Universal Pictures had hoped for. The $115 million production, which stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo, has now earned $160.4 million globally in two weeks. Despite the significant drop, the film is expected to remain the top option for adult moviegoers in the weeks ahead.
The new releases this weekend struggled to make much of an impact against “Toy Story 5.”
A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood,” a dark and violent reimagining of the classic legend, stumbled at the box office with just $2.6 million from 1,762 screens. The film stars Hugh Jackman and was directed by Michael Sarnoski. Made for a modest $20 million, the movie received mixed reviews and a “C+” CinemaScore from audiences.
Neon’s “Leviticus” edged it out slightly, earning $2.7 million from 1,076 theaters. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, the low-budget horror film — made for just $3.5 million — follows two teenage boys who meet at a conversion therapy program. The film generated strong buzz ahead of its release, and its opening is considered a solid start for an indie production. However, it faced stiff competition from the ongoing horror hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”
“Obsession” continued to dominate the horror category. Now in its sixth weekend, the microbudget film from 26-year-old director Curry Barker nearly matched its original $17 million opening weekend from mid-May. The Focus Features release, which cost less than $1 million to produce, added $14.2 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $215.8 million and its global earnings to $333.3 million.
The combined strength of “Toy Story 5” and “Obsession” is helping push the overall summer box office up 15% compared to the previous summer, according to Rentrak. Even more remarkably, this summer’s ticket sales are nearly on par with the record-setting summer of 2019 — trailing that benchmark by just 1.9%, not accounting for inflation.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, believes Hollywood may be heading toward its best summer since before the pandemic. He credits the season’s success to a diverse mix of films rather than just big franchise titles.
“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 said. “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.’”
Here is the full top 10 for the weekend, based on estimated domestic ticket sales 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
