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Woody and Buzz are taking the box office to infinity and beyond.
Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” is set to conquer multiplexes this weekend and give theaters one of the biggest openings of the year. The animated sequel
has made $17.5 million in previews. It’s the highest preview performance of 2026 so far, surpassing “Michael’s” $12.6 million haul, as well as the second best preview performance behind 2018’s “Incredibles 2,” which made $18.5 million in previews. “Michael” went on to earn $97 million in its initial weekend. while “Incredibles 2” netted $182.7 million.
“Toy Story 5” is on track to make $145 million to $150 million this weekend, though some estimates place it even higher at $160 million to $175 million after glowing reviews from film critics. It should easily surpass “Toy Story 4” ($120 million opening after $12 million in previews) to set the record for the franchise’s largest debut. Plus, it would become the biggest launch of the year, beating Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which currently holds the record with $131.7 million. Internationally, “Toy Story 5” is on track to open with $135 million, putting its global haul at more than $275 million. The film has a $250 million budget, plus marketing costs, so it was expensive to produce, but still stands to be wildly profitable for Disney. The company scored a solid hit earlier this year with “Hoppers,” another animated effort that earned nearly $390 million globally, but the “Toy Story” franchise is in another stratosphere.
In “Toy Story 5,” technology is the new villain. Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the toys have their world and playtime turned upside-down when a smart tablet named Lilypad disrupts everything. The voice cast brings back Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack, while introducing Conan O’Brien and Greta Lee to the mix. The franchise’s last blockbuster, “Toy Story 4” in 2019, made more than $1 billion at the global box office, and the series makes more than $1 billion per year in consumer products, games and publishing.
This weekend also sees the release of A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood,” starring Hugh Jackman, and Neon’s horror film “Leviticus,” which are both predicted to make $3 million to $4 million.
