The long-awaited animated sequel delivered an impressive $160 million across 4,425 theaters in North America, surpassing industry expectations and setting a new benchmark for the beloved franchise. The film also overtook Universal’s “Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which previously held the year’s biggest domestic debut with $131.7 million.
The opening performance marks the largest domestic launch in the history of the “Toy Story” series, eclipsing the $120 million debut of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.” It also secured the second-biggest animated opening weekend ever, trailing only 2018’s “Incredibles 2,” which debuted with $182.7 million.
International audiences were equally enthusiastic. The film generated $152 million overseas, bringing its global opening weekend haul to a staggering $312 million against a production budget of $250 million, excluding marketing costs.
Familiar Characters, New Challenges
Directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, the fifth installment reunites audiences with fan-favorite characters Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of Bonnie’s toy collection as they confront a challenge familiar to modern families: technology.
The story centers on Bonnie’s growing obsession with a children’s smart tablet called Lilypad, forcing the toys to compete for attention in an increasingly digital world.
Adding to the film’s appeal, global music superstar Taylor Swift contributed a new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” to the soundtrack.
Strong audience reception has further boosted confidence in the film’s long-term prospects. “Toy Story 5” currently holds a 94 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an “A” grade from CinemaScore audiences, signaling strong word-of-mouth among families.
Animated Sequels Continue Hollywood’s Winning Formula
The success of “Toy Story 5” reinforces a trend that has become increasingly evident across the global film industry: audiences continue to embrace established animated franchises.
Recent sequels such as Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 demonstrated the enormous earning power of family-friendly franchises, finishing their theatrical runs with approximately $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion respectively.
Given the strength of its debut, industry observers believe “Toy Story 5” is now well positioned to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, surpassing the current record holder, Toy Story 4, which earned more than $1 billion globally.
“Family moviegoing has been leading the industry since it came roaring back from the pandemic in 2023. A lot of the genre’s success is coming from sequels and live-action remakes,” said box office analyst David A. Gross.
“Pixar and Disney are particularly good at growing their series from episode to episode. It’s extremely impressive.”
‘Disclosure Day’ Slows After Opening Weekend
Far behind the animated juggernaut was Disclosure Day, the latest science-fiction adventure from acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
The film earned $17 million in its second weekend, representing a 62 per cent decline from its debut. While not disastrous, the drop suggests the movie is struggling to attract audiences beyond its core demographic.
After two weekends, “Disclosure Day” has generated $78 million domestically and $82 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total to $160 million. With a reported production budget of $115 million, analysts estimate the film will need roughly $300 million globally to reach profitability.
Horror Films Continue Their Remarkable Run
One of the biggest surprise success stories of the year remains Obsession.
The low-budget horror sensation added another $14.2 million during its sixth weekend in theaters, declining just 25 per cent from the previous frame. The film has now amassed an impressive $215 million in North America and $333 million worldwide, making it one of 2026’s most profitable releases.
Another horror breakout, Backrooms, maintained strong momentum with $7.3 million in its fourth weekend. The film has accumulated $175 million domestically and $300 million globally, becoming the highest-grossing release in the history of A24.
‘Scary Movie’ Delivers Strong Returns
Paramount’s revival of the comedy-horror franchise also continued its successful theatrical run.
Scary Movie earned $6.7 million over the weekend, lifting its domestic total to $97.4 million and worldwide earnings to $201.9 million.
Produced for approximately $30 million, the film has already generated substantial profits and ranks among the studio’s strongest-performing mid-budget releases this year.
Smaller Releases Enter the Top 10
Two new releases also secured spots in the weekend’s top 10 despite significantly smaller theater counts.
Neon’s supernatural horror drama Leviticus debuted in eighth place with $2.74 million from 1,076 locations. Strong reviews have fueled optimism that the film could continue attracting audiences throughout the summer.
The film follows two teenage boys who meet at a conversion therapy program and become entangled in a disturbing supernatural mystery.
Meanwhile, A24’s The Death of Robin Hood opened just behind it with $2.65 million. Starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the revisionist take on the legendary outlaw received mixed reactions from critics and audiences, potentially limiting its long-term commercial prospects.
Big-Budget Struggles Continue
Not every major franchise enjoyed success.
Masters of the Universe continued its disappointing theatrical run, adding only $5.6 million in its third weekend. The film has earned $101.9 million worldwide against a massive $200 million production budget, making it one of the year’s most significant box-office disappointments.
Similarly, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu showed resilience with a relatively modest 15 per cent decline but remains underwhelming by franchise standards. The film has grossed more than $320 million globally against a $165 million budget.
Summer Box Office Heads Toward Record Heights
The success of “Toy Story 5,” combined with strong performances from horror hits and established franchises, has placed the 2026 summer movie season on track to become the strongest since the pandemic era.
Industry projections suggest total summer box office revenues could exceed $4 billion, a milestone achieved only once since COVID-19 disrupted theatrical exhibition.
With major releases such as Supergirl, Jackass: Best and Last, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day still to come, exhibitors are increasingly optimistic about the months ahead.
“After last week’s breather, the box office is back to running ahead of the pre-pandemic average,” Gross said.
“Business is excellent.”