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Toy Story 5 has made a blockbuster entry at the global box office, scoring a record-breaking $160 million domestic debut.
News18
A familiar set of animated faces returned to theatres this weekend and this time, the numbers tell a very loud story. Family audiences showed up in full force, pushing one long-running franchise back into the centre of the global box office conversation with a record-setting debut that set the tone for the entire weekend.
“Toy Story 5″ dominated the North American box office with an estimated $160 million opening from 4,425 theatres, landing comfortably above industry expectations and becoming the biggest domestic debut of the year so far. The film also overtook “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131.7 million) to secure the top opening of 2026. Within its own franchise, it now holds the biggest launch ever, surpassing “Toy Story 4″ ($120 million), and also ranks as the second-largest animated opening of all time behind “Incredibles 2″ ($182.7 million).
The film’s performance extended far beyond the US market. Internationally, it added $152 million, pushing its global start to a massive $312 million. Made on a reported $250 million production budget (excluding global marketing costs), the film has positioned itself early as one of the strongest commercial releases of the year.
Industry response has been equally strong. With a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and an “A” CinemaScore, the film has been buoyed by positive audience reception, which analysts say could help sustain its momentum through the coming weeks. Directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, the story reunites Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toy ensemble as they face a new challenge: their owner Bonnie’s growing attachment to a smart device named Lilypad, which begins to shift the emotional balance in their world.
The film also adds a notable pop-culture layer with a new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” written by Taylor Swift, further amplifying its crossover appeal.
While original animated films have struggled at the box office in recent years, sequels have continued to dominate. Recent Disney releases like “Inside Out 2″ and “Zootopia 2″ have crossed the billion-dollar mark globally, reinforcing a trend that analysts say “Toy Story 5″ is well-positioned to follow. As David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, noted, “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. Pixar and Disney are particularly good at growing their series from episode to episode. It’s extremely impressive.”
Behind the runaway leader, competition continued to shape the rest of the charts. Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi film “Disclosure Day” took second place with $17 million from 3,824 theatres, marking a 62% drop from its opening weekend. The film has now reached $78 million domestically and $82 million internationally, for a global total of $160 million. However, with a $115 million production cost and significant marketing spend, industry estimates suggest it may need around $300 million worldwide to break even.
In third place, horror title “Obsession” continued its strong run, earning $14.2 million in its sixth weekend across 3,053 theatres. The film saw a modest 25% drop, adding to its remarkable run of stability. It now stands at $215 million domestically and $333 million globally, making it one of the most profitable releases of the year.
Another horror success, “Backrooms,” followed at No. 4 with $7.3 million from 2,851 locations in its fourth weekend. The film dropped 35% but has already amassed $175 million in North America and $301 million worldwide, becoming A24’s highest-grossing release to date.
Paramount’s “Scary Movie” rounded out the top five with $6.7 million from 2,725 theatres. The comedy franchise entry has now reached $97.4 million domestically and $201.9 million globally, delivering strong returns against its $30 million budget.
Elsewhere on the charts, two new releases entered the top 10 in limited rollout. Neon’s festival title “Leviticus” opened at No. 8 with $2.74 million from 1,076 locations, while A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood,” starring Hugh Jackman, followed closely with $2.65 million from 1,782 theatres. While “Leviticus” continues to benefit from strong critical response, “The Death of Robin Hood” has faced a more mixed reception, reflected in its “C+” CinemaScore and 69% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Further down, “Masters of the Universe” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu” both held steady but continued to struggle commercially relative to expectations. The former added $5.6 million in its third weekend, reaching $56 million domestically and $101.9 million globally against a $200 million budget, while the latter earned $3.9 million in its fifth weekend, bringing totals to $172 million domestic and over $320 million worldwide.
With the summer box office now accelerating, industry trackers expect the season to push past $4 billion in total revenue for only the second time since the pandemic era. According to Rentrak data, the current season is tracking just 1.8% behind 2019 levels and 15% ahead of last year, signalling a steady recovery in theatrical attendance.
Upcoming releases, including DC’s “Supergirl” and “Jackass: Best and Last,” are expected to continue the momentum, while major titles like “Minions & Monsters,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” still lie ahead on the release calendar.
As Gross summed up the broader trend, “After last week’s breather, the box office is back to running ahead of the pre-pandemic average. Business is excellent.”
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