Pixar appears to have another giant blockbuster on its hands. More than three decades after the original Toy Story changed animation forever, the beloved franchise has returned to theaters in a huge way. Early box office numbers suggest audiences were more than ready to reunite with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the gang, giving Disney one of its biggest openings of the year.
Toy Story 5 stormed into theaters on Friday and immediately dominated the North American box office. The latest installment from Disney and Pixar earned an impressive $71 million on its first day from 4,425 locations, putting it far ahead of every other film currently playing in cinemas. Industry tracking now points toward a massive opening weekend that could land somewhere between $150 million and $175 million domestically, depending on how family audiences continue to turn out through Sunday.
Pixar’s Biggest Toy Story Launch Yet
Even the most conservative projections indicate that Toy Story 5 is about to rewrite the franchise record books. The previous best opening belonged to Toy Story 4, which launched with $120 million domestically in 2019. The fifth film is expected to sail past that figure with room to spare, giving Pixar one of its strongest theatrical debuts in recent memory.
The impressive start is especially important for Disney because the film carries a reported production budget of around $250 million before marketing expenses are factored in. Animated tentpoles have become increasingly expensive to produce, making strong theatrical performances more important than ever. Based on its opening-day momentum, Toy Story 5 looks positioned to deliver exactly the kind of global hit Disney was hoping for.
The franchise has maintained remarkable staying power over the years. What began as a groundbreaking animated adventure in 1995 has evolved into one of Hollywood’s most successful family properties. Generations of viewers have grown up alongside these characters, and the latest box office numbers suggest nostalgia remains a powerful force when paired with a recognizable brand.
Woody and Buzz Face a New Kind of Rival
This time around, the story introduces a modern challenge for the toys. Instead of battling another toy for attention, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and their friends find themselves competing against technology itself. The film centers on an educational smart tablet named Lilypad, which begins taking over Bonnie’s playtime and threatens to push traditional toys aside.
Tom Hanks returns to voice Woody, while Tim Allen reprises his role as Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack returns as Jessie. The sequel also expands its cast with several notable additions, including Greta Lee, Keanu Reeves, Craig Robinson, Alan Cumming, Conan O’Brien, and Bad Bunny.
The concept taps into a real-world issue that many families recognize. Children today have more digital entertainment options than ever before, making the film’s central conflict surprisingly relevant. Early audience reactions suggest that blend of classic Toy Story emotion and modern themes is resonating strongly with moviegoers.
The Death of Robin Hood Struggles to Find an Audience
While Toy Story 5 dominated headlines, the weekend’s other major newcomer faced a much tougher road. A24’s The Death of Robin Hood opened with an estimated $1.1 million on Friday from 1,782 theaters and is currently tracking toward a modest $2.5 million opening weekend.
Directed by Michael Sarnoski, the film presents a darker take on the legendary outlaw. The story follows Robin Hood as he searches for redemption after spending much of his life on the wrong side of the law. Hugh Jackman leads the cast, joined by Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Jade Croot, and Katie Breen.
Although the opening numbers are underwhelming, A24 releases often rely on critical acclaim and long-term audience interest rather than explosive debuts. Whether the film can find momentum in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
Disclosure Day and Obsession Continue Their Runs
Elsewhere in the marketplace, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day secured second place during its second weekend. The science-fiction thriller earned $4.9 million on Friday and is projected to bring in roughly $17.2 million across the weekend frame. That would push its domestic total to approximately $78.4 million.
The film has experienced a noticeable decline from its debut weekend, though that is hardly unusual for large-scale summer releases. Universal reportedly invested around $115 million in production costs and another $80 million in global marketing, meaning the film still has work to do before reaching profitability.
Meanwhile, one of the year’s most surprising success stories continues to be Focus Features’ Obsession. The horror thriller added another $4.7 million on Friday and is expected to collect around $14 million over the weekend. With domestic earnings projected to reach roughly $215 million, the film has become an extraordinary box office performer considering its reported production budget was only around $1 million.
The movie’s success has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about stories this summer. In an era when studios are spending hundreds of millions on blockbuster spectacles, Obsession has proven that strong audience engagement and word-of-mouth can still turn a micro-budget production into a major theatrical event.
Backrooms and Scary Movie Round Out the Top Five
A24’s Backrooms continued its impressive theatrical run by claiming fourth place on Friday. The horror release earned $2.4 million and is expected to finish the weekend with approximately $7.4 million. By Sunday, its domestic total should climb to around $175 million, another impressive result for the distributor.
Fifth place went to Paramount’s Scary Movie revival, which brought in $2.1 million on Friday. Weekend estimates suggest the comedy will add roughly $6.6 million, lifting its domestic total close to the $100 million mark after just three weekends in theaters.
For now, however, the story of the weekend belongs entirely to Toy Story 5. With a franchise-record opening already within reach and strong family attendance driving momentum, Pixar’s latest sequel has given Disney a much-needed theatrical win. If current projections hold, Woody and Buzz may be heading toward one of the biggest animated openings the industry has ever seen.
