The highly anticipated Toy Story 5 is set to make waves at the box office, with projections indicating a record-breaking opening weekend. As the summer movie season heats up, all eyes are on Pixar’s latest installment in the beloved franchise. With a focus on Jessie’s story, the film promises to captivate audiences worldwide.
The movie is expected to rake in $275 million globally, with $140 million coming from North America alone. This would make it the biggest domestic start of 2026 and a franchise-best for Toy Story. The film will be showcased in 4,425 theaters including premium large formats and IMAX, which are known to boost ticket prices and
The Global Appeal of Toy Story 5
Internationally, Toy Story 5 is projected to earn $135 million from 87% of global markets, including China. However, two major markets, Japan and Germany, will open later on July 3 and July 23, respectively. Germany’s later release aligns with the debut of Illumination and Universal’s Minions & Monsters which is expected to perform strongly with German audiences.
The previous record for a Toy Story film was held by Toy Story 4 which opened to $120.9 million domestically and $249 million worldwide in 2019. Despite falling short of initial projections, Toy Story 4’s opening was still considered a great success. This time around, Toy Story 5 is expected to surpass these numbers, thanks to strong presales and a well-timed release.
The Domestic Box Office Landscape
At the domestic box office, Incredibles 2 still holds the record for the best Pixar opening at $182.6 million. Globally, the record belongs to Inside Out 2 which opened to $384 million in 2026. Toy Story 5 is not expected to beat these marks but is poised to set a new high within its own franchise.
Presales for Toy Story 5 are currently at $25 million slightly ahead of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at the same point in its release cycle. However, the film is trailing behind Moana 2 which opened to $139.7 million over three days and $225.4 million over five days. The Juneteenth holiday this Friday is expected to be a significant factor in the film’s opening weekend performance.
Critical Reception and Audience Appeal
Critical reviews for Toy Story 5 are very positive, with a 93% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the lowest in the franchise following Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (both 100%), Toy Story 3 (98%), and Toy Story 4 (97%). Directed by Andrew Stanton, known for his work on WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and Finding Dory, Toy Story 5 marks his first time helming a Toy Story film.
The film is particularly appealing to women under 25 but has strong appeal across the board. Traditional for Pixar, Toy Story 5 is released over Father’s Day weekend. Despite skewing more female, it is expected to hold its own in the box office, though not as strongly as a young boys-skewing movie like Incredibles 2.
In addition to Toy Story 5, other notable releases include A24’s The Death of Robin Hood starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, and Neon’s Leviticus a genre feature with a 94% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Universal and Amblin’s Disclosure Day directed by Steven Spielberg, is also making waves at the box office.
