“Toy Story 5” should send the box office to infinity… and beyond.
The latest entry in Disney and Pixar’s beloved animated franchise is targeting a debut of $145 million to $150 million from 4,400 North American theaters. Industry watchers believe that initial ticket sales could soar even higher — with some predicting a tally closer to $160 million to $175 million — given the goodwill toward the property as well as the sterling reviews from critics. After all, Disney’s recent animated sequels like 2024’s “Inside Out 2” ($154 million debut) and 2025’s “Zootopia 2” ($100 million debut) exploded at the box office, with $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion respectively by the end of their runs — and “Toy Story” is the crown jewel of kid-friendly franchises.
Should pre-release estimates hold, “Toy Story 5” will easily overtake 2019’s “Toy Story 4” ($120 million debut) and 2010’s “Toy Story 3” ($110 million debut) as the largest start in the 31-year-old series. It would also rank as the biggest domestic debut of the year, which currently belongs to Universal’s “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” with $131.7 million.
Overseas, “Toy Story 5” is expected to open to $135 million or more for a global tally above $275 million. It carries a $250 million budget, not including the global marketing expenses.
