“Toy Story 5” roared into theaters with an estimated $160 million domestically over its opening weekend—an early 2026 record—and $152 million internationally, pushing its global launch to $312 million.
When the summer movie season asks for a winner, “Toy Story 5” didn’t just answer—it arrived with a debut that broke multiple benchmarks.
On Sunday. June 21. Disney said the Pixar sequel grossed an estimated $160 million domestically over its opening weekend. which the studio called the biggest three-day debut at the domestic box office in 2026 so far. The number surpassed the $131.7 million “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” collected in three days during its April opening.
The weekend also landed in rare company. With $160 million, “Toy Story 5” posted the second-largest domestic opening weekend for any animated movie of all time. The record for the biggest animated opening weekend ever remains 2018’s Pixar sequel “Incredibles 2,” which debuted with $182.7 million.
Within the franchise, the momentum was just as loud. Disney said “Toy Story 5” delivered the biggest opening in the “Toy Story” series to date, topping “Toy Story 4,” which launched with $120 million in 2019, and “Toy Story 3,” which opened with $110 million in 2010.
Overseas, the toys found another audience fast. Disney reported “Toy Story 5” grossed $152 million internationally, giving the film the year’s biggest global launch with $312 million.
Disney also pointed out that “Toy Story 5” logged the biggest domestic opening weekend for any movie in more than a year—since “A Minecraft Movie” in April 2025.
The performance arrived with one familiar advantage for Pixar—brand loyalty—but also with a fresh selling point. The studio has positioned the film around the role of tech in children’s lives, as the toys battle a new tablet device.
Even with the big numbers, the movie’s reception matters because that’s what keeps audiences coming back after the first weekend. Moviegoers polled by Cinemascore gave the film an average grade of A. The same grade went to both “Toy Story 3” and “Toy Story 4.”
Critics, too, have been receptive. The movie is already described as the frontrunner to win best animated feature at the Oscars. which the previous two “Toy Story” installments also went on to do. During the closing credits. the Taylor Swift song “I Knew it. I Knew You” plays—setting up a possible best original song Oscar moment for Swift. which would be her first Academy Award nomination.
The latest box office start also leaves “Toy Story 5” in striking position for the rest of the season. Disney said the massive opening weekend puts the film well-positioned to become the biggest movie of the summer—and possibly the biggest of 2026 overall—though the schedule includes a clear test ahead. Another animated movie aimed at families, “Minions & Monsters,” is set to hit theaters on July 1.
Pixar’s broader track record. however. has been uneven enough in recent years that this kind of early surge feels especially consequential. Disney said the studio’s animated adventure “Hoppers. ” an original story about a girl who transfers her brain into a robotic beaver. performed well in March with a final domestic gross of $166 million.
But the contrast is hard to ignore. In 2025. Pixar’s original sci-fi movie “Elio” became a box office disappointment. with the worst opening weekend in the studio’s history at $20 million. In 2022. Pixar also stumbled with “Lightyear. ” a “Toy Story” spinoff that finished its domestic run with $118 million and ended up as one of Pixar’s lowest-grossing movies.
The sequence of results reads like a seesaw: a low point marked by “Elio” and “Lightyear,” followed by “Hoppers” showing promise, and then “Toy Story 5” arriving with a domestic debut that now ranks among the biggest for animation ever.
There’s also the matter of what makes “Toy Story” an enduring bet with audiences. Every installment to date has been described as a huge financial hit and something critics and audiences praised. “Toy Story 5” appears to be carrying that same track—starting with numbers that already suggest the film will be hard to dislodge as summer draws closer.
Looking ahead, Pixar plans to keep mixing originals and sequels. For 2026, the studio’s next two dated releases include “Gatto,” an original about a black cat living in Italy releasing in March 2027, and “Incredibles 3,” a highly anticipated sequel opening in 2028.
Toy Story 5 Pixar Tom Hanks Tim Allen box office opening weekend animated movies Disney Cinemascore Taylor Swift Oscar Incredibles 2 record Elio Lightyear Hoppers Minions & Monsters
160M already?? That’s wild. Guess kids still love toys lol.
So it opened bigger than Mario or whatever but why does it feel like everything is flopping lately? Maybe it’s only huge because Disney keeps paying for theaters to show it longer.
I thought Toy Story 5 would be like, straight-to-Netflix because nobody watches movies anymore. But if it topped $120M from Toy Story 4 then that’s actually impressive. Also the tablet angle?? That sounds like they’re blaming tech for everything again.
June 21 and they’re already calling it biggest in a year… like does that mean the movie hasn’t even had a real chance yet? I swear box office numbers are always inflated. My cousin said Incredibles 2 “still” owns the charts tho so I’m confused how this is #2 animated all time. Either way, I can’t believe I’m gonna admit I wanna see it now.