TOY STORY 5 Delivers Record-Breaking Franchise Opening Weekend at the Box Office
Pixar’s toys are proving they still have plenty of life left in them. Toy Story 5 stormed into theaters this weekend and delivered the biggest opening in the franchise’s history, pulling in an impressive $160 million domestically.
That number not only puts it ahead of every other movie released so far in 2026, it also gives the beloved animated series a brand-new box office milestone. I thought Toy Story 5 was a great addition to the franchise, and I’m not surprised that’s people are flocking to theaters to see it.
The latest adventure featuring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie easily surpassed the $120 million opening weekend earned by Toy Story 4 back in 2019. It also knocked The Super Mario Galaxy Movie out of the top spot for biggest domestic debut of the year. Universal’s video game adaptation opened to $131.7 million, but Pixar’s newest sequel has now claimed the crown.
International audiences showed up in a big way as well. Toy Story 5 added another $152 million overseas, bringing its worldwide opening weekend total to a massive $312 million. That makes it the second-biggest global debut for a Pixar film outside of China, trailing only Inside Out 2, which launched with $384 million.
The film’s opening weekend performance places it among some elite company. It now stands as the second-largest animated opening weekend ever in North America, behind only Incredibles 2, which debuted with $182.7 million in 2018. Looking specifically at June releases, it currently ranks third, sitting behind Jurassic World and Incredibles 2.
Directed by Andrew Stanton, a longtime Pixar creative force, the film reunites fans with Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack. This time around, the toys face an unexpected challenge when Bonnie becomes obsessed with a smart tablet called Lilypad.
The movie also received a boost from music superstar Taylor Swift, who contributed an original song titled “I Knew It, I Knew You” to the soundtrack.
This latest success adds another major achievement to a franchise that has already generated more than $3 billion worldwide across its first four films. Two of those movies crossed the $1 billion mark globally, and Toy Story 5 appears to be on track to join them.
If recent animated sequels are any indication, the road ahead could be incredibly lucrative. Inside Out 2 ultimately earned $1.6 billion worldwide, while Zootopia 2 finished its theatrical run with $1.8 billion.
Should Toy Story 5 maintain similar momentum, it could become the highest-grossing film in the entire franchise, surpassing Toy Story 4's lifetime worldwide total of $1.07 billion.
For a series that began nearly three decades ago, that's a remarkable achievement. Audiences continue to show up for these characters, and based on this opening weekend, it looks like Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang still have plenty of adventures left in them.