Hollywood loves to fret over franchise fatigue. For months, box office nerds wondered if audiences would finally reject another trip to the toy box. After all, Toy Story 4 gave Woody a seemingly definitive, tear-jerking farewell back in 2019. Did we really need a fifth one?
The early box office numbers just answered that question with a resounding, record-breaking no. Meanwhile, you can read other developments here: What Most People Get Wrong About Myles Smith And His Debut Album.
Toy Story 5 absolutely crushed its Thursday night preview screenings, pulling in a staggering $17.5 million domestically. It isn't just a win for Pixar; it's the highest Thursday preview haul of 2026, easily skating past the $12.6 million set by Lionsgate's Michael.
Cracking the All Time Animation Leaderboard
To understand how massive this $17.5 million figure is, you have to look at animation history. It positions the Andrew Stanton-directed sequel as the second-biggest animated preview night ever. It sits right behind Incredibles 2, which took home $18.5 million in 2018 before launching to a $182.6 million weekend. To see the bigger picture, we recommend the detailed analysis by E! News.
Look at how the updated top five animated previews stack up now:
- Incredibles 2 – $18.5 million
- Toy Story 5 – $17.5 million
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – $17.4 million
- Moana 2 – $13.8 million
- Inside Out 2 – $13 million
The $17.5 million night effortlessly outpaces Toy Story 4, which grabbed $12 million during its Thursday previews seven years ago.
The Target for Opening Weekend
So, what does a monster Thursday mean for the rest of the weekend? Quite a bit. Advance ticket sales alone reached $25 million heading into the weekend.
The movie is currently pacing toward a weekend total between $145 million and $150 million. Some optimistic analysts think it could explode into the $160 million to $175 million range. The Father's Day holiday on Sunday and the Juneteenth holiday on Friday give the film a highly lucrative three-day cushion. Even if it hits the conservative studio target of $140 million, it easily clears Toy Story 4 ($120.9 million) to net a franchise-best domestic debut.
Globally, things look just as dominant. The international rollout across 41 early markets generated $26 million through Thursday night, capturing the number one spot in every single territory. Mexico led the charge with a massive $6.7 million, securing an 86% market share. Meanwhile, the film claimed all-time Pixar opening-day records across the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, and Malaysia. The current worldwide weekend projection rests comfortably at $275 million plus.
What is Actually Driving the Hype
People aren't just buying tickets out of habit. The critical reception is stellar. Toy Story 5 holds a 94% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, paired with a 93% audience score.
The story takes a surprisingly modern, high-stakes turn. Returning stars Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), and Joan Cusack (Jessie) find themselves going to war against a new villain: a frog-shaped smart tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee. Conan O'Brien jumps into the mix as a character named Smarty Pants, and pop icon Taylor Swift even penned an original song, "I Knew It, I Knew You," specifically for Jessie's character arc.
Director Andrew Stanton—the creative mind behind Finding Nemo and WALL-E—seems to have intentionally built the film to appeal to millennials who grew up with the original 1995 masterpiece. The story pivots heavily toward Jessie, dealing with themes of growing older and coping with changing technology that resonate deeply with parents sitting in the theater.
What to Expect Next
If you plan on heading to the theater this weekend, prepare for packed rooms. The movie is playing on more than 4,400 North American screens, including 1,600 premium IMAX screens worldwide.
If you want to avoid the worst of the crowds, aim for late-night screenings or wait until early next week when the holiday rush cools down. Otherwise, buy your tickets via your preferred theater app well in advance because walk-up availability for prime afternoon slots is going to be incredibly tough to find.
