Toy Story 5: New Pixar movie sets franchise record

Woody and Buzz Lightyear are still on top of their game! The beloved toy heroes got off to a strong start with their fifth big-screen adventure: On its opening weekend, "Toy Story 5" grossed $312 million at the global box office. The film's relatively high production budget is reported to be $250 million – so the sequel has already recouped that amount. In addition, the fifth installment set a record: No other film in the "Toy Story" series has ever had such a successful opening, as reported by Variety.

Previously, "Toy Story 4" was the most successful film release in Pixar's animated series. The 2019 predecessor opened with worldwide earnings of $238 million – which was already impressive and has now been significantly surpassed. By the end of its run, "Toy Story 4" had grossed over $1 billion. If "Toy Story 5" can successfully continue its box office triumph, which has just begun, over the next few weeks, reaching the $1 billion mark should be possible this time as well.

One billion at the box office: So far in 2026, only one film has achieved this

Reaching the one-billion milestone is anything but a given: So far in 2026, only "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" has achieved this feat. Even though the successful Michael Jackson biopic is close: "Michael" has grossed 959 million so far and could still break the billion mark – though the chances are dwindling as the film is gradually running out of steam at the box office.

Of the $312 million earned worldwide by the fifth "Toy Story" film, $160 million came from the domestic box office. The remaining $152 million comes from international territories where "Toy Story 5" has been released so far. The animated film performed particularly well in Mexico with $26.6 million, as well as in the UK with $20 million and China with $18 million.

Woody and Buzz versus Lilypad

"Toy Story 5" was directed by Andrew Stanton, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kenna Harris. The animated film features a number of prominent voice actors. In addition to Hollywood stars Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, the cast includes Joan Cusack, Conan O'Brien, Scarlett Spears, and Greta Lee, among others. In "Toy Story 5," Cowboy Woody, astronaut Buzz, and all the other beloved toy heroes have to contend with technological progress. Specifically, this means they face competition from Lilypad. The frog-like tablet shows up one day in the children's room and becomes little Bonnie's new favorite toy.

Whether Woody, Buzz, and the gang are up to the challenge and can win Bonnie back is something you'll have to see in theaters. In any case, they've once again won over the critics. Even before the official reviews were published, several film journalists in the U.S. shared their early impressions, rating the film with nothing short of euphoria. The sequel was hailed as another highlight of the franchise, described as incredibly moving and funny. Some even called the film "masterful" and "perfect." Now that "Toy Story 5" has opened in U.S. theaters and the majority of reviews there have been published, the picture has become a bit more nuanced. The reactions aren't exclusively euphoric – but overall, the film has been well received. On the review site Rotten Tomatoes, for example, 94 percent of the 220 critics' reviews taken into account are favorable. And on Metacritic, "Toy Story 5" currently has a score of 73 out of 100, based on 50 reviews so far.