More than three decades after the original film introduced audiences to Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Pixar's 'Toy Story' franchise remains a major draw at the box office.

'Toy Story 5' debuted with an estimated $160 million in ticket sales across the United States and Canada, delivering the biggest opening weekend of the year and establishing a new franchise record. The film also generated $152 million internationally, bringing its worldwide opening haul to $312 million.

The latest instalment surpassed the previous franchise-best debut of $120 million recorded by 'Toy Story 4' in 2019, reaffirming the enduring popularity of one of Disney's most valuable film properties.

Franchise continues to deliver

Before the release of 'Toy Story 5', the franchise had already earned more than $3 billion at the global box office, in addition to generating billions of dollars through merchandise sales.

Although many viewers considered 2010's 'Toy Story 3' a fitting conclusion to the series, Disney's decision to revisit the franchise nearly a decade later has proved highly profitable. 'Toy Story 4' crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, and industry observers expect the latest sequel to reach a similar milestone.

Among animated films, only 2018's 'Incredibles 2', which opened with $182.7 million domestically, has recorded a larger opening weekend than 'Toy Story 5'.

Bigger costs, strong audience response

The latest film carried a production budget of approximately $250 million, excluding marketing expenses. Returning cast members include Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack as Jessie.

In the story, Bonnie's toys find themselves sidelined after she receives a new tablet. The film is directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, known for directing 'Finding Nemo' and 'WALL-E'. It also features a new song by Taylor Swift titled 'I Knew It, I Knew You'.

Critical reception has been largely positive, while audiences awarded the film an A CinemaScore, an indication that it could continue attracting strong crowds in the weeks ahead.

'Disclosure Day' falls sharply in second weekend

After leading the box office on its debut weekend, Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller 'Disclosure Day' slipped to second place with $17 million.

The film declined 61% from its opening weekend, a steeper drop than Universal Pictures had hoped for. The performance raises questions about whether the film can sustain momentum throughout the summer season.

Despite the decline, the $115 million production has earned $160.4 million worldwide after two weeks in cinemas. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo, it remains one of the few major adult-focused releases currently in theatres.

New releases struggle to break through

A24's 'The Death of Robin Hood' opened with $2.6 million from 1,762 locations, falling short of expectations.

The revisionist take on the legendary outlaw stars Hugh Jackman and was directed by Michael Sarnoski. Produced on a reported budget of $20 million, the film received mixed reviews and failed to attract significant audience interest. CinemaScore audiences awarded it a C+ grade.

Neon's independent horror film 'Leviticus' performed slightly better, earning $2.7 million from 1,076 cinemas. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, the low-budget feature follows two teenage boys who meet at a conversion therapy camp.

Produced for approximately $3.5 million, the film benefited from positive word-of-mouth, although it faced competition from established horror titles already performing strongly in cinemas.

'Obsession' continues remarkable run

The strongest-performing horror film remained 'Obsession', the surprise hit directed by 26-year-old filmmaker Curry Barker.

In its sixth weekend, the film earned $14.2 million, nearly matching its opening-weekend performance from May. Produced for less than $1 million, the Focus Features release has now generated $215.8 million domestically and $333.3 million worldwide.

Its continued success has made it one of the most profitable films of the year relative to its budget.

Summer box office gains momentum

Driven largely by the success of 'Toy Story 5' and 'Obsession', the summer box office is currently running 15% ahead of the same period in 2025, according to Rentrak.

Industry figures show that overall ticket sales are now approaching pre-pandemic levels. Summer revenues are only 1.9% below those recorded at the same point in 2019, without adjusting for inflation.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, believes the industry could be heading towards its strongest summer since before the pandemic.

"To me, this is a hybrid summer and this could be the new blueprint for how you build the perfect summer box-office beast," says Dergarabedian. "You throw in a mix of very eclectic films and not just the usual suspects, the big franchise films, the known brands, but also films like ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ and original films like ‘Disclosure Day.’" 

Top 10 films at the weekend box office

According to estimated figures from Rentrak for cinemas in the United States and Canada:

  • 'Toy Story 5': $160 million
  • 'Disclosure Day': $17 million
  • 'Obsession': $14.2 million
  • 'Backrooms': $7.3 million
  • 'Scary Movie': $6.7 million
  • 'Masters of the Universe': $5.6 million
  • 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu': $3.9 million
  • 'Leviticus': $2.7 million
  • 'The Death of Robin Hood': $2.6 million
  • 'Michael': $2.2 million

(With AP inputs)