Toy Story 5 is already on pace to break box office records

You know Disney and Pixar are chasing box office gold again, right? Off the back of Hoppers (honestly, not my favourite, but you can’t argue with numbers), they’re lining up Toy Story 5 for a massive release this month. If you thought they were done after four films and over three decades, you’ve underestimated how long Pixar can run with talking toys.

Seven-Year Wait: Woody, Buzz, and Jessie Return

So, yes – it’s been seven years since Toy Story 4. That film shattered records and still managed to pull $1.074 billion worldwide, which edged out even Toy Story 3 (by about seven million, so it’s not exactly a landslide). Now, the gang’s back. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise Woody and Buzz, but this time the real spotlight’s on Joan Cusack’s Jessie, who steps up as lead.

Here’s the set-up: Bonnie, the toys’ human, gets given a tablet called LilyPad. Suddenly, physical playtime looks like it’s on the way out. The toys are facing obsolescence – not because the kid’s grown up, but because she’s obsessed with a bit of tech. It’s as close to ‘existential crisis’ as you’ll find in a major family film.

Anyone who’s followed this series for its thirty-odd years won’t be shocked to hear expectations are sky-high. That’s not just nostalgia – it’s history.

Box Office Hype: The Numbers Game

As for predictions, they’re not exactly modest. Word from Variety pegs the North American opening weekend somewhere between $145 million and $150 million, but that might actually be conservative. Some reckon Toy Story 5 could manage an opening haul in the $160 million to $175 million range.

• Toy Story 4: $121 million opening, $1.074 billion total
• Toy Story 3: $110 million opening, $1.067 billion total
• Super Mario Galaxy Movie (just for comparison): $131.7 million opening

If those top estimates are right, it’s set to be the biggest opening for the franchise, and easily takes the 2026 crown so far. In fact, every single one of Pixar’s $1 billion hits has arrived since 2010, and the last four have come since 2016. Two of those are Toy Story sequels, so yes – another billion-plus isn’t exactly out of the blue.

Critical Response: Nearly Top Marks (But Not Quite)

Only a day after critics had their first go, Toy Story 5 landed a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. For any other franchise, that’s a critical darling. For Toy Story, it’s actually the lowest of the main series. (For anyone wondering, Lightyear clocked in well below that at 74%, but no one’s really talking about Lightyear anymore, are they?) Still, 93% lands it firmly in ‘massive hit’ territory for Pixar sequels.

Release Date and Cast: And Off We Go

Toy Story 5 opens in cinemas from 19 June 2026. The line-up is pure comfort food: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), and Joan Cusack (Jessie), with Jessie finally getting more to do than just shout 'Yee-haw!' on the sidelines.

The plot? Woody, Buzz, Jessie and everyone else go head-to-head with the newest threat to their existence: a touchscreen tablet. It’s a franchise about toys reclaiming relevance. There’s probably a point to be made about Pixar facing off with modern entertainment platforms, but I’ll leave that one for the English teachers.