Toy Story 5 Just Hit $312M Global in Its Opening Weekend — The Biggest Animated Debut in History

To Infinity and Beyond the Box Office

Move over, Incredibles 2 — there's a new king at the animation box office. Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 didn't just open big; it absolutely obliterated expectations, pulling in a staggering $312 million globally in its first weekend. That includes roughly $160 million domestically in North America, making it 2026's biggest box office debut by a wide margin.

The previous animated opening record holder, Incredibles 2, earned $182 million in its 2018 debut weekend. Toy Story 5 just shattered that by more than $30 million. Even more impressively, it beat the Super Mario Bros. Movie opening by a landslide — and everyone thought Mario was untouchable. Pixar just reminded Hollywood who started this whole thing.

How Did They Pull It Off?

Let's be honest — after four films spanning 30 years, plenty of people figured a fifth Toy Story was a cash grab. Instead, director Andrew Stanton delivered something that actually justifies its existence, building on the original vision co-created with John Lasseter back in 1995.

The voice cast is stacked. Tom Hanks returns as Woody, Tim Allen is back as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack reprises Jessie, and Greta Lee joins the ensemble as a new character named Lilypad. Yes, the Greta Lee from The Bear — and early screenings suggest she steals every scene she's in. The film also features Keanu Reeves and Keke Palmer in new roles, giving the franchise a fresh energy that longtime fans and newcomers can both latch onto.

Critics are calling it the best Pixar movie since Soul in 2020 — and that's not faint praise. The film balances the franchise's signature emotional gut-punches with genuinely laugh-out-loud comedy, something Pixar had not quite nailed since their early 2010s golden era.

What This Means for the Summer Box Office

To put the $312 million figure into perspective, here's how Toy Story 5 compares to other massive June 2026 releases:

• Disclosure Day directed by Steven Spielberg opened with $44 million — solid but nowhere near this level
• The Furious dominated in China but could not match Toy Story 5's global pull
• Scary Movie 6 debuted with $55 million — great for a comedy, but no contest
• Backrooms made waves as a horror hit, but still sits well under the $200M mark worldwide

The summer 2026 box office was already shaping up to top $4.2 billion, but Toy Story 5's record run just bumped that projection even higher. AMC Theatres reportedly postponed live concert screenings from artists like Paris Hilton and Maren Morris just to free up screens — a move that shows just how white-hot the theatrical market has become.

Will It Keep Climbing?

Absolutely. With Father's Day weekend coming up and word-of-mouth already glowing, Toy Story 5 could easily cross the $500 million global mark within its first 10 days. For a franchise that began in 1995 — the same year as Se7en, Braveheart, and Casino — it's remarkable that the fifth entry might be the biggest hit of the entire series.

And here's the kicker: the film is reportedly setting up elements that could lead to even more adventures. Pixar may not be done with these toys just yet — and if the box office keeps this pace, nobody's going to ask them to stop.

Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters worldwide. If you've already seen it, you're part of the reason it's breaking records. If you haven't — well, what are you waiting for?