Pixar’s Toy Story 5 is off to a dazzling start. Directed by Andrew Stanton—who dreamed up the story and co‑wrote the script with Kenna Harris—the film pulled in a remarkable $17.5 million from Thursday previews. That’s not only the best Thursday preview of 2026, but also a franchise high.
The sequel to Toy Story 4 (2019) is charging ahead with serious momentum—and if the buzz keeps growing, Woody and Buzz could even topple the current animation champ, Incredibles 2, which opened to a massive $182.5 million weekend.
“Back in 2018, Incredibles 2 turned a $200 million production budget into a box-office juggernaut, earning more than $608 million domestically alone. This time, with an even larger $250 million budget and enormous audience anticipation, the sequel looks well-positioned to cruise past the $1 billion mark worldwide by the end of its theatrical run. If it gets there, it would join The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as only the second film of the year to reach that blockbuster milestone.”
As the fifth main installment in Pixar’s beloved Toy Story franchise, the film is already generating tremendous excitement, boasting an impressive 94% Tomatometer score, 94% Popcornmeter score, and a solid 7.8 IMDb rating. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, the animated sequel has also amassed an impressive $70 million in pre-sales ahead of its opening weekend, signaling a potentially huge box-office debut.
