‘Toy Story 5’ dominates box office with record-breaking $17.5M preview haul

Toy Story 5 earns $17.5 million in previews and eyes one of Pixar’s biggest box office openings ever

Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 is already making a major impact at the box office, delivering the biggest preview performance of 2026 ahead of its opening weekend.

The animated sequel earned $17.5 million from preview screenings, surpassing the previous 2026 record held by Michael’s, which earned $12.6 million in previews. The result also places Toy Story 5 just behind Pixar’s Incredibles 2, which collected $18.5 million during previews in 2018.

Following strong reactions from critics and audiences, Toy Story 5 is expected to dominate cinemas with projected opening weekend earnings between $145 million and $150 million. Some estimates suggest the Pixar film could reach as high as $175 million, potentially making it the biggest domestic launch of the year.

If predictions hold, Toy Story 5 would surpass the opening weekend record currently held by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which earned $131.7 million. The film is also expected to perform strongly internationally, with a projected global opening of more than $275 million.

The latest Pixar sequel brings back fan-favourite characters including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, voiced by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack. The story introduces a new conflict as technology becomes a challenge for the toys, with a smart tablet called Lilypad changing the way children play.

The film follows the success of Toy Story 4, which opened with $120 million domestically and went on to earn more than $1 billion worldwide. The Toy Story franchise has remained one of Disney Pixar’s most valuable properties, generating billions through films, merchandise, games and publishing.

With a reported production budget of $250 million, Toy Story 5 is positioned as another major success for Disney as it returns one of animation’s most beloved franchises to theatres.