Toy Story fuels Hollywood’s hottest summer since pre-pandemic

Woody and Buzz’s latest team-up has box offices across America looking more alive than a toy chest when Andy leaves the room.

Disney's Toy Story 5 earned ~$160 million at the domestic box office last weekend, marking the second-biggest debut ever for an animated movie—and putting Hollywood on pace for its best annual performance since before the pandemic.

• The toy-filled sequel joins a growing list of big-budget winners this year, including Project Hail Mary, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Michael, and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
• Meanwhile, low-budget horror flicks Obsession ($333+ million in global ticket sales) and Backrooms ($301 million) have seen instant success after releasing last month.

A reel good run, by the numbers

The domestic box office has earned ~$4.5 billion so far this year, its highest total at this point since 2019. Moviegoers have purchased ~312 million tickets this year, up 7% from the same point last year, while ticket prices have only risen 3%, suggesting the box office boost is more from attendance than inflation.

• While many industry insiders don't expect ticket sales to consistently return to the $11+ billion level seen before Covid, this year’s annual total is projected at a respectable $9 billion-$10 billion.

Looking ahead…Hollywood's biggest swings of 2026 are still on deck, with Supergirl, Minions & Monsters, live-action Moana, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day all on the docket in June/July alone.