Box Office Predicts TOY STORY 5 Will Be the Biggest Movie of the Year

Published: June 2, 2026

By Michaela Gordoni

TOY STORY 5 is projected to be the biggest movie of the year with a $150m opening.

Why? Because families have loved the franchise for three decades, and the talking toys appeal to everyone.

The movie is projected to be the biggest opening for the franchise. In a recent Fandango survey 5,000 voters said their most anticipated movie of the summer is TOY STORY 5. It ranked above SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2.

“People have such a deep emotional connection to TOY STORY, and this new chapter explores how the toys navigate a modern world filled with technology and changing childhood habits. Classic Pixar heart,” Fandango correspondent Erik Davis said.

The last movie, TOY STORY 4, opened to $120.9 million. SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE is thus far the biggest of this year with a $131.7m opening, Deadline reported. The biggest domestic-opening ever for an animated movie is 2018’s INCREDIBLES 2 with $182.6M.

TOY STORY 5 will be a battle of toys vs. tech. The synopsis reads, “The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s TOY STORY 5, and this time it’s Toy meets Tech. Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to what kids are obsessed with today….electronics!”

Joan Cusack, who voices Cowgirl Jessie said in a recent interview, “It’s about little girls and how little girls behave to each other and cliques and what tech does to little girls and how you can be mean and keep kids out and it’s so great.” Cusack told Fandango. “I can’t believe they took it on.”

“It’s very timely. It’s important,” Greta Lee, who voices Lillypad, added of the movie’s message.

The movie is co-directed by Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris and is produced by Lindsey Collins.

“When tech comes in, it wins,” said Stanton. “It happens to adults and kids. It just wins.”

“So that was the more interesting slant to take: there’s no competition. Have a kid playing with toys, drop in a screen device and see what happens,” he explained. “And so we leaned into the truth of that, and had fun with that.”

Stanton says Lilypad, a tablet given to a child named Bonnie, represents children and parents’ battle with technology.

“The biggest thing that was lingering all this time is the way that technology has usurped playtime in real life. Lily is representative of what we’re up against,” he said.

The movie hits theaters on Friday, June 19.

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