Box Office: ‘Toy Story 5’ Crosses $1 Billion, Becomes Highest-Grossing Movie of the Year
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- Toy Story 5 crossed $1.022 billion globally ($448M domestic, $573M international), becoming the highest-grossing release of 2026 and the third film this year to reach the milestone after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($1.001B) and Michael ($1.001B).
- Toy Story 5 will soon surpass Toy Story 4's $1.07 billion to become the franchise's highest-grossing installment; it joins Toy Story 3 ($1.06B) as the only other sequel in the series to cross $1B.
- Toy Story 5 opened to $160 million in mid-June — the biggest debut of 2026 and best in the franchise — buoyed by glowing reviews and a Taylor Swift original song, "I Knew It, I Knew You."
- Pixar was hit by Disney layoffs last week despite Toy Story 5's success, while its other 2026 release, original film Hoppers, "didn't have the staying power to match the box office heights of prior Pixar greats."
- The Odyssey has earned $639.6M after two weekends and is poised to become the fourth 2026 film to hit $1B, ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's July 31 opening.
- 2026 is tracking to deliver the most billion-dollar blockbusters since the pandemic; nine films crossed $1B in 2019, followed by zero in 2020 and one-to-three in each subsequent year.
Why it matters: Toy Story 5's $1B+ haul confirms established animated franchises remain the box office's most reliable earners, even as Disney laid off Pixar staff last week. With The Odyssey at $639.6M after two weekends and Spider-Man: Brand New Day opening July 31, 2026 is on track for its most billion-dollar films since 2019's nine.
