Thirty years and $3 billion later, 'Toy Story' is still one of Disney's surest bets

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Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie will be back at the box office this weekend, delivering what could be the biggest film debut of the year.Analysts expect the fifth installment of Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise will pull in at least $150 million in the U.S.and Canada, with some predicting as much as $175 million — either of which would set a franchise record, topping the nearly $121-million opening of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.”A strong showing for “Toy Story 5” will further fuel a recovery of the box office this year from the post-pandemic doldrums.

Domestic ticket sales are up over last year, and Roth Capital Partners forecasts the second quarter will climb 6.5% to $2.8 billion — a post-pandemic high.“Toy Story 5” is the first of several family tentpoles this summer, ahead of Universal and Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters” and Disney’s live-action “Moana.” “Right now we’re on pace for the best opening of the year,” said Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Co.

“This is a performer.”The timing also is fortuitous for Walt Disney Co.at a moment when its other once-reliable franchises such as “Star Wars” and Marvel have faltered.

The recent “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” dropped sharply at the domestic box office after its late-May opening, bested by low-budget horror films “Backrooms” and “Obsession.”“People love these characters from ‘Toy Story,’ ” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.“It’s just as appealing as ever.” Hollywood Inc.

‘Masters of the Universe’ opens to $29M amid superhero box office struggles, as ‘Scary Movie’ tops the weekend with a $55M domestic debut.Indeed, across four films and 30 years, “Toy Story” has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.It is the most-watched franchise on Disney+, with more than 2 billion hours strea...