Toy Story 5 Fuels Hollywoods Hottest Summer Since 2019

Hollywood is having its best summer since the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to permanently alter moviegoing habits, with “Toy Story 5” extending the hot streak over the weekend.The Disney-Pixar sequel was on pace to sell an estimated $312 million in tickets worldwide from Thursday through Sunday, according to Rentrak, which compiles box office data.Directed and written by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, it was expected to generate $160 million in ticket sales in North America, giving it not only the biggest domestic opening of the summer so far, but the biggest of the year.The strong No.

1 opening reflected Disney and Pixar’s deft stewardship of the 31-year-old “Toy Story” series.While not a record for the franchise when adjusting for inflation — “Toy Story 3” made about $171 million in today’s dollars on its domestic opening weekend in 2010 — it is rare for a fifth installment to perform at this level.

Few animated franchises even make it to a fifth film.“Toy Story 5” cost an estimated $250 million to make and easily another $100 million to market.Overall, reviews were sensational.Hollywood’s summer season, which runs from May 1 to Labor Day, has historically accounted for 40 percent of annual ticket sales.

So far this season, moviegoers in North America have spent about $1.85 billion on tickets, a 16 percent increase from the same period a year ago, according to Rentrak.Hollywood’s summer hasn’t gotten off to this strong of a start since 2019, when ticket sales for the same stretch totaled $1.87 billion.For an industry struggling to maintain its relevance in the face of sweeping changes in consumer behavior and technology, any improvement matters.

Only a few years ago, when the pandemic forced many theaters to close for long periods, it was an open question whether moviegoing would survive at all.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience whi...