Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 has crossed the $1 billion threshold at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. The milestone reinforces the enduring power of major franchises in drawing audiences, even amidst shifts in the entertainment sector and children's increasing pivot toward smart devices over traditional toys—a core theme addressed in the film's narrative.
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The animated feature grossed $448 million domestically in the United States alongside $573 million in international markets, pushing its worldwide total to $1.022 billion.
With this accomplishment, Toy Story 5 becomes the third film this year to breach the $1 billion mark, following Super Mario Galaxy, which generated $1.001 billion, and Michael, which achieved an identical total.
Simultaneously, The Odyssey continues its strong theatrical run, accumulating $639.6 million within just two weeks of its release, making it a strong contender to become the fourth film this year to cross $1 billion. This comes ahead of the theatrical release of Spider-Man: A New Day on July 31—the sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home, which achieved extraordinary success upon its release in 2021.
Projections indicate that 2026 could register the highest number of billion-dollar blockbusters since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which disrupted the global film industry and box office operations.
In 2019, nine films crossed the billion-dollar threshold, including Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Aladdin, Joker, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Captain Marvel. Conversely, in 2020, no film achieved this milestone due to month-long theater closures forced by the pandemic.
The year 2021 saw only one film cross $1 billion—Spider-Man: No Way Home—while three films accomplished the feat in 2022: Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, and Jurassic World Dominion. In 2023, only two films surpassed $1 billion: Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, before the count rose to three films in 2024 (Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2), and held steady at three films in 2025 (Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Lilo & Stitch).
In the coming days, Toy Story 5 is expected to become the highest-grossing installment in the history of the Toy Story franchise, outpacing 2019's Toy Story 4, which grossed $1.07 billion. The film also marks the third installment in the franchise to exceed $1 billion, joining 2010's Toy Story 3, which grossed $1.06 billion.
Directed by Andrew Stanton, the fifth installment follows the adventures of Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), and the rest of the toy gang as they face a new challenge: their owner Bonnie's obsession with her new "Lilypad" tablet, offering a clear reflection of technology's impact on children's relationship with traditional toys.
Upon its mid-June debut, the film generated $160 million, marking the largest domestic opening weekend of the year and the strongest launch in Toy Story franchise history.
The film benefited from widespread critical acclaim, positive audience word-of-mouth, and the enduring popularity of the franchise established over 31 years ago, securing its position as the top choice for families throughout the summer movie season.
Its audience draw was further bolstered by global pop icon Taylor Swift's release of a new song titled "I Knew It, I Knew You," written specifically for the film's soundtrack, coinciding with her summer marriage to NFL star Travis Kelce making global headlines.
Despite the massive commercial triumph of Toy Story 5, Pixar Animation Studios faced a new wave of layoffs within Disney last week, underscoring ongoing industry challenges for original animated feature films compared to the robust performance of established sequels and franchises.
