‘Toy Story 5’ Becomes Pixar’s Most Expensive Movie Ever Made

Toy Story 5 is shaping up to be one of Pixar’s biggest projects ever, and a new report suggests the upcoming animated sequel could become the studio’s most expensive movie to date.

According to Variety, Toy Story 5 has a reported production budget of around $250 million, not including marketing and promotional costs. If the number is accurate, the film would place among the most expensive animated movies ever made, matching the reported budgets of Disney’s The Lion King (2019) and Tangled (2010).

While those films are often mentioned as the biggest-budget animated movies in history, Toy Story 5 now appears to be joining that group. The comparison does not include inflation, meaning older movies could have cost even more when adjusted for today’s prices.

A large part of Toy Story 5’s budget is likely connected to the return of its famous voice cast. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are coming back as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, two of Pixar’s most iconic characters. Industry estimates suggest that the salaries for both actors could make up a significant part of the movie’s overall costs, potentially reaching tens of millions of dollars.

Pixar has already spent huge amounts on some of its recent projects. Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2 are widely reported to have budgets of around $200 million each, making them two of the studio’s most expensive films before Toy Story 5.

Another recent Pixar release, Elio, was also rumored to have a much larger budget than its official figure. While the movie was reported to cost around $175 million, reports suggested that production changes, rewrites, and creative adjustments may have pushed the real cost much higher.

Despite the massive price tag, Toy Story 5 is expected to be a major box office success. Early tracking suggests the movie could open with around $175 million domestically, which would make it one of the biggest animated openings ever.

If those predictions are correct, Toy Story 5 would come close to breaking Pixar’s current opening weekend record, which belongs to Incredibles 2 with a $182 million debut.

The movie is also expected to perform strongly around the world. Current projections suggest that Toy Story 5 could earn more than $315 million globally during its opening weekend, potentially setting a new record for Pixar.

Financially, the movie is expected to have no problem recovering its huge budget. Using the common Hollywood estimate that a movie needs to earn around 2.5 times its production budget to break even, Toy Story 5 would need roughly $625 million worldwide to become profitable. Given the popularity of the franchise, that number appears very achievable.

The early reaction to the film has also been positive. After the review embargo lifted, Toy Story 5 reportedly earned a 74 score on Metacritic and a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting strong audience interest and positive word of mouth.

With the return of beloved characters, a massive global fan base, and record-level expectations, Toy Story 5 could become another billion-dollar success for Pixar. The film’s enormous budget may seem risky, but if the predictions are accurate, it could prove to be one of the studio’s most successful investments yet.

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