‘Toy Story 5’ Earns a Strong A CinemaScore, and Pixar’s Unbeatable Track Record With Audiences Just Keeps Growing
Pixar has done it again. ‘Toy Story 5’ has earned a strong A CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences, marking yet another example of the studio’s extraordinary consistency with general moviegoers.
As pointed out by film tracker Luiz Fernando on X, this is the 18th time in 30 years and 28 films that Pixar has landed at the coveted A tier or above, a streak that has never dipped below an A-minus.
All previous entries in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise received A CinemaScores with the exception of ‘Toy Story 2,’ which earned the even rarer A-plus. The new film’s strong audience grade places it squarely alongside the majority of Pixar’s output, continuing a legacy of crowd-pleasing storytelling that few studios in Hollywood can match.
The film pits Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie against a brand-new kind of villain in the form of Lilypad, a smart tablet device that arrives with its own ideas about what is best for their kid Bonnie, challenging the toys’ entire sense of purpose. Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton directs alongside co-director Kenna Harris, with an original score by Oscar winner Randy Newman, returning to score his fifth ‘Toy Story’ feature.
The film posted a preview haul of 17.5 million dollars, making it the highest preview performance of the year so far and the second best animated preview debut in history, surpassed only by ‘Incredibles 2,’ which made 18.5 million dollars in previews before going on to earn 182.7 million dollars in its opening weekend. Forecasters were projecting a massive debut in the range of 145 to 175 million dollars domestically, which would set a new franchise record for the fifth entry.
The Juneteenth holiday falling on a Friday combined with Father’s Day on Sunday created an ideal family moviegoing window, with Pixar historically thriving on mid-June holiday weekends. The studio has released several of its biggest summer hits on or around the same period, giving ‘Toy Story 5’ a structural advantage heading into the weekend.
The voice cast reunites Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack alongside new additions including Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Keanu Reeves, Ernie Hudson, and Bad Bunny. Taylor Swift also contributed an original song titled “I Knew It, I Knew You” to the film, which was officially announced just weeks before release.
‘Toy Story 5’ entered the weekend with a 94 percent certified fresh critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and its pre-sales figures surpassed those of ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie,’ which currently holds the top three-day domestic opening of the year at 131.7 million dollars. With a strong A CinemaScore locked in and a franchise-best opening weekend virtually assured, the legs at the box office look very promising indeed.
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