Pixar's Toy Story has once again re-established the strength of its long-running franchise as its fifth instalment has successfully surpassed the coveted $1 billion landmark worldwide. It now stands as the highest-grossing release of the year.
After earning $448 million in the US and $573 million internationally, the animated comedy adventure film's cummulative revenue entered the record milestone to touch $1.022 billion. Toy Story 5 is the third film after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($1.001 billion) and Michael ($1.001 billion) to cross the landmark.
However, the tables can soon turn as Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is currently inching towards the $700 million mark. This is just after two weekends of release. Going by the trends, the mythological epic will too surpass the $1 billion mark. Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases on July 31, four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home released. Tom Holland's superhero film is also expected to bring in a record opening along with a massive lifetime box office revenue.
Directed by Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Finding Nemo) with co-direction from McKenna Harris, Toy Story 5 explores a modern theme: the clash between classic toys and the digital age. The storyline sees Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang confronted by Lilypad aka Lily, a smart tablet, signalling a major shift in kids' interests. The film had received rave reviews from audiences and critics upon release on June 19.
In our CE review of the film, we had written, "Ever since the first film, Toy Story has always grappled with different forms of existential crisis. We have seen the toys go through the fear of being replaced, of being forgotten, and as Andy grew up, the franchise touched upon the idea of gracefully moving on. Toy Story 5 is more than just about toys being made irrelevant by technology. It’s about the importance of play, the diminishing role of imagination, and why that matters, and the value of building in-person connections. However, the film is far from a tech alarmist cautionary tale. Everything great and unique about classic Pixar storytelling is on glorious display here."
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, Kristen Schaal, and Keanu Reeves reprise their roles from the previous films, and are joined by new additions Greta Lee, Conan O'Brien, Bad Bunny, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Matty Matheson, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, John Hopkins, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Ernie Hudson, and Alan Cumming.