Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
'Toy Story 4' Opens Big but Below Expectations With $118M
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
June 24, 2019

Share

NEW YORK — “Toy Story 4” brought the box office to life with a $118 million opening weekend after a three-week slump of underperforming sequels, but the Pixar film’s below-expectations debut didn’t quell continuing concerns about a rocky summer movie season.
The “Toy Story 4” opening, according to studio estimates Sunday, ranks as the fourth highest animated film opening ever, not accounting for inflation. Above it are 2018’s “Incredibles 2” ($182 million), 2016’s “Finding Dory” ($135 million), and 2007’s “Shrek the Third” ($121 million). It’s the year’s third largest debut, trailing only a pair of other Disney releases: “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain Marvel.”
But heading into the weekend, a $140-150 million opening had seemed assured for “Toy Story 4,” which played in 4,575 North American theaters. Adjusted for inflation, the film came in shy of the $110.3 million — or about $129 million in today’s dollars — “Toy Story 3” made nine years ago.
The opening for “Toy Story 4” followed a string of disappointing sequels including “Dark Phoenix,” ”Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Men in Black: International.” But “Toy Story 4” had something those films didn’t: great reviews. It rates 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it an A CinemaScore.
The sequel, which introduces the child-made plaything Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) to the voice cast including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, also grossed $120 million internationally, including a modest $13.4 million in China, the world’s second largest film market. It was trounced there by the rerelease of Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 animated classic “Spirited Away” from Studio Ghibli, the Japan animation studio that has often served as an inspiration to Pixar.

Overall Marketplace Didn’t Give ‘Toy Story 4’ Much Momentum

Cathleen Taff, distribution chief for Disney, said the company was thrilled with the opening and praised Pixar’s high standards.

“The Pixar team has always been disciplined about making sure they have a compelling story to tell, and that is especially true when it comes to sequels if you look at their past.” — Cathleen Taff, distribution chief for Disney
“The Pixar team has always been disciplined about making sure they have a compelling story to tell, and that is especially true when it comes to sequels if you look at their past,” said Taff. “Their process of sort of going through the rigor of making sure that this is a story people want told, the end result speaks for itself.”
The overall marketplace didn’t give “Toy Story 4” much momentum. Last week’s top film, Sony Pictures’ poorly reviewed “Men in Black International” slid 64 percent, slipping to fourth place with $10.8 million.
The No. 2 film, Orion Pictures’ horror remake “Child’s Play” — cheekily positioned as the weekend’s R-rated toy movie — also opened below expectations with $14.1 million. A remake of the 1988 original, the film stars Aubrey Plaza with Mark Hamill voicing the knife-wielding doll Chucky.
Luc Besson’s assassin thriller “Anna” missed out on the top 10 entirely, opening with a mere $3.5 million in 2,114 theaters. Lionsgate, which bought U.S. distribution rights in 2017, did little to promote the film in advance of its release. In 2018, Besson was accused of a rape by the actress Sand Van Roy. A lawyer for Besson denied the accusation and French authorities dropped the investigation in February citing a lack of evidence. Eight other women also accused Besson of sexual misconduct in a French publication.

Many Had Seen ‘Toy Story 4’ as a Surefire Savior

In a summer season that’s running 6.5% off the pace of last year, according to Comscore, many had positioned “Toy Story 4” as a surefire savior, due in part to the enviable track record of Disney and Pixar. (Disney’s “Aladdin” remake this weekend passed $800 million worldwide.) Instead, the weekend was down 27.2% from the same frame last year. Overwhelming the industry’s market leader, Disney was thought immune to any sequel downturn.

“The numbers being bandied about out there pre-weekend were certainly much higher than the number that it came in with. But if we bring it down to earth and put some perspective on this, it was still a franchise-high debut.” — Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore
But most other studios would love to have a film underperform to $118 million, with an expectation of long-term playability. Outside Sony’s upcoming “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” ”Toy Story 4″ has no family-friendly competition until Disney’s own “Lion King” remake opens July 19.
“The numbers being bandied about out there pre-weekend were certainly much higher than the number that it came in with,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “But if we bring it down to earth and put some perspective on this, it was still a franchise-high debut. It was a global opening of $238 million.”
But with underwhelming returns for even critically acclaimed comedies like “Booksmart” and seemingly surefire bets like “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” little has gone according to plan in Hollywood’s primetime season.
“The summer has been a real head-scratcher,” said Dergarabedian.
Photo of a scene from Toy Story 4
A scene from “Toy Story 4,” which has a $118 million opening weekend that was considered less than expected. (Disney/Pixar via AP)

Ticket Sales Friday-Sunday at U.S., Canadian Theaters

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. “Toy Story 4,” $118 million ($120 million international).
2. “Child’s Play,” $14.1 million ($3.6 million international).
3. “Aladdin,” $12.2 million ($32.9 million international).
4. “Men in Black International,” $10.8 million ($30.2 million international).
5. “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” $10.3 million ($10.8 million international).
6. “Rocketman,” $5.7 million ($5.5 million international).
7. “John Wick: Chapter 3,” $4.1 million ($3.4 million international).
8. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” $3.7 million ($4 million international).
9. “Dark Phoenix,” $3.6 million ($11.1 million international).
10. “Shaft,” $3.6 million.

Ticket Sales Friday-Sunday at International Theaters

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Comscore.
1. “Toy Story 4,” $120 million.
2. “Aladdin,” $32.9 million.
3. “Men in Black International,” $30.2 million.
4. “Spirited Away,” $28.8 million.
5. “Dark Phoenix,” $11.1 million.
6. “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” $10.8 million.
7. “Rocketman,” $5.5 million.
8. “Parasite,” $4.8 million.
9. “Long Live the King,” $4.1 million.
9. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” $4 million.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

DON'T MISS

Is It Bad to Chew Gum All Day?

DON'T MISS

Dollar Doubts Dominate Gathering of Global Economic Leaders

DON'T MISS

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

DON'T MISS

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

DON'T MISS

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

DON'T MISS

Israel’s AI Experiments in the War in Gaza Raise Ethical Concerns

UP NEXT

Fresno Ranks Fourth in US for an Affordable Night Out

UP NEXT

Top Producer at ’60 Minutes’ Quits Amid Trump Lawsuit Pressure

UP NEXT

Is a ‘Friend-Apist’ What We Really Want From Therapy?

UP NEXT

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

UP NEXT

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

UP NEXT

Thousands of Pilgrims Trek Through New Mexico Desert to Historic Adobe Church for Good Friday

UP NEXT

Katy Perry Gears Up for Sci-Fi Inspired World Tour

UP NEXT

Easter Desserts Anyone Can Make

UP NEXT

How Trump Might Unwittingly Cut Emissions From Online Shopping

UP NEXT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Seeks Two-Month Delay of May 5 Trial

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

6 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

6 hours ago

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

9 hours ago

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

9 hours ago

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

9 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

9 hours ago

Israel’s AI Experiments in the War in Gaza Raise Ethical Concerns

9 hours ago

Paul Skenes Strikes Out 9, Wins Duel With Yamamoto in Pirates’ Victory Over Dodgers

10 hours ago

Eovaldi Outlasts Verlander as Rangers Beat Giants

10 hours ago

Rams Take Oregon Tight End Terrance Ferguson in Second Round After Trading Out of First

10 hours ago

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Russia’s escalating bombardment of Ukraine had left him concerned that Russia did not want to end ...

4 hours ago

4 hours ago

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

5 hours ago

Is It Bad to Chew Gum All Day?

5 hours ago

Dollar Doubts Dominate Gathering of Global Economic Leaders

6 hours ago

US Judge Temporarily Stops West Texas Immigrant Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

6 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders’ Long Wait Ends When Browns Take Him in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft

9 hours ago

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

9 hours ago

ICE Deports the Mother of an Infant and a 2-Year-Old Who Is a US Citizen

9 hours ago

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend