Lightyear is off to a good start at the box office with $5.2 million in its Thursday preview showings. Across the 4,200 theaters in North America featuring the film, it is expected to domestically gross between $70 and $80 million for its opening weekend.
The film takes the Toy Story character into his solo movie. It follows the adventure film that inspires the making of the Toy that Andy eventually adds to his collection with the likes of Woody, Rex, and Mr. Potato Head. This time, he is not played by Tim Allen but by Captain America himself, Chris Evans.
Reaching the projected $70 to $80 million should not be too difficult for a high-profile Pixar film based on one of the most iconic characters in the studio’s roster. Lightyear does have competition at the box office with Jurassic World Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick still performing well.
The other obstacle is less about other films but about itself. For Lightyear to succeed at the box office, it must make enough for its $200 million budget. Other Pixar films have had budgets like this before, like Toy Story 3 and Finding Dory, but the pandemic is a factor that can hinder the film’s performance to some degree.
While films have been performing better now that the pandemic has gone on long enough for the world to adjust to some degree before releases were bombing left and right. Still, now films like Maverick, The Batman, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Everything Everywhere All at Once have proven success is attainable.
Lightyear Blasts Off to the Box Office This Week
The film will feature Pixar’s first same-sex kiss, which has drawn controversy. It was initially deleted, but after employee backlash, it was restored. The film has been review bombed on sites like IMDB due to the inclusion of a lesbian couple.
With Lightyear blasting off to the box office this weekend, you can see Chris Evans’ take on the character. He will be joined by costars Keke Palmer (Hustlers), Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black), and Taika Waititi. The film is directed by Angus MacLane (Finding Dory) and written by MacLane, Jason Headley (Onward), and Matthew Aldrich (Coco).