“Lightyear” didn’t go to infinity (or beyond) in its first theatrical weekend: Pixar’s first major theatrical release since March 2020 exploded at $51 million in its North American debut weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Not only did it open lower than expected, but it also failed to conquer “Jurassic World: Dominion,” which claimed first place in its second weekend with $58.7 million.
It’s a mixed bag for Disney and Pixar as Lightyear, an origin story about the film that inspired the Space Ranger action figure in the Toy Story movies, is one of the biggest starts for a family animated film about the pandemic. Including international screenings, which grossed $34.6 million, Lightyear’s worldwide opening weekend totals $85.6 million.
But expectations were higher for such a high-profile release based on a beloved, well-known character. Earlier in the weekend, some analysts had priced “Lightyear” for a $70 million debut in North America.
“The expectations of any Pixar film are always incredibly high, especially one that has a direct connection to the Toy Story brand,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box office tracker Comscore.
Pixar launched Toy Story in 1995 and its four films have grossed over $3 billion. Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 have also both surpassed the $1 billion mark.
Family audiences have proven a little more reluctant to return to theaters than other segments. Many studios, including Disney and Pixar, have opted for streaming or hybrid releases of their animated titles. Since the pandemic began, the company has streamed its Pixar titles — Soul, Luca, and Turning Red — directly to Disney+ for free to subscribers. Disney’s other major animated titles, Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto, received hybrid releases.
“There may have been a bit of confusion about whether it was only in theaters,” Dergarabedian said. “This is a film that needs real-time merchandising as the family audience bridges the dots.”
Lightyear, which stars Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear and has a supporting cast of Keke Palmer and Taika Waititi, received mostly positive reviews. Directed by Angus MacLane, it currently has a 77% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience gave him an A-CinemaScore.
With a reported production budget of $200 million, not counting the millions spent on marketing and advertising, “Lightyear” has a long way to go to become profitable. But it could burn slowly and steadily even in summer. And it’s the only major family deal playing in theaters until Minions: The Rise of Gru launches on July 1st.
Lightyear opened in 4,255 domestic locations and 43 overseas markets. Thirteen nations from the Muslim world and the Palestinian territories have banned “Lightyear” from showing in their cinemas because of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple.
Jurassic World: Dominion has grossed over $622.2 million worldwide, including $259.2 million in US and Canadian theaters. It is only the seventh film released during the pandemic to surpass $600 million.
In its fourth weekend, Top Gun: Maverick fell back just slightly, raking in another $44 million to finish in third place. The domestic total now stands at $466.2 million. The high-flying sequel has grossed over $885 million worldwide.
Dergarabedian said it was particularly noteworthy that three $40 million-plus films were made this weekend.
“We haven’t seen that for a long time,” he said. “We have a summer film season here.”
Rounding out the top five are “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” at $4.2 million and “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” at $1.1 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. “Jurassic World: Dominion”, $58.7 million
2. “Lightyear”, $51 million.
3. “Top Gun: Maverick”, $44 million.
4. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $4.2 million.
5. The Bob’s Burgers Movie, $1.1 million.
6. “The Bad Guys,” $890,000.
7. “Everything, Everywhere at Once,” $959,631.
8. “Downton Abbey: A New Era”, $830,000.
9. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”, $228,000.
10. “Brian and Charles,” $198,000.
Follow AP film writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr