Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 has crossed the USD 1 billion mark at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2026.

The animated sequel has earned USD 448 million in North America and USD 573 million from international markets, taking its worldwide total to USD 1.022 billion.

It is the third film this year to surpass the milestone after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (USD 1.001 billion) and Michael (USD 1.001 billion).

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which has collected USD 639.6 million worldwide after two weekends in theatres, is expected to become the fourth billion-dollar release of the year.

Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is also set to join the year’s major releases when it opens on July 30.

The strong performance of Toy Story 5 continues a broader recovery for the global box office. The industry is on course to produce its highest number of billion-dollar films since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted theatrical business in 2020. Nine films crossed the USD 1 billion mark in 2019, while none achieved the feat in 2020. The number later recovered to one in 2021, three in 2022, two in 2023, three in 2024 and three in 2025.

Toy Story 5 is also set to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, overtaking 2019’s Toy Story 4, which earned USD 1.07 billion globally. It is the third Toy Story sequel to cross the USD 1 billion milestone after Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4.

Directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, the film follows Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the toys as their owner Bonnie becomes attached to a children’s smart tablet called Lilypad instead of traditional toys. The voice cast includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack.

Released in mid-June, Toy Story 5 opened to $160 million, marking the biggest opening weekend of the year and the strongest debut in the franchise. The soundtrack also features a new song, I Knew It, I Knew You, written by Taylor Swift.

Source: Telegraph India

--Agencies