Disney and Pixar achieved a feat that many considered impossible: demonstrating that classic toys still have a place in the hearts of children, even when the competition is touch screens. “Toy Story 5,” the fifth installment of the studio's most beloved franchise, surpassed $1 billion at the global box office and has become the highest-grossing release of the year, according to data from Box Office Mojo.

The film grossed $448 million in the United States and $573 million worldwide, for a global total of $1.022 million. With this figure, “Toy Story 5” becomes the third film of the year to reach this coveted milestone, after “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($1,001 million) and “Michael” ($1,001 million).

Meanwhile, “The Odyssey,” which has already accumulated $639.6 million after just two weekends in theaters, is emerging as the fourth film to join that select club. And all this before the premiere of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, scheduled for July 31, which arrives as a sequel to the gigantic “No Way Home” of 2021.

A positive outlook for the industry

This year the industry is expected to produce the most $1 billion blockbusters since the pandemic disrupted the box office in 2020.

In 2019, nine films — including “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “Joker,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Captain Marvel” — surpassed that barrier.

The 2026 trend aims to surpass even the numbers of the pre-pandemic era.

According to estimates, in the coming days, "Toy Story 5" will be recorded as the highest-grossing installment of the entire franchise, surpassing "Toy Story 4 (2019), which reached $1.07 billion. It is the third sequel of the series that manages to cross the billion barrier, after "Toy Story 3" (2010), which grossed $1.06 billion.