Disney and Pixar’s animated feature Lightyear blasted off with a $5.2 million at the box office preview screenings before it officially opens in over 4,200 cinemas across North America on Friday, just under the $6.3 million earned by Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in its first two days of previews in April.
Lightyear started its fan screenings at 6 PM, while Thursday showings began at 3 p.m. It has 4,255 screens scheduled and is projected to gross between $70 million and $85 million. The global start-up budget is $135 million, with 43 material markets comprising 79 percent international. As of yesterday, Lightyear preorders were expected to be worth roughly $10 million.
The animated film is far ahead of the Tuesday previews of Universal/Illumination's Sing 2, with $1.6M earnings, and Disney's Encanto, grossing at $1.5 million. On the other hand, Jurassic World Dominion by Universal/Amblin topped all movies in regular release with $8.66 million, a 13% percent increase from Wednesday's total of 4,676. The picture will share Imax screens with Lightyear this weekend but will yield them entirely to the Disney/Pixar blockbuster in its third weekend. Dominion grossed $191.1 million in its first week, trailing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom by 7%.
Top Gun: Maverick by Paramount/Skydance earned $6.2 million yesterday, for a third week total of $78.7 million and a running total of $422.1 million. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did an estimated $614K for a $7.9 million sixth week and a $400.8 million total. Further, Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guy earned $282K, a -24% drop, for a $4 million eighth week and a $93.2 million total. The Bob's Burgers Movies grossed an estimated $280K for a $3.9 million third week and a total of $28.7 million.
The Toy Story spinoff centers on a fictional astronaut character who appeared in a film that inspired the Buzz Lightyear action figure that captivated Andy in 1995. The Disney and Pixar's animated feature shows Buzz Lightyear embarking on an intergalactic journey with eager recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot buddy, Sox. As the crew delves onto their most difficult journey yet, they must learn to work as a team to escape the wicked Zurg and his loyal robot army. The legendary Space Ranger is voiced by Chris Evans in the Toy Story origin tale, which marks Pixar's return to the big screen after several of its animated films were limited to Disney+ due to COVID-19.
Directed by Angus MacLane, Lightyear's voice cast also features Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, and Keira Hairston.
Lightyear is in theaters now.