Toys Surrendered Their Spot to Tablets… ‘Toy Story 5’ Sparks a $20 Billion Box-Office Frenzy Worldwide

A counterattack by the analog age in the digital era, sweeping theaters worldwide

Movie theaters around the world have fallen under the spell of Woody and Buzz once again. ‘Toy Story 5,’ the ambitious latest installment from the hallmark of well-made animation, ‘Pixar Animation,’ is unleashing a phenomenon-level rush after it opened, topping 200 billion won in global box-office earnings shortly after release.

According to a report by U.S. entertainment media Deadline on the 20th (local time), the new film logged an astonishing opening score of $123.9 million (about 197.7 billion won) across 48 countries worldwide. In particular, the North American response has been explosive. On just the 19th, its opening day, it pulled in $71 million, seizing the No. 1 spot at North American ‘box office’ immediately by a commanding margin. That marks the second-highest opening for any North American animated film ever, trailing closely behind the 2018 release ‘Incredibles 2’ ($72.2 million).

Global box-office indicators are heating up across continents as well. After adding up total earnings from a string of countries, including South Korea ($1.7 million) which led the way after an early release on the 17th, along with the U.K. ($5.5 million) and China ($7.4 million), the total climbed past the $130 million mark with ease. In particular, in China and the U.K., it broke records for Pixar’s best opening-day results in the studio’s history. In multiple countries—including Mexico, France, and Spain—it swept the top spot at the foreign-language box office, demonstrating the powerhouse of its IP.

Returning after seven years since the previous installment, the film captures the shifting changes of the times sharply and adds depth to its story. With the arrival of ‘smart tablets’ stealing the spotlight from toys, it portrays the harsh reality of toys that lost their place while offering an insightful look at new adventures. The directing prowess of Andrew Stanton, who held the megaphone, succeeded in forging a weighty sense of empathy that transcends generations.

Public enthusiasm is translating directly into praise from critics. On the U.S. film rating site ‘Rotten Tomatoes,’ it recorded a 93% critics’ freshness rating and a 95% audience popcorn score, delivering the most overwhelming acclaim among all entries in the series and sending a clear signal of long-term box-office staying power. Even amid advances in technology, the devotion and friendship of the unchanged toys have once again perfectly won over audiences across the globe.