Toy Story (franchise)
Toy Story is an American media franchise owned by The Walt Disney Company. It centers on toys that, unknown to humans, are secretly living, sentient creatures. It began in 1995 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, which focuses on a diverse group of toys featuring a classic cowboy doll named Sheriff Woody and a modern spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear.
Toy Story
Toy Story (1995)
1995–present
Main series:
- Toy Story (1995)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Toy Story 4 (2019)
- Toy Story 5 (2026)
- Lightyear (2022)
- Lamp Life (2020)
- To Fitness And Beyond (2021)
- Toy Story Treats (1996)
- Toy Story Toons (2011–12)
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000–01)
- Forky Asks a Question (2019–20)
- Fluffy Stuff With Ducky And Bunny (2021)
- Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
- Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014)
- Toy Story Funday Football (2023)[a]
- Disney on Ice: Toy Story
- Disney on Ice: Toy Story 2
- Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3
Toy Story: The Musical (2008–16)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Toy Story 4 (2019)
- Lightyear (2022)
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (1998–present)
- Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (2005–present)[b]
- Toy Story Midway Mania! (2008–present)
- Toy Story Land (2010–present)[c]
- Jessie's Critter Carousel (2019–present)
The Toy Story franchise consists mainly of five animated feature films: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Toy Story 4 (2019), and the spin-off film within a film Lightyear (2022). A fifth film was recently announced, which is set to be released in 2026. It also includes the 2D-animated direct-to-video spin-off film within a film Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000) and the animated television series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000–01) which followed the film. The first Toy Story was the first feature-length film to be made entirely using computer-generated imagery. The first two films were directed by John Lasseter, the third film by Lee Unkrich (who acted as co-director of the second film alongside Ash Brannon), the fourth film by Josh Cooley, and Lightyear by Angus MacLane.
Produced on a total budget of $720 million, the Toy Story films have grossed more than $3.3 billion worldwide, becoming the 21st highest-grossing film franchise worldwide and the third highest-grossing animated franchise. Each film of the main series set box office records, with the third and fourth included in the top 50 all-time worldwide films. The franchise has received critical acclaim from critics and audiences.[1][2][3][4][5] The first two films were re-released in theaters as a Disney Digital 3-D "double feature" for at least two weeks in October 2009 as a promotion for the then-upcoming third film.[6]
Television series
Toy Story Treats (1996)
In 1996, a series of shorts known as Toy Story Treats were created as interstitials on ABC Saturday Morning, the predecessor to Disney's One Saturday Morning and ABC Kids. They did not necessarily follow the continuity from Toy Story, taking place before, during and after the events of the first film. They were aired roughly around the time of Toy Story's release to home video.[32] The shorts also appeared as bonus features on both "The Ultimate Toy Box" and as Easter eggs on the "10th Anniversary Edition" DVD menu of the first film, they were also restored in HD in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and presented in the special features of the 2010 Blu-ray release of the film. John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, and Jeff Pidgeon reprise their roles from the film as Hamm, Rex, and the Aliens, respectively, with Jim Hanks and Pat Fraley voicing Woody and Buzz, replacing Tom Hanks and Tim Allen who previously voiced the characters.
Reception
Box office performance
Toy Story's first five days of domestic release (on Thanksgiving weekend), earned the film $39.1 million.[41] The film placed first in the weekend's box office with $29.1 million, and maintained its number one position at the domestic box office for the following two weekends. It was the highest-grossing domestic film in 1995,[42] and the third-highest-grossing animated film at the time.[43]
Toy Story 2 opened at No. 1 over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, with a three-day tally of $57.4 million from 3,236 theaters. It averaged $17,734 per theater over three days during that weekend, and stayed at No. 1 for the next two weekends. It was the third-highest-grossing film of 1999.[44]
Toy Story 3 had a strong debut, opening in 4,028 theaters and grossing $41.1 million at the box office on its opening day. In addition, Toy Story 3 had the highest opening-day gross for an animated film on record. During its opening weekend, the film grossed $110.3 million, making it #1 for the weekend; it was the biggest opening weekend ever for any Pixar film. Toy Story 3 stayed at the #1 spot for the next weekend. The film had the second-highest opening ever for an animated film at the time. It was the highest-grossing film of 2010, both domestically and worldwide.[45][46] Toy Story 3 grossed over $1 billion, making it the seventh film in history, the second Disney film in 2010, and the first animated film to do so.[47]
Toy Story 4 achieved the biggest opening for the series and the biggest for a G-rated film, grossing $120.9 million domestically and $244.5 internationally in its first weekend.[48] It went on to gross $1.073 billion, becoming the 43rd movie ever to cross the billion dollar mark and was the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2019.[49]
Lightyear underperformed at the global box office, grossing a total of $226.4 million.[50] Its first weekend gross totaled $85.2 million, underperforming expectations, attributed by observers to a lackluster audience turnout due multiple factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of past Pixar films Soul, Luca, and Turning Red on Disney+, and its more mixed reviews when compared to other films in the franchise.[51][52][53]
