Pixar's Lightyears box office falls short of expectations

Pixar's latest animated film, Lightyears Ago, doesn't fly off to infinity and beyond.

Lightyears opened lower than expected in North America in its first weekend, earning $51 million, ranking second after Jurassic World 3. The previous forecast was for an opening of at least $70 million. In comparison, 2019's Toy Story 4 opened at $120 million, while 2010's Toy Story 3 opened at $110 million.

"Lightyears" only grossed $34.6 million overseas in its first week, and only $85.6 million worldwide in its first week, far below expectations. The first week's box office was originally predicted to be between $125 million and $145 million.

Lightyear is the first spin-off of Disney's Toy Story franchise, but its setting has confused some viewers. The movie does not revolve around the Buzz Lightyear toys that audiences are familiar with, but is a movie set in the Toy Story universe and inspired by the toys, and the voice acting is not by Tim Allen, but by Captain America Chris Evans.

Lightyears received mostly positive reviews, though some critics felt it was an unnecessary expansion of the Toy Story IP. Audience reaction also seemed milder than typical for the series. Toy Story received an A- on CinemaScore, while all four Toy Story films received an A or A+.