The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘Lightyear’ stays earthbound, ‘Jurassic World’ holds No. 1 IN THE SPOTLIGHT
“Lightyear” did not go to infinity (or beyond) in its first weekend in theaters: Pixar's first major theatrical release since March 2020 blasted off with $51 million in its debut weekend in North America, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Not only did it open lower than expected, but it also failed to conquer “Jurassic World: Dominion,” which held on to the first-place spot with $58.7 million its second weekend.
It is a mixed bag for Disney and Pixar as “Lightyear,” an origin story about the movie that inspired the space ranger action figure in the “Toy Story” movies, is one of the biggest launches for an animated family film over the pandemic. Including international showings, which grossed $34.6 million, “Lightyear's” global opening weekend totals to $85.6 million.
But expectations were higher for a release this high-profile and based on a beloved, well-known character. Going into the weekend, some analysts had pegged “Lightyear” for a $70 million North American debut.
“Toy Story” launched Pixar in 1995 and its four films have made over $3 billion. “Toy Story 3” and “Toy Story 4” also both broke the $1 billion mark.
The family audience has proved a little more reluctant than other segments to return to movie theaters. Many studios, including Disney and Pixar, have opted for streaming or hybrid releases for their animated titles. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the company has sent its Pixar titles — “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red” — directly to Disney+ free for subscribers. Disney's other big animated titles, “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto” got hybrid releases.
Critics were mostly favorable to “Lightyear,” which features Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear and a supporting voice cast that includes Keke Palmer and Taika Waititi. Directed by Angus MacLane, it
currently holds a 77% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore.
“Jurassic World: Dominion,” meanwhile, has now earned over $622.2 million worldwide with $259.2 million of that coming from U.S. and Canadian theaters. It's only the seventh movie released during the pandemic to surpass $600 million.
In its fourth weekend, “Top Gun: Maverick” dropped only slightly, bringing in an additional $44 million to take third place. Its domestic total is now at $466.2 million. Globally, the high-flying sequel has grossed over $885 million.
Rounding out the top five are “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” with $4.2 million and “The Bob's Burgers Movie” with $1.1 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $58.7 million
2. “Lightyear,” $51 million.
3. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $44 million.
4. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $4.2 million.
5. “The Bob's Burgers Movie,” $1.1 million.
6. “The Bad Guys,” $890,000.
7. “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” $959,631.
8. “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” $830,000.
9. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” $228,000.
10. “Brian and Charles,” $198,000.