Buzz Lightyear failed to hit box office hyperspace this weekend. But it was unclear why.
“Lightyear,” the first Pixar film to hit theaters in more than two years, has sold an estimated $51 million in tickets at 4,255 locations across the United States and Canada in its first three days of release, according to Comscore. , which composes box. office data. While hefty, that total fell nearly 30 percent below analysts’ expectations before release and wasn’t enough to overshadow “Jurassic World Dominion” as the No. 1 multiplex draw.
“This is a soft opening for a spin-off of one of the most successful animated series of all time,” said David A. Gross, a consultant who publishes a subscription newsletter by box office numbers.
Abroad, “Lightyear” collected another $ 34.6 million. “In almost all international markets, ‘Lightyear’ will open for the upcoming school holidays, so long-term play is key,” Disney said in a box office report on Sunday.
The film was banned in 14 minor box office markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia because it briefly portrays a same-sex relationship. In one scene, a space keeper, voiced by Uzo Aduba, gives her wife a small kiss. The Chinese authorities have not yet said whether they will release “Lightyear” for release. But box office analysts aren’t hopeful given the country’s previous stance on LGBTQ content.
The $200 million film is a repeat of Pixar’s hugely successful “Toy Story” franchise. But this time the conceit is very different. “Lightyear” is a prequel about the human Buzz Lightyear – who served as the inspiration for the toys Buzz fans know and love – and his attempt to escape from a hostile alien planet. As a human, Buzz sounds different, with Chris Evans as his voice. (Tim Allen voiced Buzz as an action figure in “Toy Story,” released in 1995, and three sequels.) There’s no Woody, either.
Reviews have been mostly positive, albeit less than usual for a Pixar release. (“It succeeds in a way more in line with second-rate Disney animation than top-tier Pixar,” AO Scott wrote in The New York Times.) Domestic ticket buyers gave “Lightyear” an A-minus in the exit polls of Cinema Score .
So why did “Lightyear” disappoint?
Disney has trained families to expect Pixar movies to appear on the Disney+ streaming service; the last three Pixar films — “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red” — debuted online, with Disney citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason. Some fans were put off by Allen’s absence as the main vocal talent, populating Twitter with #NotMyBuzz comments. In a tweet that went viral last week, actress Patricia Heaton drew attention to Allen’s absence. “Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?” she wrote.
Some ultra-conservative politicians and pundits criticized the film — unseen — for featuring a same-sex relationship. Texas Senator Ted Cruz railed against “waking up Disney” on a podcast, citing the depiction of “lesbian toys” in “Lightyear.”
Although the pandemic has abated, some parents no doubt remain squeamish about going to the cinema. (Another test is coming on July 1, when Universal rolls out the animated spin-off sequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”)
And competition from remaining films was strong. Universal’s “Jurassic World Dominion” raised approximately $58.7 million in North America, for a domestic total of approximately $250 million in two weeks. “Lightyear” came in second. “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount) stayed healthy in third place, raising about $44 million and increasing the four-week domestic total to $466 million.
