Buzz Lightyear didn't make it to the box office. It wasn't clear why.
The first Pixar movie in more than two years, " Lightyear," sold an estimated $51 million in tickets in its first three days of release in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. While stout, that total fell nearly 30 percent below prerelease analyst expectations and was not enough to surpass the top draw.
David A. Gross is a consultant who publishes a newsletter on box office numbers.
An additional $34.6 million was collected outside of the United States. Disney said in a box office report on Sunday that "Lightyear" is opening ahead of upcoming school holidays in almost all international markets.
Fourteen small box office markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia banned the movie because it shows a same-sex relationship. Uzo Aduba's character gave her wife a kiss in one scene. The Chinese authorities don't know if they will clear the film for release. Box office analysts are not optimistic because of the country's stance on L.G.B.T.Q.
A sequel to Pixar's hugely successful "Toy Story" franchise is in the works. This time, the idea is different. The human Buzz Lightyear inspired the toy Buzz and his attempt to escape from a hostile alien planet. Chris Evans provides Buzz's voice. Tim Allen voiced Buzz in the movie. Woody is not included.
The reviews were mostly positive but less than usual for a Pixar release. A.O. Scott wrote about it in The New York Times. In exit polls, domestic ticket buyers gave "Lightyear" an A-minus grade.
Why did it not go well?
Disney has trained families to expect Pixar movies to arrive on the Disney+ streaming service; the last three Pixar films were online due to the coronaviruses. Some fans were turned off by the fact that Allen wasn't the main vocal talent. The actress drew attention to Allen's absence in a social media post. She wanted to know why they castrate this beloved character.
The film included a same-sex relationship, which was criticized by some conservatives. The depiction of lesbian toys in the movie "Lightyear" was cited by Senator Ted Cruz as an example of "woke Disney".
Some parents still don't want to go to theaters despite the waning of the Pandemic. The sequel to the animated movie "Minions" will be released on July 1st.
Competition from holdover films was fierce. In North America, the movie took in about $58.7 million, for a two week total of about $250 million. "Lightyear" was the runner up. The film collected $11 million and lifted its four week domestic total to $466 million.
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