Before The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day dominated the box office during the latter part of summer, it was a fairly uneven season at the multiplex. Many of the major studio tentpoles released in May and June did not meet expectations. Arguably the lone exception there was Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which received widespread critical acclaim en route to a record-breaking box office haul. It ended its theatrical run as the highest-grossing Toy Story film of all time domestically ($477.9 million) and worldwide ($1.128 billion). After finding success on the big screen, Toy Story 5 has now received a streaming date.
Today, Disney officially announced that Toy Story 5 will be streaming on Disney+ beginning September 23rd. The studio released a new trailer revealing the streaming date. Check it out in the space below:
The toys have a new home…on @disneyplus#ToyStory5 is streaming on Disney+ September 23rd pic.twitter.com/0Fjopz225a
In today’s day and age, a streaming release date can represent a film’s second lease on life. It’s become quite common for box office disappointments to catch on at home, finding they audience they missed in theaters. Disney’s The Mandalorian and Grogu will likely be the latest example of that trend when it hits Disney+ in early September. In contrast, Toy Story 5 will probably deliver the results Disney is hoping for whenever it releases a new movie: becoming a hit both at the box office and on streaming. Toy Story 5 doesn’t need streaming for a rebound; Disney+ is its victory lap.
When Toy Story 5 was announced, some fans wondered if the sequel was needed, but similar to Toy Story 4 (which was also questioned), Toy Story 5 proved itself as a worthy addition to Pixar’s flagship franchise. Many praised the emotional story at the film’s core, particularly Jessie’s promotion to main character status. Having her lead the charge in Toy Story 5 gave way to some of the most poignant moments in the entire series, including a powerful revelation about Jessie’s former owner Emily. Additionally, the “toys vs. tech” premise was much more than an outlet for jokes about not understanding technology. It was a way to explore some touching thematic material, such as the challenge of making friends in an ever-evolving world.
Toy Story 5‘s box office haul illustrates fans enjoyed the film as much as critics. Movies don’t get to $1 billion unless they have strong legs commercially, and that doesn’t happen unless word of mouth amongst audiences is positive. This means Toy Story 5 should be one of the top films on Disney+ when it premieres on streaming. Fans have likely been waiting for an opportunity to rewatch the movie, knowing the Disney+ date is right around the corner. Toy Story 5 debuted on Digital storefronts earlier this month, but Disney+ is where people can watch it for no extra charge.
Pixar hasn’t announced Toy Story 6 yet; the studio’s slate is full with other projects like Incredibles 3, Ghost Market, and Coco 2. However, given the continued success of the mainline Toy Story series (spinoff Lightyear was a rare Pixar box office bomb), it would be surprising if the studio kept it on the shelf for too long. The filmmakers have discussed possible ideas for Toy Story 6 in the past, wanting to give Bonnie a trilogy to match Andy, so we probably haven’t seen the last of these toys.
