Lightyear faced tough competition against Jurassic World: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick. It proved to be a box office disappointment in its opening weekend.

While strong for a pandemic release, the animated film falls short of expectations. Analysts predicted that “Lightyear” would gross between $70 million and $85 million domestically. Lightyear added $34.6 million in 43 markets internationally, bringing its global total to $85.6 million. Expectations were high because the previous two Toy Story films both grossed more than $100 million in ticket sales.

The film is based on characters from the popular “Toy Story” series, and it received a 77 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a solid but not spectacular rating. However, a number of factors could have dampened turnout.

Experts immediately stated that the film’s failure could be attributed to the fact that it does not appeal to a broad audience of young girls, but they also believe the story has received harsh criticism.

For starters, audiences may have had difficulty understanding what the film was about. Because “Lightyear” was marketed as a film about the man behind the toy rather than the toy itself, it’s not quite a “Toy Story” film. Finally, families may have been confused about the film, which may have turned them off. In a charming spin-off of ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Lightyear’ travels to infinity but not beyond.

Overall, “Lightyear” may still be able to find an audience in the coming weeks because there isn’t a lot of family fare at the box office right now. Lightyear was a significant film for Pixar because, in addition to taking place in the beloved Toy Story universe, it was the first Pixar film to be released in theatres since 2020’s Onward. Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all bypassed theatres in favour of a Disney+ exclusive release.