In early January of this year, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set off a loud boom at the domestic box office when opening to $72.1 million in theaters. Paramount insiders estimated that nearly 60 percent of the audience on opening weekend were kids and parents, proving that families were indeed willing to set aside concerns about the ongoing pandemic and return to theaters. Hollywood and theater owners breathed a huge sigh of relief.
But when Pixar and Disney’s Toy Story spinoff Lightyear debuted in cinemas over Father’s Day weekend, only about 38 percent of those turning out were families, helping to explain why the movie launched to $50.6 million, instead of an expected $70 million to $85 million. Worse, it bowed in second place behind holdover Jurassic World Dominion in a surprise upset, even if it could boast the best opening of the pandemic for an animated film (Sonic was a live-action/CGI hybrid).
By Sunday night of the June 17-19 weekend, everyone in Hollywood was asking the same question, since the opening couldn’t be pinned only on the pandemic: What happened?
Disney insiders privately point to mixed reviews from critics — at least for a Pixar offering — and less-than-rave audience scores, as well as marketing and brand confusion.
Pixar movies have always been known for attracting both younger and older adults who don’t have kids, but the family turnout for Lightyear was notably light. In June 2019, about 45 percent of ticket buyers for Toy Story 4 were kids and parents. Kids are notorious for being repeat viewers, which can propel a big screen movie to enjoy incredible multiples.
Nor did it help that Lightyear became a political punching bag for conservative Republican lawmakers when a same-gender kiss scene was reinstated in the film after Pixar employees said Disney was censoring “overtly gay affection” following the uproar over Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Following the movie’s opening over Father’s Day weekend, U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (Ohio), who is the minority ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and has 2.8 million followers, tweeted on June 21, “Buzz Lightyear went woke. Disney went broke.” And a verified Twitter account for the GOP Judiciary Committee boasting more than 223,000 followers followed by tweeting, “make Toy Story great again.”