Jul 21, 2022

-Lightyear- will open at Disney+ in August.

Pixar's Lightyear will stream on Disney+ on August 3.

The Toy Story prequel was originally released theatrically on June 17. Disney's last theatrical release of a feature film, The Bob's Burgers Movie, was 45 days.

Lightyear was a box office flop by Pixar's lofty standards. It was the studio's first theatrical release since Onward in 2020, which was pulled from theaters after only two weeks due to a COVID-19-related suspension. since 2000, the only Pixar films scheduled for theatrical release to gross less than $200 million domestically were Cars 2 Cars 2, Cars 3, and The Good Dinosaur. Lightyear will join that list.

Currently, the film has grossed only $116 million at the domestic box office, and the news that it will be available for streaming in just two weeks will likely hinder the rest of its theatrical release. Pixar's worst domestic box office for a film in the 21st century is The Good Dinosaur, which grossed only $123 million. Lightyear must earn $7 million in the next two weeks to avoid this ignominious disgrace.

One possible reason for Lightyear's poor box office performance is that audiences were unwilling to pay for a film they knew they could stream if they waited a few weeks. However, it has been known for months that DreamWorks and Illumination films only have a 45-day theatrical run before being released at the Peacock, and that knowledge has not negatively affected the box office performance of Minions: no obstacle at all to the box office performance of the film. Currently in its third week of release, the film earned an estimated $26 million last weekend, placing it in second place overall. The latest "Minions" film has now grossed $262.5 million in the U.S. and $532.7 million worldwide.

Whether Lightyear's lackluster performance in theaters is due to its six-week theatrical run or whether audiences can expect the same from future animated films distributed by Disney will not be known until Disney delivers another box office hit that has the legs to sustain a long release. The next opportunity for House of Mouse will come in November, when "Strange World" hits theaters.

While Lightyear's box office struggles are undeniable, it has been well received by critics and audiences. Cinemascore polls give it an average A-, while 85% and 62% of Post Track polls say they would highly recommend it. It is not unlikely that the film will be given new life when it is released on Disney+.