Joe Harker
Pixar's new movie Lightyear has opened with a much lower box office take than expected in its opening weekend.
The opening weekend for Lightyear has been disappointing, with the new Pixar film failing to dislodge Jurassic World: Dominion from the top spot at cinemas.
The film raked in around $50.5 million in the US but according to Insider, Disney bosses were predicting it would take a haul closer to $70 million on the opening weekend.
While Lightyear was not expected to reach audience levels on par with the likes of Toy Story, a lower-than-predicted haul at the box office is a disappointing start.
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As opening weekends go for Pixar films it's down there with the likes of Ratatouille, The Good Dinosaur and Onward.
However, there is still some optimism that Lightyear could go on a good run while in cinemas despite a less than stellar opening.
There are plenty of reasons why a movie doesn't take in quite as much as expected at the box office, and that might help explain why Lightyear performed below expectations.
The movie has opened in a crowded field, shortly after Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World: Dominion, which has likely meant audiences were in other screenings on Father's Day weekend.
Those films took $44 million and $58 million respectively on Lightyear's opening weekend, sandwiching the Pixar movie between strongly performing blockbusters.
Bearing that in mind, it's entirely possible that audiences who watched something else last weekend will flock in to see it in the coming weeks, making it a movie with a modest opening but strong legs.
That's what happened to Coco, which opened at $50.8 million in the US, but went on to take $210 million in the American market and $807 million worldwide.
Another thing to consider is the rise of streaming services like Disney+, with plenty of movies available to stream only a few weeks after releasing in cinemas.
Lots of potential Lightyear viewers may be staying away as they're willing to wait a few weeks for it to land on Disney+ where they can watch it in the comfort of their own homes.
Families have learned in recent years that a little patience can save them an expensive trip to the cinema.
The rising cost of seeing a movie on the big screen coupled with a few remaining post-pandemic nerves has made waiting to stream a movie a more appealing option for many.
Only time will tell whether Lightyear will do better at the box office in the long run or whether audiences are willing to wait a little longer for it to release on Disney+.
Lightyear is in cinemas now.
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