Or at least that’s what Disney expected.Īnalysts had projected that the Angus MacLane-directed film would score between $70-85 million in its opening weekend (with some even projecting a $100+ million possibility). After Pixar’s parent company, Disney, had sent the studio’s last three films – Soul, Luca, Turning Red – direct to streaming, Lightyear was a big, splashy summer popcorn adventure based on a beloved franchise, and it was all but guaranteed to bring audiences back to theaters. Lightyear was supposed to be the film that marked Pixar’s triumphant return to the bigscreen.
