Box Office: ‘Toy Story 4’ Eyes on a $140 Million-Plus Debut

variety.com: After a lackluster few weeks at movie theaters, it’s Woody and Buzz Lightyear to the rescue. The dynamic duo is returning to multiplexes for Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4.”

The fourth installment in the CGI series is expected to earn north of $140 million when it opens in 4,500 theaters across North America. If it hits those numbers, it will rank among the best debuts for an animated movie. As it stands, the top three launches are “Incredibles 2” ($182 million), “Finding Dory” ($135 million) and “Shrek the Third” ($121 million). The upcoming entry comes nearly 10 years after “Toy Story 3,” which bowed with $110 million in 2010.

Sequels have been floundering at the box office as of late, with “Men in Black: International,” “Dark Phoenix,” and “Shaft” all failing to meet expectations. “Toy Story 4” looks to reverse that trend. Critics are high on the latest iteration, bestowing a near-perfect 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While other franchises have been chastised for churning out unnecessary follow-ups, movie reviewers have lauded “Toy Story 4” as a worthy addition to the decades-old series.