EXCLUSIVE: We’re hearing from box office sources that Disney/Pixar‘s Toy Story 5 is in play for a franchise record tonight when it comes to previews, around $13M-$14M, maybe more. Anything higher than $12M is a record preview night for the franchise. That’s what Toy Story 4 posted back in 2019 off previews that begin in select theaters at 5PM followed by a 6PM wide break.
If that $13M-$14M+ figure holds, that would rep the best previews 2026 has seen so far, higher than Lionsgate’s Michael ($12.6M), Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary ($12M) and Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Mandalorian and Grogu ($12M). A reminder that Illumination/Universal didn’t hold previews for Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which currently owns the best 3-day opening at the domestic box office YTD with $131.7M.
All good vibes for Toy Story 5 heading into the weekend with a 94% certified fresh critical score. No audience score yet. We heard heading into the weekend that the Andrew Stanton directed fifthquel had $25M in advance ticket sales, ahead of Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Domestic outlook is $140M+ at 4,425 locations with more than enough battery life from PLF and Imax screens. Global forecast is $275M, $135M expected from an 87% footprint abroad including China.
Watch on Deadline
Biggest previews ever for a Pixar movie in U.S./Canada belongs to 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($18.5M), which also owns the weekend record for the Emeryville, CA studio ($182.6M).
2010’s Toy Story 3 posted previews of $4M, back when showtimes began at midnight.
We’ll have more updates in the AM.

Comedian Carlos Mencia has been charged with 12 felony tax counts, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Thursday.
Prosecutors allege Mencia, 58, failed to file personal and corporate tax returns over a six-year period and did not report about $8.7 million in income, resulting in more than $300,000 in unpaid state taxes.
The case is the first brought by the district attorney’s newly launched Business Tax Fraud Unit.
At a news conference Thursday, Hochman described Mencia as “one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws” and said the comedian appears on the California Franchise Tax Board’s list of the state’s 500 largest tax delinquents in both personal and corporate income tax categories.
According to prosecutors, Mencia is charged with six felony counts related to personal income tax returns and six felony counts related to corporate tax returns. Authorities allege he failed to report both corporate and personal income between 2019 and 2024.
Hochman said the California Franchise Tax Board sent Mencia 78 notices regarding his tax obligations during that period, but he allegedly did not respond to any of them.
Prosecutors allege approximately $5.4 million of the unreported income was tied to Mencia’s company.
Authorities arrested Mencia on Thursday, and he remained in custody following the announcement. Bail was set at $250,000. Prosecutors said he is expected to be arraigned Monday in Van Nuys.
If convicted on all counts, Mencia could face more than 10 years in state prison, according to prosecutors. He could also be ordered to repay the taxes owed, along with interest and potential civil penalties.
ABC News has reached out to a public relations representative for Mencia.

After the blockbuster success of his debut feature “Obsession,” Curry Barker‘s next film, an original horror concept, is set up with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal Film Group.
Barker will write, direct and produce his third feature which comes to Universal Film through the filmmaker’s relationship with Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Roy Lee and Steven Schneider’s Spooky Pictures and Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath’s Divide/Conquer. It’s based on an original idea from a pitch from Barker, and plot details are under wraps.
Barker’s second film, “Anything But Ghosts,” is currently in post-production for Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Focus Features, which released “Obsession.”
Said Barker, “This film is something I’ve been excited to make for a while, and I’m thrilled to be reteaming with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal Film Group for it. They’ve built the kind of home for bold, original storytelling that every filmmaker dreams of, and I couldn’t imagine better collaborators for this film.”
“Curry Barker has an exceptional ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist, pairing an innate instinct for what resonates with audiences with extraordinary filmmaking prowess,” said NBCUniversal Entertainment Chairman Donna Langley. “Barker’s talent is redefining what’s possible and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with him.”
“With ‘Obsession,’ Curry did what only a handful of filmmakers manage in a generation: he made something wholly original that connected with a massive audience, and that connection is what we care about most. The best filmmakers can work anywhere, and we are proud to have a growing slate with Curry. Getting to put this project in front of the fans his work speaks to is the whole reason we do this,” said Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s James Wan and Jason Blum in a joint statement.
Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Spooky Pictures and Divide/Conquer had already signed onto “Anything But Ghosts” even before “Obsession” premiered in Toronto. Blumhouse Atomic Monster then came on board “Obsession” as an executive producer.
“Obsession” has become Focus Features’ highest-grossing release of all time and is expected to surpass $300 million worldwide this weekend.
Barker’s third film will be distributed worldwide by Universal Film Group.
Barker directs and stars in “Anything But Ghosts” which he co-wrote alongside Cooper Tomlinson, who also stars. Co-stars include Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard in the story of two fraudulent paranormal investigators who are forced to face real ghosts and the lies underpinning their business.
Barker is repped by Underground, United Talent Agency, The Lede Company, and Yorn Levine.
News of the deal was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

Curry Barker has found a home for his next horror feature, reuniting with Universal Film Group and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
The Obsession auteur will write, direct and produce his third film for the banners, following his $297M breakout horror hit—which is still on a box office hot streak—and his upcoming supernatural title Anything But Ghosts, which he wrote, directed and also stars in alongside Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard and Violet McGraw.
While plot details are currently being kept under wraps, the film is based on an original idea pitched by Barker.
“This film is something I’ve been excited to make for a while, and I’m thrilled to be re-teaming with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal Film Group for it,” said Barker. “They’ve built the kind of home for bold, original storytelling that every filmmaker dreams of, and I couldn’t imagine better collaborators for this film.”
NBCUniversal Entertainment Chairman Donna Langley praised Barker’s “exceptional ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist, pairing an innate instinct for what resonates with audiences with extraordinary filmmaking prowess. Barker’s talent is redefining what’s possible and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with him.”
Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s James Wan and Jason Blum said they’re “proud to have a growing slate with Curry. Getting to put this project in front of the fans his work speaks to is the whole reason we do this.”
The project is produced by Roy Lee and Steven Schneider’s Spooky Pictures and Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath’ Divide/Conquer. It will be distributed worldwide by Universal Film Group.
Barker is repped by Underground, United Talent Agency, The Lede Company and Yorn Levine.

Three San Francisco couples set out Monday for their annual road trip to Ashland, Ore., for the town’s famous Shakespeare festival. They drove separately and planned to meet at 6:30 p.m. on the terrace of their favorite Japanese restaurant there.
They had booked a table for six, but only four showed up for dinner.
Judith and Wylie Sheldon were found dead in their running car on the side of the road to Oregon, shocking their friends and family and leaving a hole in San Francisco’s arts and film world.
Ms. Sheldon, 84, was the daughter of William Wyler — who won three Oscars for best director — and chaired the board of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Mr. Sheldon, 86, was a prominent lawyer.
David Smith, who had befriended the couple more than 40 years ago, said in an interview that he and the others at the dinner table had grown nervous as time ticked on and their friends did not answer repeated calls to their cellphones. They learned they had not checked into their hotel either.
The friends eventually learned from one of the couple’s sons that the California Highway Patrol had found the couple at 5:46 p.m., both dead inside their running Jeep Compass. It was parked on the side of Interstate 5, north of Redding, Calif., more than 100 miles from their destination, the authorities said. Ms. Sheldon was driving, while Mr. Sheldon was in the passenger seat, according to the authorities.
The Redding area on Monday was under an extreme heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. Temperatures reached 109 degrees, according to the Weather Service.
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