Pixar is ready to return to theaters with LIGHTYEAR

This week, we got our first look at Disney and Pixar’s LIGHTYEAR. It is noteworthy for being the first Pixar film of the pandemic era to get a theatrical release. 

SOUL (2020) and LUCA (2021) both skipped theaters and to the surprise of many, the upcoming TURNING RED was shifted to a streaming release. 

The good news is that LIGHTYEAR has been earmarked for an exclusive run in theaters when it opens in June. As a spinoff of the hugely popular and influential TOY STORY franchise, It’s clear to see why LIGHTYEAR was earmarked for the big screen. 

Looking at the data, it looks like Disney made the right decision. LIGHTYEAR is not only among the top 15 listed above, but it has a sizable advantage over TURNING RED in all four key metrics. 

There are other reasons for Disney to feel good about LIGHTYEAR. Awareness for LIGHTYEAR (brown) is well above SING 2 (dark yellow) and ENCANTO (light yellow) at the same distance from release.

It’s a similar story on the interest side where LIGHTYEAR (medium blue) has a commanding lead on ENCANTO (light blue) and SING 2 (navy). 

For those of us who have been waiting to enjoy a Pixar film on the big screen, thankfully, the wait is almost over. And, based on these numbers, it looks like lots of people are ready to buy a ticket. And if these numbers hold, we could be looking at the first pandemic-era animated film to pull in pre-pandemic level receipts.