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"Toy Story 5," the animated film from Disney Pixar, cleared the one-million-viewer milestone on the morning of June 24, just eight days into its theatrical run. / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

The animated film "Toy Story 5" has cleared the one-million-viewer milestone just eight days into its theatrical run. Industry eyes are now locked on whether this strong start can heal the wounded pride of Disney Pixar, which recently suffered back-to-back box office bruises with "Elio" last year and "Hoppers" this spring.

The film amassed a cumulative audience of 1,022,541 as of 7 a.m. on June 24, according to data from the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network. In terms of the pace to reach the one-million mark, "Toy Story 5" is a day slower than the fellow animated hit "Super Mario Galaxy" (7 days), which opened in late April. However, it is three days faster than the first half’s highest-grossing foreign film, "Project Hail Mary" (11 days), which ultimately drew 2.9 million viewers.

Even so, the fifth installment lags four days behind its predecessor, "Toy Story 4," which crossed the one-million-viewer threshold in just four days during its June 2019 release. The fourth film went on to attract 3.4 million viewers, setting a franchise record. Consequently, it remains highly uncertain whether the new entry can replicate the blockbuster success of its predecessor.

Pixar, long hailed as an animation powerhouse, backpedaled with last June’s "Elio" and this March’s "Hoppers," which stalled out at just 610,000 and 760,000 domestic viewers, respectively. "Elio" followed the friendship and adventures of a lonely boy and an alien heir, while "Hoppers" brought to life a nature-loving girl's mission to protect a pond alongside her animal friends. However, both films were critically dismissed as mediocre, formulaic offerings. This explains why Pixar has staked its survival on its flagship franchise. So far, the gamble seems to be paying off: the film swept up $177 million (approx. 271.7 billion won) in North America within five days of its release, on its way to a $329 million (approx. 505.2 billion won) global haul.

Returning after a seven-year hiatus, "Toy Story 5" follows the vintage toy gang led by Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). With the guidance of their former leader, Woody (Tom Hanks), they embark on a fresh adventure to find a real-world companion for their young owner, Bonnie, who has become hopelessly glued to her smart tablet, Lily Pad (Greta Lee).

                                                                                                         Cho Sung-joon