LOS ANGELES, June 24 — With Toy Story 4, Pixar has again struck box-office gold, as the family-oriented sequel about Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends booked an estimated US$118 million (RM488 million) in weekend ticket sales in North America, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported yesterday.

The film, which has Woody and Buzz embarking on a road trip with a fretful spork named Forky, was actually expected to do even better. But amid "glowing reviews,” Variety predicts it will run in cinemas "long throughout the summer.”

This fourth Toy Story again features the unmistakable voice of Tom Hanks as Woody, the ever-eager but empty-holstered cowboy doll, Tim Allen as the impulsive Buzz ("To infinity, and beyond!”), along with Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves and Joan Cusack. Music is by Randy Newman.

Far back in second place — very far back — was another new film, horror story Child’s Play from United Artists, at US$14.1 million for the three-day weekend. 

A remake of the 1988 movie about a disturbingly creepy doll named Chucky, the movie stars Mark Hamill and Aubrey Plaza. Offsetting its relatively low weekend take was its equally low production cost of US$10 million.

Third place went to Disney’s Aladdin, at US$12.2 million. The live-action movie, still drawing well in its fifth week out, stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott.  

In fourth was Sony’s Men in Black: International at US$10.8 million, down 64 per cent from last weekend’s opening. 

The spinoff of three earlier Men in Black instalments has Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as the world-saving alien fighters — roles previously personified by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

Fifth spot went to Universal’s animated The Secret Life of Pets 2, at US$10.3 million. This sequel features the voices of Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Patton Oswalt in another tale of the messes animals can get into when their owners are away.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:

Rocketman (US$5.6 million)

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (US$4.1 million)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (US$3.7 million)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (US$3.6 million)

Shaft (US$3.6 million) — AFP