Toy Story 5 opened to $312 million worldwide, including $160 million domestic and $152 million overseas, the biggest launch in the franchise. Obsession and Backrooms also crossed $300 million globally.
1:32 PMVariety9 stories from 4 sources
Franchise power drives entertainment’s biggest commercial signals
Day’s Recap
Supporting Articles
Toy Story 5 was tracking for about $160 million in North America over the weekend, pushing the summer box office to roughly $1.85 billion so far. The surge positions this season as the strongest since 2019.
1:17 PMNew York Times ArtsEpisode 1 introduces a new dragon and plunges directly into the Battle of the Gullet as the broader conflict escalates. The premiere frames the fight as a turning point in the war’s logistics and alliances, not just a spectacle.
10:01 PMNPR Pop CultureThe Season 3 premiere opens with a major character dying in a water-set sequence, with Rhaenyra Targaryen losing another child. The actor describes the physical difficulty of filming the drowning-style scene, including keeping their eyes open underwater.
10:00 PMVarietyOlivia Rodrigo debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” moving 485,000 equivalent album units. It is her third consecutive chart-topper and her biggest opening week to date, also leading all albums this year.
3:18 PMVariety1:32 PMVariety
Box Office: ‘Toy Story 5’ Ignites to Series-Best $312 Million Globally, ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ Surpass $300 Million Milestone
Summary
Toy Story 5 opened to $312 million worldwide, including $160 million domestic and $152 million overseas, the biggest launch in the franchise. Obsession and Backrooms also crossed $300 million globally.
Why it matters
A breakout global opening reshapes release strategies, theater allocation, and which projects get funded next.
1:17 PMNew York Times Arts
‘Toy Story 5’ Fuels Hollywood’s Hottest Summer Since 2019
Summary
Toy Story 5 was tracking for about $160 million in North America over the weekend, pushing the summer box office to roughly $1.85 billion so far. The surge positions this season as the strongest since 2019.
Why it matters
A strong summer resets expectations for theatrical demand and influences how studios balance cinema releases against streaming.
10:01 PMNPR Pop Culture
'House of the Dragon,' Season 3, Episode 1: Number one with a gullet
Summary
Episode 1 introduces a new dragon and plunges directly into the Battle of the Gullet as the broader conflict escalates. The premiere frames the fight as a turning point in the war’s logistics and alliances, not just a spectacle.
Why it matters
By making logistics and sea power central, the show expands who gets pulled into the war and how victory is decided.
10:00 PMVariety
‘House of the Dragon’ Actor on [SPOILER]’s Watery Death in Season 3 Premiere: It Was ‘Challenging Trying to Keep My Eyes Open’
Summary
The Season 3 premiere opens with a major character dying in a water-set sequence, with Rhaenyra Targaryen losing another child. The actor describes the physical difficulty of filming the drowning-style scene, including keeping their eyes open underwater.
Why it matters
An early, intimate loss reshapes Rhaenyra’s strategic posture and sets the tone for a faster, harsher season.
3:18 PMVariety
Olivia Rodrigo Earns Third Consecutive No. 1 on Albums Chart With ‘You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love’
Summary
Olivia Rodrigo debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” moving 485,000 equivalent album units. It is her third consecutive chart-topper and her biggest opening week to date, also leading all albums this year.
Why it matters
A blockbuster first week reshapes negotiating power and release strategies across the music business for the rest of the year.
Other Developments
A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.
Bose is positioning itself to act like a media brand, leaning into music and cultural programming rather than staying strictly a hardware company. The strategy borrows from playbooks like Red Bull, betting that content can drive brand heat and product demand.
2:53 PMThe VergeBanijay Kids & Family has secured multiple Latin America package sales for its kids slate ahead of the Annecy MIFA market. Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America picked up “Totally Spies!” Season 8, alongside deals for “MiniHeroes of the Forest” and “The Game Catchers” Season 1.
6:33 AMVarietyHayley Kiyoko has expanded “Girls Like Girls” from a song into a best-selling young adult novel and a new feature film. The projects draw directly from her experiences of being closeted as a teenager and the difficulties of adapting that material across formats.
5:01 AMNew York Times ArtsCarlos Saiz won the Transilvania Trophy at the Transilvania International Film Festival for his debut feature, “Lionel.” The film follows a young man traveling with his father to repair a relationship damaged by years of absence and misunderstanding.
4:15 AMVariety2:53 PMThe Verge
Bose thinks it can be a media company for some reason
Summary
Bose is positioning itself to act like a media brand, leaning into music and cultural programming rather than staying strictly a hardware company. The strategy borrows from playbooks like Red Bull, betting that content can drive brand heat and product demand.
Why it matters
If Bose proves content can lower acquisition costs and increase pricing power, other consumer electronics brands will follow, reshaping how hardware companies compete.
6:33 AMVariety
Banijay Kids & Family Close Latin America Deals on ‘Totally Spies’ Season 8, ‘MiniHeroes of the Forest,’ ‘The Game Catchers’ Season 1
Summary
Banijay Kids & Family has secured multiple Latin America package sales for its kids slate ahead of the Annecy MIFA market. Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America picked up “Totally Spies!” Season 8, alongside deals for “MiniHeroes of the Forest” and “The Game Catchers” Season 1.
Why it matters
Kids content remains one of the few global genres still moving reliably through package deals, and Latin America is staying open for proven brands.
5:01 AMNew York Times Arts
With ‘Girls Like Girls,’ Hayley Kiyoko Turns Her Teenage Pain Into Art
Summary
Hayley Kiyoko has expanded “Girls Like Girls” from a song into a best-selling young adult novel and a new feature film. The projects draw directly from her experiences of being closeted as a teenager and the difficulties of adapting that material across formats.
Why it matters
Entertainment companies keep hunting for pre-sold IP, and music-to-book-to-film pipelines are becoming a repeatable playbook for reaching younger audiences.
4:15 AMVariety
Spanish Filmmaker Carlos Saiz’s Intimate Father-Son Drama ‘Lionel’ Wins Top Prize at Transilvania Film Festival
Summary
Carlos Saiz won the Transilvania Trophy at the Transilvania International Film Festival for his debut feature, “Lionel.” The film follows a young man traveling with his father to repair a relationship damaged by years of absence and misunderstanding.
Why it matters
Top prizes at credible festivals can turn a debut film into a distribution asset and quickly reshape a new director’s career trajectory.
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