'~Lightyear' stays earthbound, '~Jurassic World' holds No. 1

'œLightyear'ť did not go to infinity (or beyond) in its first weekend in theaters: Pixar's first major theatrical release since March 2020 blasted off with $51 million in its debut weekend in North America, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

Not only did it open lower than expected, but it also failed to conquer 'œJurassic World: Dominion,'ť which held on to the first-place spot with $58.7 million its second weekend.

It is a mixed bag for Disney and Pixar as 'œ Lightyear,'ť an origin story about the movie that inspired the space ranger action figure in the 'œToy Story'ť movies, is one of the biggest launches for an animated family film over the pandemic. Including international showings, which grossed $34.6 million, 'œLightyear's'ť global opening weekend totals to $85.6 million.

But expectations were higher for a release this high-profile and based on a beloved, well-known character. Going into the weekend, some analysts had pegged 'œLightyear'ť for a $70 million North American debut.

'œThe expectations are always incredibly high for any Pixar movie, particularly one that has a direct connection to the Toy Story brand,'ť said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for box office tracker Comscore.

'œToy Story" launched Pixar in 1995 and its four films have made over $3 billion. 'œToy Story 3'ť and 'œToy Story 4'ť also both broke the $1 billion mark.

The family audience has proved a little more reluctant than other segments to return to movie theaters. Many studios, including Disney and Pixar, have opted for streaming or hybrid releases for their animated titles. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the company has sent its Pixar titles - 'œSoul,'ť 'œLuca,'ť and 'œTurning Red'ť - directly to Disney+ free for subscribers. Disney's other big animated titles, 'œRaya and the Last Dragon'ť and 'œEncanto'ť got hybrid releases.

'œThere may have been a little confusion about whether it's just in theaters,'ť Dergarabedian said. 'œThis is a movie that is going to have to be marketed in real time as family audiences connect the dots.'ť

Critics were mostly favorable to 'œLightyear,'ť which features Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear and a supporting voice cast that includes Keke Palmer and Taika Waititi. Directed by Angus MacLane, it currently holds a 77% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore.

With a reported production budget of $200 million, which doesn't account for the millions spent on marketing and promotion, 'œLightyear'ť has a long journey ahead of it to get to profitability. But it could also have a slow, steady burn over the summer. And it's the only big family offering playing in theaters until 'œMinions: The Rise of Gru'ť opens July 1.

'œLightyear'ť opened in 4,255 locations domestically and in 43 markets overseas. Thirteen nations from the Muslim world and the Palestinian territory barred 'œLightyear'ť from playing in their cinemas because of the inclusion of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple.

'œJurassic World: Dominion,'ť meanwhile, has now earned over $622.2 million worldwide with $259.2 million of that coming from U.S. and Canadian theaters. It's only the seventh movie released during the pandemic to surpass $600 million.

In its fourth weekend, 'œTop Gun: Maverick'ť dropped only slightly, bringing in an additional $44 million to take third place. Its domestic total is now at $466.2 million. Globally, the high-flying sequel has grossed over $885 million.

Dergarabedian said it's especially notable that there are three movies made over $40 million this weekend.

'œWe haven't seen that in a while,'ť he said. 'œWe have a summer movie season here.'ť

Rounding out the top five are 'œDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'ť with $4.2 million and 'œThe Bob's Burgers Movie'ť with $1.1 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. 'œJurassic World: Dominion,'ť $58.7 million

2. 'œLightyear,'ť $51 million.

3. 'œTop Gun: Maverick,'ť $44 million.

4. 'œDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,'ť $4.2 million.

5. 'œThe Bob's Burgers Movie,'ť $1.1 million.

6. 'œThe Bad Guys,'ť $890,000.

7. 'œEverything Everywhere All at Once,'ť $959,631.

8. 'œDownton Abbey: A New Era,'ť $830,000.

9. 'œSonic the Hedgehog 2,'ť $228,000.

10. 'œBrian and Charles,'ť $198,000.

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr