Toy Story 2 faring well Internationally

Toy Story 2 Sets New High For U.S. Animation in Japan

Buena Vista International's Japanese launch of Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 2 rewrote theatrical record books this past weekend posting $3.8 million from 364 screens realizing the biggest opening weekend ever registered by a U.S. animated production in the territory. This eclipses the more than half-decade-old record previously set by Disney's The Lion King by almost 80%, it was announced by Mark Zoradi, President of BVI.

Additionally, these results rank as the second best ever generated by any Buena Vista International distributed product in the territory, only behind Armageddon.

In garnering this performance Toy Story 2 more than doubled this weekend's debut result of the Japanese animated franchise Doraemon, which released its 21st installment this past weekend. Ranking #1 for the weekend period Toy Story 2 should continue these outstanding results when the spring school holiday season begins next weekend.

The release of Toy Story 2 in Japan marks the first time any film has been exhibited in an all digital format in Japan using Texas Instruments patented DLP Cinema projection system. Playing exclusively at Toho's Nichegeki Plaza cinema, Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 2 has now been exhibited in an all digital format in six theater locations outside of the U.S. including the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

Complementing this performance were the ongoing results of Toy Story 2 in the United Kingdom where it has been the #1 film five consecutive weekends in a row generating a cumulative box-office performance of $62.0 million to date. This figure positions Toy Story 2 as the fifth most popular film ever released in the territory's history.

After more than three months of release Toy Story 2 has now earned $186.5 million in international box-office revenues while globally it has registered almost $430 million in box office thus far, making it the largest Disney/Pixar production released to date. In achieving these results it has now surpassed the global performances of Disney/Pixar's previous two productions, A Bug's Life and the original Toy Story, by almost 20%.

-- Posted March 15, 2000

Source: Company Press Release