7. Toy Story (Toys)
Once Toy Story hit at the box office, studio executives must have been rubbing their hands with glee, because what is Toy Story if not a ready-made commercial juggernaut? Well, it's also a thrilling, affecting tale of the power of play, but more to the point, the movie is about toys - you do the maths. Whether we're talking about the pre-existing toys the film depicts or the imaginary ones created for the film and subsequently sold as
real toys, the result was an absolute goldmine for both the toy companies and Disney/Pixar. Etch-A-Sketch, for instance, saw sales grow by 4500%, while Mr. Potato Head went up 800%. As for the new toys made for the film, we can all remember how hard it was to get hold of a Buzz Lightyear doll the Christmas following the first film's release (something hilariously poked fun at in the second film). Toy Story is a giant advert for toys, but it's also a giant advert for
fun, and that's how it survives.