The toys are back in town as the highly anticipated Disney/Pixar sequel Toy Story 5 makes an appearance at D23. Andrew Stanton (writer of Finding Nemo, director of WALL-E) and McKenna Jean Harris (Luca) have been tapped to direct the movie, which is a good sign considering their pedigree. Stanton teased the plot of the upcoming sequel (via The Wrap):
“Stanton says that in the new film, Woody and the gang will find their jobs to make kids happy facing their toughest challenge yet: electronics. The crowd laughed at a concept art of all the toys looking sadly at a kid gazing a tablet from under the bed covers. Stanton also revealed that there will be an army of Buzz Lightyear toys that are controlled by computers that will make things miserable for everyone.”
Beginning way, way back in 1995, Toy Story has become one of the most beloved animated franchises of all time. Seemingly ending the tale of Andy and his experiences with the likes of Woody and Buzz in 2010’s Toy Story 3 which, much like the previous two outings, was met with critical acclaim, the series was already surprisingly brought back once with 2019’s Toy Story 4.
The fourth installment sees Woody attempting to make Forky, a toy suffering from an existential crisis, realize his importance in the life of Bonnie, their new owner. The movie ends with Woody parting from Buzz and the rest of his friends to join Bo Peep in the wild as a “lost toy.” While the fourth outing achieved even more acclaim for the series, many felt it was somewhat unnecessary.
Toy Story 5 Is Just One of Several Franchise Sequels in the Works
And if you felt that way about Toy Story 4, the news of Toy Story 5 is unlikely to make you feel much better. News of Toy Story 5 first broke back in February last year, with Disney CEO Bob Iger revealing that sequels to several different franchises are now in the works.
“Today I’m so pleased to announce that we have sequels in the works from our animation studios to some of our most popular franchises, Toy Story, Frozen and Zootopia. We’ll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises.”
However, while you may feel a little deflated by the idea of the Toy Story franchise continuing, the filmmaker the studio has chosen to helm the sequel should perk you right back up. Revealed in June, it seems that Disney and Pixar will turn to one of their most reliable directors in Finding Nemo and WALL-E’s Andrew Stanton. Which should help to reinvigorate interest in those who currently have very little.
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Could Toy Story 5 Ruin the Franchise?
It’s time once more for Pixar to return to the well with Toy Story 5.
More good news comes courtesy of Tim Allen, who has revealed that both he and Tom Hanks will reprise the roles of Buzz Lightyear and Woody, respectively. Though he too has some concerns about making another sequel…
“Bob Iger, head of Disney, said it was on. He actually said it was going to happen. They have reached out to Tom and I to reprise the roles. They’re not saying anything about it.#
For people like me, it’s just like — I’m a sci-fi buff. You wonder if four was too many, is five too much? According to the scuttlebutts, the writer that’s doing it wrote one of the better ones and he said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it.’ So it could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it.”
Toy Story 5
is due to be released on June 19, 2026.
