After a string of box office failures, Disney is looking to get back to what works with its theatrical releases. That means focusing on well-known IPs and sequels. Toy Story 5 is coming to theaters next year, and it's set to pit the toys against technology.
After all, how can the likes of Woody and Buzz compete with a tablet?
Jessie will be in charge of Bonnie's room when the movie begins, with the battle against a frog-like tablet named Lilypad bringing Woody back into the mix. Concept art, meanwhile, has revealed that an army of 50 Buzz Lightyears stuck in play mode will cause problems for our heroes.
As we first reported on Toonado.com, a new banner for Toy Story 5 features a fresh look at two of the movie's leads. Woody and Buzz may initially look the same as usual, but there are some subtle changes, including Woody's missing sheriff's badge—he gave it to Jessie, remember—and a new star for Buzz (which we're assuming is a sign he's been deupitized).
Woody Allen reprises his role as the Space Ranger. Recently, he talked about reprising perhaps his most iconic role, and teased an "unbelievable opening scene" featuring the Buzz army.
Allen added, "I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie. Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign." In another interview, he praised Toy Story 5's "very, very clever story."
"I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it," the actor continued. "Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it and they wouldn’t have called me and Tom [Hanks]. It’s really clever."
"It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It’s gonna be fun. I’ve gotten up to the third act. We’ll do the third act. And then, we’ll go back and clean it. And then, I’ll do it about five more times. It’s a really good story, guys. It’s really good," Allen concluded.
Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, Toy Story 5 stars Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, Tony Hale as Forky, Conan O'Brien as Smarty Pants, and Anna Faris as Lilypad.
Toy Story 5 is set to be released in theaters on June 19, 2026.