There's a lot of excitement surrounding Toy Story 5. And, after delivering hits and box office bombs in equal measure over the past few years, it stands a chance of being the movie that once again cements Pixar as Hollywood's leading animation studio.
Returning to what works has proven to be a beneficial move for Pixar, especially after former Disney CEO Bob Chapek decided to make many of its COVID-era releases streaming exclusives, hurting the brand and its ability to sell original stories to audiences.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Buzz Lightyear actor Tim Allen shared new Toy Story 5 plot details, confirming that Joan Cusack's Jessie will serve as the movie's lead. Interestingly, he also referred to the movie as a "reboot" for the long-running series.
"This thing [Toy Story 5], they reboot everything," the actor stated (via Toonado.com). "It’s all about Jesse, which is really cool. She’s in trouble, and she needs help. We’re all over, so she has to gather everybody."
"The funniest thing to me is that there's a plane crash like that [Tom] Hanks movie [Castaway]," Allen added. "On the island where a FedEx plane or something with 100 Buzz dolls lands, and they’re all lost. It’s hysterical. They’re trying to find their way back, and there are a hundred of them. I hope they have it in there. I ad-lib."
He also addressed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's comments about Toy Story 3 being one of the best movies he's ever watched. "I'm with Tarantino," the actor enthused. "I think number 3 was one of the best movies ever made. Four, it stretched a lot of things."
Toy Story 5 sounds like a lot of fun, and it's previously been reported that the toys need to unite to take on a frog-like tablet named Lilypad. The notion of toys doing battle with technology is undeniably intriguing, particularly as the interests of children have changed greatly since Toy Story was released in 1995.
Yesterday, the first test screening reactions for Toy Story 5 found their way online. You can learn more about what attendees said by clicking here.
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. Watch the full interview with Allen in the player below.