During the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Pixar revealed new details and a sneak peek at its upcoming installment of the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5.
During Pixar’s stage presentation, chief creative officer Pete Docter lifted the lid on the film’s premise. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Docter informed attendees that Woody and his friends will be facing tech-related challenges. After the events of the beloved Toy Story 3 and the less well-received Toy Story 4, Bonnie Anderson, now eight years old, has a new object of affection: a tablet called Lillypad.
Toy Story 5 concept art. © PixarThe official logline for Toy Story 5 reiterates Docter’s expansion on the film’s premise: “Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all new threat to playtime.” In short, the gang will have to deal with a new generation of children who’ve become iPad babies.
In addition to revealing the core premise of the film, Docter shared the opening scene of Toy Story 5, which features a container of Buzz Lightyears attempting to escape a desert island and re-establish contact with Star Command. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Docter also confirmed Toy Story 5‘s returning cast includes the likes of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie. Joining them is Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, taking over the role from the late Carl Weathers, who passed away last February.
In tandem with the reprising cast announcement, Toy Story 5 also has a more specific release date than the initially announced summer 2026 window: June 19, 2026. It will be interesting to see if Disney Pixar’s sequel-focused approach with Toy Story 5 resonates with audience members who, for the most part, feel that the franchise had a perfect send-off with Toy Story 3. Hopefully, Toy Story 5‘s premise, while prescient in light of today’s realities, won’t be late to the party in nailing home any of what it has to say about zoomers and their TikToks and maximized screen time.
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