Toy Story 5 reveals director and plot as Buzz and Woody face timely threat
The beloved toys question everything as tech takes over kids' imaginations.
Pixar has announced the premise of the upcoming Toy Story 5, which will see Woody, Buzz and the gang face their greatest challenge yet: the rise of technology.
Yes, it's no secret that kids are increasingly turning away from traditional toys in favour of playing on phones, tablets and games consoles, which is a development that the franchise hasn't fully delved into – until now!
Longtime Toy Story writer Andrew Stanton will take the director's chair for the fifth entry, having previously helmed animated classics like Finding Nemo and WALL-E.
He told crowds at D23: "Toy Story holds a special place in my heart. Through the experiences of these toys, we've all learned about loyalty and belonging and friendship.
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"These characters have given us a unique perspective about growing up [and] navigating life. In all of the Toy Story films, above everything else, the job of the toys has been to be there for their kids."
He continued: "But with Toy Story 5, the toys' jobs are going to be made exponentially harder when our toy crew goes head-to-head with what kids are obsessed with today: electronics.
"Let's be real: toys have some serious competition these days with phones, tablets and technology everywhere, so this time around it's toy meets tech."
The film is still in the early stages of production – it's scheduled for release on 19th June 2026 – so it's quite possible that kids will be obsessing over an as-yet-unheard-of gadget by the time it comes out.
Perhaps as a precautionary measure against this, the film has a subplot that is timeless and distinctly Toy Story, seeing a small army of militaristic Buzz Lightyears cause havoc for the group.
Stanton explained: "There's a little issue involving 50 rogue commemorative Buzz Lightyear action figures stuck in toy mode that will make considerable problems for everyone.
"It's going to be so fun, and we can't wait for you all to see it."
The Toy Story franchise has traditionally starred Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Joan Cusack (Jessie) and Annie Potts (Bo Peep), but the returning cast for the fifth instalment is yet to be announced.
Toy Story 1-4 are available to stream on Disney Plus.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
