- ‘Toy Story 5’ was confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger on Feb. 8, 2023
- Tim Allen has expressed interest in returning for a fifth movie in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise
- Tom Hanks previously said ‘Toy Story 4’ would be the last time he voiced Woody
Is there anyone that doesn’t love the Toy Story franchise? The Pixar animated films have truly been beloved ever since Toy Story 1 came out in 1995. The franchise follows a diverse group of living toys — including Tim Allen‘s Buzz Lightyear and Tom Hanks‘ Sheriff Woody — that are owned by Andy Davis (John Morris) and they embark on some wild adventures. The franchise, which was created by John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft, has spawned three sequel films, Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019), and a fifth is on the way! The first four films have been critically acclaimed, huge box office hits, and nominated for 12 Oscars total, winning 4, so we have high hopes for the forthcoming sequel.
Most of Toy Story‘s success is due to its iconic lineup of characters. Aside from Buzz and Woody, the films feature Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney and then Blake Clark), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Bo Peep (Annie Potts), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and more. Other notable toy characters include Forky (Tony Hale), Wheezy (Joe Ranft), Ken (Michael Keaton), Barbie (Jodi Benson), and Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer).
Aside from the original movies, the Toy Story franchise has also expanded to a few spinoff movies and shows, including the 2019 Disney+ series Forky Asks a Question. A spinoff movie called Lightyear, with Chris Evans voicing Buzz, premiered on Disney+ in 2022. But what fans most want to see is Toy Story 5, so we’ve rounded up everything to know about the forthcoming fifth film in the Toy Story franchise.
What do we know about ‘Toy Story 5’?
On Feb. 8, 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in a call with investors that a fifth Toy Story movie is coming soon, according to Deadline. However, further details about cast, plot or release date was not provided.
Before the fourth film came out in 2019, Tom Hanks said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that it would be his last time voicing Woody. “We were saying goodbye to Woody and Buzz…and it was emotional,” he said. That obviously saddened fans — but producer Mark Nielsen first hinted at a fifth movie during Pixar’s press day for Toy Story 4. He said, “Every film we make, we treat it like it’s the first and the last film we’re ever going to make, so you force yourself to make it hold up. You don’t get in over your skis. Whether there’s another one? I don’t know. If there is, it’s tomorrow’s problem.” Tim Allen then gave fans even more hope for Toy Story 5 when he confirmed in an interview in 2019 that he’d voice Buzz again for round 5. “Once you’ve gotten to four, you’re passed that trilogy [point], so I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t do it, certainly. If you ask me, I’d say do five,” he said, according to Cinemablend.
What can we expect from ‘Toy Story 5’?
If Toy Story 5 holds true to the franchise, it will be a joyous film. It’ll be safe to assume that Tom and Tim would be back as Woody and Buzz, respectively. Pixar/Disney would also likely try to get the rest of the voice actors behind the franchise’s other iconic characters. The most recent Toy Story movie was directed by Josh Cooley, whose work earned the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2020. If Josh is back, we can expect another remarkable result.
So when would ‘Toy Story 5’ come out?
It’s hard to say. At this moment, the film studio has already confirmed three untitled movies will be released across 2023 and 2024, so their slate could be pretty full already. Either way — Buzz and Woody, we look forward to seeing you again.