Oh boy—Pixar just can’t seem to let a good thing rest.
The brilliance of “Toy Story 3,” with its resonant and emotionally satisfying ending, felt like the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. By every measure, it was the ideal send-off for Woody, Buzz, and the gang.
That’s why I’m still frustrated by Pixar’s choice to make “Toy Story 4.” To me, it undercut the integrity of its predecessor. The film didn’t carry the same sense of relevance or necessity—it leaned on familiar theatrics and felt more like a move driven by commerce than by genuine artistic intent.
Andrew Stanton is now hinting that Woody and Buzz’s adventures may not end with Toy Story 5, which is set for release next year. Stanton, who has been involved in all five Toy Story films, just dropped a subtle hint that more stories may follow:
I just have to say thank you to the fans for loving this world as much as we do. It’s very clear how sincere everybody’s fondness for these characters is, how deep their connections to them are, and we feel the same way. We can’t wait to keep these stories coming for you.
His use of the plural “stories” suggests that Pixar may already be considering additional sequels beyond “Toy Story 5.” This is soon going to spiral put if control like the ‘Rocky’ franchise.
None other than Quentin Tarantino recently stated that there aren’t many great trilogies in cinema, and that Toy Story is one of them—so long as you pretend the fourth installment never existed.
I am a big fan of the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy. The third one is is just magnificent, and it's one of the best movies I've ever seen and, if you've seen the other two, then it's just devastating. The thing is, three years later, or something like that, they did a fourth one and I have no desire to see it. You literally ended the story as perfect as you could, so no I I don't care if it's good I'm done.
The narrative of “Toy Story 4” rang hollow at almost every turn — each ‘Toy Story’ movie built up on the momentum of the previous instalment, but this was the first time in the franchise’s 24-year history where irrelevance had very much entered into the equation.
It’s also not that puzzling to see Pixar/Disney milking this franchise for whatever it’s worth. “Toy Story 5” arrives in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2026. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack are all returning to voice Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.