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 decision 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.
With that in mind, “Toy Story 5” is real, and I’ll admit I’ve heard very positive things about this sequel, which is coming out this summer, and will no doubt be flirting with the billion dollar mark. Even Puck’s Matt Belloni has mentioned, a handful of times, that he’s heard the film is great.
Andrew Stanton is directing; he’s helmed three Pixar movies, including “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” both of which won the Oscar for Animated Feature. He’s also written eight films for the toon company, including “Toy Story, “Toy Story 2,” “A Bug’s Life” “WALL-E,” “Monsters Inc” and “Finding Nemo.” This is the first ‘Toy Story’ he’s directed, and it’s coming off his critically panned straight-to-HULU live-action “In the Blink of an Eye.”
Here’s the just-released trailer, courtesy of Pixar, which has the toys encountering Lilypad, “a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet that turns playtime into chaos for Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang as they face their toughest new rival yet,” according to a press release. Greta Lee lends her voice to the sleek new gadget.
What was the last great Pixar movie—“Inside Out”? “Coco”? Those came out a decade ago. The golden era, when Pixar was releasing one masterpiece after another between 2000 and 2010, may be long gone, but with every new release, there’s still hope they can rekindle those glory days.
“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.
Also, is Woody balding?
