In a recent interview, Jack Black says sequels can sometimes surpass the original film, though it’s a rarity, pointing to examples like “The Empire Strikes Back” and “The Godfather Part II.” However, when it comes to Pixar’s most iconic franchise, he has some thoughts.
Black says “Toy Story” worked perfectly as a trilogy—until it didn’t. He argues what many believe, that “Toy Story 3” was a perfect conclusion to the franchise, which is why he says he was frustrated by Pixar’s decision to make “Toy Story 4”:
“Toy Story 3” was fantastic. Then they fucked up and made “Toy Story 4.”
This is rich coming from the same guy who is currently shooting a ‘Minecraft’ sequel, has ‘Jumanji 5’ coming out this year, has voiced two ‘Super Mario’ and four ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies — but hey, at least he’s not wrong about “Toy Story 4.”
With “Toy Story 5” coming this summer, Andrew Stanton recently hinted that Woody and Buzz’s adventures may continue beyond just that one: “We can’t wait to keep these stories coming for you.”
Black’s stance also aligns with other filmmakers who see the original trilogy as the definitive run. Quentin Tarantino has said there are very few great trilogies in cinema, and that Toy Story is one of them—so long as you ignore the fourth film.
The brilliance of “Toy Story 3,” with its resonant 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 fourth 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.
Still, it’s not difficult to understand why Pixar continues to revisit the franchise. With “Toy Story 5” arriving in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2026 — many are already predicting this one might hit the billion-dollar mark at the box office.
As for sequels that were better than the original movie, off the top of my head, “Toy Story 3” is surely an example. So are “The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Godfather Part II” (just barely), “Before Sunset,” “The Dark Knight,” “Spider-Man 2,” “Evil Dead II,” “Dune: Part Two,” “The Road Warrior,” “Bride of Frankenstein,” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”