Toy Story 5 Will End a Magical Component of the Franchise

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The animated Toy Story series has been incredibly popular for over thirty years, becoming one of the most successful of all time. After a six-year break, a fifth movie in the series is scheduled to be released next year.

The Toy Story series began in 1995, and a lot has changed since then, especially in how children play. The upcoming fifth film explores the impact of modern toys and technology on childhood. Director Andrew Stanton told Empire that Toy Story 5 will likely be the last movie, reflecting a shift away from traditional toys as children’s play habits evolve.

Andrew Stanton has been involved with the Toy Story series from the start. Although he’s directing Toy Story 5 for the first time, he previously co-wrote the scripts for three Toy Story movies and developed the story for another. He’s also a well-known Pixar director, having directed Finding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016). Stanton hinted that the new Toy Story film will be relevant to the world we live in today.

According to director Andrew Stanton, the latest film isn’t focused on a traditional fight, but rather on a deeper issue: the fact that kids just don’t play with toys the way they used to. This is a significant change in direction from the previous four movies.

He went on to say that while technology has impacted everyone’s lives, we need to consider what that impact means for ourselves and our children. Simply blaming technology isn’t a solution.

The next Toy Story movie will feature the beloved original toys – including Woody and Buzz, as well as other characters fans love. While Toy Story 3 from 2010 seemed to conclude the story focused on Andy, there’s still room to explore what happens with these characters. As director Andrew Stanton put it, Toy Story 3 marked the end of Andy’s story.

Look, the director made it very clear: if you love the original trilogy, nothing’s changing that! You can still enjoy those films exactly as they are. But he also wants us to remember that stories evolve. He’s not trying to freeze this one in time; he wants it to grow and change along with us. It’s a refreshing perspective, really – acknowledging that things don’t, and shouldn’t, stay the same forever.

What Happens in Toy Story 5?

The highly anticipated Toy Story 5 will see Woody, Buzz, and the gang facing a new challenge: modern technology. According to sources, the toys will struggle as they compete with electronics and the digital world for children’s attention.

With the return of the popular toys comes the return of the original cast! Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, Blake Clark, and John Ratzenberger are all back as Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Forky, Slinky Dog, and Hamm. Joining them are new voices from Anna Faris, Ernie Hudson, Conan O’Brien, and Greta Lee.

While details are still emerging about all the characters, we now know some of the voice cast! Anna Faris, known from Ghostbusters, will be voicing Combat Carl, and Ryan O’Brien will play Smarty Pants. Additionally, a former actress from The Morning Show will be the voice of the high-tech tablet character.

Toy Story 5 premieres in theaters on June 19, 2026.

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2025-11-19 19:38