As a long-time Toy Story enthusiast who has grown up with Woody, Buzz, and the gang since the early ’90s, I must admit that the announcement of Toy Story 5 initially filled me with a mix of excitement and trepidation. On one hand, the thought of revisiting my childhood favorites is enticing, especially with the talented Andrew Stanton at the helm. On the other, I can’t help but wonder if we’re pushing our luck by milking this beloved franchise yet again.
The beloved toys are back on the scene as the long-awaited Disney/Pixar film “Toy Story 5” debuts at D23. Andrew Stanton, known for writing “Finding Nemo” and directing “WALL-E”, along with McKenna Jean Harris (who previously worked on “Luca”) have been chosen to helm the project, which is promising given their past achievements. Stanton recently hinted at the storyline of the upcoming sequel (via The Wrap):
According to Stanton, in the upcoming movie, Woody and his friends will encounter their most difficult task yet: dealing with children’s obsession with electronics. The crowd chuckled at a sketch depicting all the toys looking dejected as a child peers at a tablet hidden beneath blankets. Additionally, Stanton disclosed that there will be a swarm of Buzz Lightyear action figures controlled by computers, causing trouble for everyone involved.
Way back in 1995, the classic animated franchise known as Toy Story emerged. Wrapping up Andy’s adventures alongside characters such as Woody and Buzz in 2010’s Toy Story 3, which garnered praise similar to its predecessors, the series made a return unexpectedly in 2019 with Toy Story 4.
In the fourth film, Woody endeavors to help Forky, a toy grappling with an existential dilemma, understand his value to Bonnie, their latest owner. The movie concludes with Woody saying goodbye to Buzz and the gang to reunite with Bo Peep in the wilderness as a “lost toy.” Although this fourth adventure garnered even more praise for the franchise, some viewers found it slightly superfluous.
Toy Story 5 Is Just One of Several Franchise Sequels in the Works
If you weren’t thrilled about Toy Story 4, then hearing about Toy Story 5 might not improve your mood much. The news about Toy Story 5 actually came out back in February of last year, when Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that several sequels, including one for Toy Story, are currently being developed.
“I’m thrilled to let you know that our animation studios are currently developing sequels for some of our beloved franchises: Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia! We can’t reveal all the details just yet, but stay tuned for updates on these exciting productions. It’s a testament to the strength of our iconic brands and franchises.”
Even though the thought of more Toy Story movies might temporarily dampen your spirits, take heart! The studio has selected none other than Andrew Stanton, director of Finding Nemo and WALL-E, to lead the sequel project. This news was announced in June, and it’s clear that Disney and Pixar are counting on Stanton’s proven talent to rekindle excitement among fans who have been less than enthusiastic so far.
In a delightful turn of events, Tim Allen shares that we can look forward to seeing him once again as Buzz Lightyear, while Tom Hanks returns as Woody. However, even Tim Allen admits that he shares some apprehension about creating another Toy Story sequel.
According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the project is officially moving forward. He’s confirmed that they’ve extended invitations for us (Tom and me) to reprise our roles. However, they’re keeping the details under wraps for now. #
For individuals similar to myself, it’s akin to questioning whether four was pushing it, is five excessive? Rumors suggest that the author who’s taking on this challenge wrote one of the top ones, and he mentioned, ‘If I didn’t nail it, I wouldn’t attempt it.’ As such, it could be an exceptionally intriguing approach to bring it all together again.
Toy Story 5
is due to be released on June 19, 2026.
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2024-08-10 06:32