After seemingly giving Woody and friends a satisfying ending not once but twice, Pixar is once again bringing the classic group of toys back in next summer’s Toy Story 5. This time around, the gang will be facing their greatest challenge yet as they compete for Bonnie’s attention with various electronic toys, including Lilypad, a tablet modeled after a frog. Fans have yet to see a proper Toy Story 5 trailer, but over the summer, some concept art was released, giving people their first look at the highly anticipated sequel. Now, some more imagery has been revealed, highlighted by a fresh design for everyone’s favorite cowboy doll.
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On social media, X account Cosmic Media and Reddit user steamboatwillie1241 shared pictures of leaked Toy Story 5 merchandise. Perhaps the most interesting detail is that Woody is wearing a red poncho, the first major difference in the character’s appearance across the series. There’s also a fresh look at some other new characters, including Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants. Also featured are a hippo allegedly named Atlas and a camera named Snappy. Take a look at the pictures in the space below:
Toy Story 5 Begins a New Chapter for Woody
In long-running film series, it’s a classic trope to alter a character’s costume to visually represent how they’ve changed in between installments. With that in mind, it isn’t surprising to see Pixar has tweaked Woody’s appearance for Toy Story 5. After being the leader of the pack when the toys were owned by Andy, Woody had difficulty adjusting to life with Bonnie and found a new purpose when he reunited with Bo Peep. Embracing life as a “lost toy,” Woody works with Bo to help other toys find owners who will love them. The context behind his poncho is unknown for the time being, but it stands out so much because it’s such a drastically different look for him, representing the new path he has chosen. It’ll be interesting to see how Woody regroups with his old pals and how he’s faring as a “lost toy.”
Woody and Buzz Lightyear are the faces of the Toy Story franchise, but neither will be the main character. This time around, Jessie is the main focus. Now in possession of Woody’s old sheriff badge, she’ll be the one leading the charge as she looks to guide her friends through their situation. Tweaking perspectives like this should be beneficial. Woody and Buzz were obviously the driving force behind the first four films, so it’s nice to see someone new be elevated to starring role. Ideally, this will help Toy Story 5 feel fresh as it fleshes out Jessie’s character in ways previous installments didn’t. She’s had her share of memorable moment in the other movies, but she’s largely been relegated to a supporting role. This merchandise calls attention to Jessie’s position as the leader, setting the stage for a compelling arc.
Given their prominence in the merchandise images, Smarty Pants, Atlas, and Snappy seem to be key parts of the new group of toys led by Lilypad. Outside of the fact that Bonnie has lost interest in traditional playthings, details about how these newcomers factor in are unknown. The Toy Story films aren’t averse to using villains, but those characters have been well-rounded with understandable motives (Stinky Pete dreaming of being displayed for fans to love; Lotso feeling betrayed after he was lost). What’s interesting in Toy Story 5‘s case is that warring factions of toys should be inhabiting the same room, which will be a fascinating dynamic to explore. Lilypad and the other electronic toys may not be malicious; they’re just there to entertain Bonnie.
Hopefully, Disney unveils an official look at Toy Story 5 in the near future. As great as these merchandise images are, they only make fans more curious about how all the pieces will come together in the final film. A teaser could go a long way in at least setting up the basic premise and conflict, introducing the new toys so viewers can see what they’re all about (and maybe even explaining Woody’s wardrobe change). Zootopia 2 is right around the corner, and that would be the perfect time for a Toy Story 5 trailer (the first look at Toy Story 4 was released around this time back in 2018), building hype for what should be one of next summer’s biggest films.
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