Toy Story 5: Pixar Chief Teases “Surprising” Sequel

Pixar is going back to the toy box for Toy Story 5. During Disney’s February investors call, CEO Bob Iger announced the company is developing new sequels to Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia, animated blockbusters with previous installments that topped $1 billion at the box office. In a new interview with The Wrap, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter — an animator and member of the original Pixar Braintrust who co-wrote the story for 1995’s Toy Story and 1999’s Toy Story 2 — teased that the latest sequel may not be what audiences are expecting. 

“The thing we’ve been really trying to do, and this has been the case for a while, is we’ve been looking at them a little bit like, okay, we’re not planning for the future. When we made the first Toy Story, we had no idea there would be a Toy Story 2,” Docter said of the first full-length computer-animated film that earned nearly $375 million, the second-best box office of ’95. “We’re just trying to make this movie. But that in making the movie, it takes you places, unexpected places, which is what I love about the creative process. If I knew exactly what I was doing when I started making a movie, there’d kind of be no point in making it. I discover so much along the way.” 

Because Pixar didn’t make 2019’s Toy Story 4 with a sequel in mind, Docter said, “I think it’ll be surprising. It’s got some really cool stuff that you haven’t seen before.”

When Does Toy Story 5 Come Out?

Disney has not yet revealed the Toy Story 5 release date. Pixar’s upcoming releases include the original movies Elemental (June 16th) and Elio (March1st, 2024), with the following dates reserved for untitled projects:June 13th, 2025; March 6th, 2026; and June 19th, 2026.

Are Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in Toy Story 5?

While plot details remain under wraps, longtime Toy Story star Tim Allen confirmed he’s back as the voice of Buzz and suggested a reunion with Tom Hanks’ cowboy doll Woody.

After 2010’s Toy Story 3 saw Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys part ways with original owner Andy, Toy Story 4 ended with Woody and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) choosing a child-free life on the road. Though the fourth and seemingly final chapter was treated as an ending, producer Jonas Rivera revealed the door was not closed on future sequels.

“I think Toy Story is such a great world, such great characters and there’s so many new characters that I’d be remiss if I didn’t say there was room for someone to crack that open. But that’s not our goal,” Rivera told Digital Spy in 2019. “I’m also programmed with the never-say-never, there could also be a million ways you could go.” Toy Story 4 introduced a new crop of living toys, including the fan-favorite Forky (Tony Hale), Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), and the plushy duo Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele).

Hanks also said at the time that a fifth film wasn’t being planned — or ruled out.

“Well, no one is planning on [Toy Story 5], but I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere two-and-a-half years from now someone has this kernel of an idea that could become it,” Hanks told LAD Bible. “None of the Toy Story movies are in a schedule, they’re not in a pipeline. They don’t say, ‘on this date, we’ll start work on the next Toy Story movie’. They wait until someone comes up with a Toy Story idea that is worthwhile pursuing.”