First we had to deal with Andy giving away his toys, then we had to endure Woody saying goodbye to his friends. Now, Disney and Pixar are teaming up again to bring us another wave of tears when the Toy Story 5 release date arrives.
For many, Toy Story is one of the best Pixar movie franchises. The first movie kicked off the studio’s work in the early ’90s and put them on the map forevermore. The Toy Story characters reminded us of our own childhood toys, and the Disney movies never failed to play with our heartstrings. With a new movie on the way, here’s what you need to know.
Toy Story 5 release date speculation
We think Toy Story 5 could be ready by 2027, but Disney hasn’t confirmed a release date just yet.
We know it’s in the works, since the House of Mouse announced on February 8, 2023 that a fifth movie had been greenlit.
CEO Bob Iger made the announcement during an earnings call in early 2023 as one of several sequels that are in the pipeline. (Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2 were also revealed as part of an affirmation of Disney’s multiple franchise capabilities.)
We also know the cast have been aware of Toy Story 5 even before it was publicly announced. Tim Allen, the original voice of Buzz said [via The Daily Mail]: “Toy Story five had been kind of laid down quite a while ago, but we just couldn’t get into it. Then Disney announced it about two months ago.”
However, a lot’s happened since February. The 2023 Writers Strike and Actors Strike shut down countless productions, so we know that wherever they may have been in the development stages for Toy Story 5, not much will have been done this year.
Although no information has been released about the status of the animation or the script, let’s look at the facts: Toy Story 4 was released five years after the movie was announced. Considering how much time Pixar puts into the technical side of their animations, this makes sense. With that in mind, we’re likely looking at 2027, or even as late as 2028.
Who’s in the Toy Story 5 cast?
We know that Tim Allen will likely be returning as Buzz, which means the rest of the original cast, including Tom Hanks, are likely to reprise their roles too.
Tim Allen has been the most vocal member of the Toy Story cast about returning. In November 2023, Allen said on the Tonight Show that the new movie was a done deal, and that he and Hanks had both been approached about returning.
“Bob Iger, head of Disney, said it was on,” he said. “He actually said it was going to happen. They have reached out to Tom and I to reprise the roles. They’re not saying anything about it.”
Although the character of Buzz was taken over by Chris Evans for the solo Lightyear movie, this makes it sound like Pixar is returning form for the next Toy Story. We’ve always thought these toys were iconic because of their voices, so we would also hope to see the likes of Joan Cusack and John Ratzenberger return!
Of course, the head honchos at Pixar aren’t above pulling in a few famous voices, and in the past, we’ve had Kelsey Grammer, Michael Keaton, and Keanu Reeves all starring as one-off characters. So we fully expect a few celebrities to be announced as the cast list grows.
Here’s the potential Toy Story 3 cast:
- Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
- Tom Hanks as Woody
- Joan Cusack as Jessie
- Annie Potts as Bo Peep
- Tony Hale as Forky
- John Ratzenberger as Hamm
- Blake Calrk as Slinky Dog
What will Toy Story 5 be about?
We imagine Toy Story 5 would go back to basics and continue to focus on the ongoing adventures of Woody and Buzz, based on the fact we know Tim Allen is involved.
We can be sure the Toy Story 5 plot will have Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the other toys still in Bonnie’s care. Toy Story 4 split the group, with Woody choosing to stay with Bo Beep and the other lost toys at the carnival.
Allen has hinted they’ll be reunited somehow in his tweet (below), writing: “See ya soon Woody”. Maybe if Bonnie’s family decides to stop off in that same spot again on another vacation?
Gabby, the movie villain in Toy Story 4, had an arc that involved Woody teaching her that every toy can be loved again. Toy Story 5 could explore that some more, perhaps bringing in social media and modern tech as Bonnie grows up and gets a phone. We’re speculating, but the options are there!
Let’s address the plush elephant in the room: how many “endings” is Toy Story going to have? When Toy Story 3’s credits began to roll, with Andy bidding his toys farewell as he set off for college, we were done. It was over. The ultimate closure. But then Toy Story 4 came around and gave us another definitive close, with Woody saying goodbye to his friends and opting to leave his life as a child’s toy behind.
Now we’re back for more? Yes, more Toy Story is welcomed news, but like a child parting with their old playthings, sometimes we have to learn to let things go. If there’s any hope here, it comes from the fact that Allen has faith in the writers.
“For people like me, it’s just like — I’m a sci-fi buff,” he said. “You wonder if four was too many, is five too much? According to the scuttlebutts, the writer that’s doing it wrote one of the better ones and he said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it.’ So it could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it.”
Is there a Toy Story 5 trailer?
We’re not expecting a trailer (or any footage, for that matter) until 2026 at the earliest.
As we said above, there’s lots of work to be done, and we’re thinking that we’re going to be waiting at least five years for the movie to be completed, based on previous installments. With that in mind, there won’t be anything to show us for at least a couple of years.
That said, we won’t leave the Toy Story fans with nothing. To remind yourself of how far Pixar has come in gifting us some of the most original and beautifully designed stories, check out an early test animation for the first Toy Story below:
Where can I watch Toy Story 5?
We fully expect Toy Story 5 to have a theatrical release when the time comes, given the scale of the franchise.
From then on, home cinema fans can expect the film to land on Disney Plus in the months following the film’s release — but don’t expect this to happen right away. In the meantime, you can check out everything new on Disney Plus for you to enjoy right now!
For more on the House of Mouse’s streamer, check out our guides on the best Disney Plus shows, and the best Disney Plus movies. To see what family delights await in new movies, take a look at what we know about the Kung Fu Panda 4 release date and Shrek 5 release date.
We’ve also got a list of the best movies of all time, which includes some Pixar classics, as well as a long-read on why classic Disney princesses aren’t unfeminist — they’re misunderstood.