After three decades of adventures, Pixar has announced the return of Woody and Buzz in ‘Toy Story 5’, with a release date officially set for June 2026.
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The toys first wowed audiences back in 1995 with their first film. Ever since, the franchise has grown and remained popular over time. It’s amazing how, after almost three decades that the franchise continues to be adored and release new content that audiences still enjoy. Usually, movies in franchises get progressively worse over time. However, ‘Toy Story’ has done a pretty good job with all of their additional films. We’ve seen Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) go on multiple adventures over the years. What’s next for this team of toys to experience?
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As you probably recall, the first film revolves around Buzz joining the gang and becoming Andy’s new favorite toy, replacing Woody. Andy’s once western-themed bedroom begins to get plastered with space-related decorations. Woody quickly gets jealous that Buzz not only gets all of Andy’s attention now, but that the other toys are impressed by him as well. This makes Woody want to get rid of Buzz, which ends up not going according to Woody’s plan. In the end, the two become best friends and learn to share their newfound space.
An instant classic, audiences everywhere quickly fell in love with ‘Toy Story’. Adults feel nostalgic towards their childhood days when they’d play with their toys and recall the adventures they imagined. Children get to see something creative and inspiring, something that has them ponder the idea that their toys come to life whenever they’re not around. Not only did audiences enjoy the film for these reasons, but the characters are well-written and lovable. It’s safe to say that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen helped create a piece of Cinematic history with their unlikely duo.
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Toy Story 2 (1999): The Rescue Mission
The toys came back just a few years later in what became the fan favorite film of the franchise. This time, during a spring cleaning, Woody gets stolen by a toy collector, and the rest of the toys set out on a mission to rescue him. During this time, Woody meets new friends Jessie (Joan Cusack), Bullseye, and Prospector Pete (Kelsey Grammer). At first, Woody thinks his new home isn’t so bad since he got fixed up and is surrounded by memorabilia from the show he’s based on. However, he soon finds out that it isn’t as great as he thought, and is determined to get him, Jessie, and Bullseye out of there.
Fans love this sequel, some more than the first. It still stands up really well and gives more depth to the toys we’ve previously loved while also introducing some new, enjoyable characters. Audiences see Jessie struggle with her claustrophobia, which is quite clever, especially for a toy. The found family trope of this franchise is so heartwarming and shows audiences that anyone can become a family. On top of all that, the story for the sequel was also quite humorous and well-written. It’s not hard to see why fans have enjoyed the films.
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Toy Story 3 (2010): Growing Up and Letting Go
The toys wouldn’t be back in theaters for eleven years. This allowed Pixar to focus on other stories to create, and gave them time to really work on the third ‘Toy Story’ film. Instead of just hashing out another movie to appease fans, the writers really took the time to create this third movie, and it was definitely worth the wait. ‘Toy Story 3’ was definitely darker than the previous two films, but that’s also what made it more interesting. Andy is going off to college and intends on putting the toys in storage in the attic. Andy’s mom mistakes the bag of toys for trash and sets them out on the curb. The toys escape and willingly go into the donation box. Woody tries to convince the toys to stay home and in the attic like Andy had planned, but the toys don’t have a change of heart. Instead of sitting in a dusty attic, they want to be donated to a new child who will play with them. It’s understandable that the toys would like that. Unfortunately, being donated doesn’t go as well as they’d hope. Instead of living peaceful new lives where they’re played with, they enter a torturous daycare where children play too roughly with them. The daycare is ruled by head honcho Lotso (Ned Beatty), who has power over everyone. The toys quickly become unhappy with their new home and want to escape. But with the unbearable Lotso overseeing everything, it’s an incredibly difficult task to achieve.
Despite coming out a little over a decade after the previous film, ‘Toy Story 3’ still captivated audiences. This time, slightly darker than its previous stories. There’s even a scene near the end of the film where the toys believe that they’re about to die, something very intense for a Pixar family movie about toys. Along with another well-written story, animation has developed a lot since 1999. The toys look more realistic than they did in the previous movies, and the animation is a lot more fluid and soft. It still holds up even today, despite being over a decade old. Of course, the film ends with the toys getting a happy ending. You’d think this would be the end of the series, but it wasn’t. The toys would be back once again in the future.
Toy Story 4 (2019): A New Life For Woody
The toys wouldn’t be back in theaters until 2019. Again, allowing these periods to go by before releasing another film in a franchise allows Pixar to work on other stories, and really work on a story for another franchise film. This time, the toys belong to Bonnie, and this time, Woody is the one feeling unsatisfied with his life. He spends his days watching Bonnie play with all his friends, and never with him. Which is pretty messed up when you think about how Andy gave him to her when he originally wanted to keep him. Bonnie, instead, is completely entertained with a spork she decorated and named Forky (Tony Hale). Forky unexpectedly jumps out of the RV window during Bonnie’s family trip, and Woody jumps out after him. As they’re walking back towards the RV, Woody spots Bo Peep inside an antique store and wants to go in to get her. This leads to the issue of a talking doll wanting to take Woody’s voice box, hoping it will replace her broken one, and let her get adopted. Woody also discovers that Bo is happy not belonging to any specific child, because every day allows for an adventure, and she can do what she wants. Woody begins to think that this new idea of life is interesting, and wants to stay with Bo. This is hard for the gang to deal with because they’ve always been a family.
This fourth film is still entertaining and has a solid storyline, and is the first one that begins to break away from the rest of the films. In the previous films, the crew was all determined to stay together as a family, and the goal was always to get everyone home safely. In this one, Woody starts to want to go down a different route. Instead of returning to Bonnie, where he knows his life would be unfulfilled, he entertains the idea of leaving to live with Bo. This change is hard because for twenty-four years, these toys have been an unbreakable family. Now, Woody is on the lookout for something new. Allowing the toys to split like this allows for ‘Toy Story 5’ to have a new type of story to show, something we can look forward to in the future.
Toy Story 5 (2026): What We Know So Far
Toy Story 5 is officially confirmed and in the works, with both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning to reprise their iconic roles. In June 2024, Tim Allen revealed that the film is set for release in June 2026, marking another emotional chapter for the beloved franchise. Hopefully, this fifth installment will hold up to its predecessors. From the current stories of the toys so far, this upcoming film may follow Woody on an adventure in his new life. Maybe he’ll even find his way back to Andy and possibly be passed down to any children Andy may have. In addition to that, hopefully, Woody will see the old gang at some point as well. It’s definitely going to be a new take for this series, and we’re excited to see where it goes.
Future Release
As we look forward to what’s next for Woody and his friends, it’s worth remembering what has made these movies so impactful for nearly three decades: their stories of friendship, bravery, and loyalty. These are the kinds of stories that are not only entertaining but also uplifting to their viewers. What would you like to see in the new movie? Are you looking forward to this upcoming film? In the meantime, revisit these impactful films as we await the newest release.
Main Cast and Crew of the ‘Toy Story’ Franchise:
- Tom Hanks as Woody
- Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
- Annie Potts as Bo Peep
- Joan Cusack as Jessie
- Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete
- Tony Hale as Forky
- Wallace Shawn as Rex
- Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
- Directed by: John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Josh Cooley
- Produced by: Pixar Animation Studios
- Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
By Veronica Waddell
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Veronica Waddell is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a degree in English and a passion for writing as well as film. She loves seeing what story each film has to offer and dissecting them to critically analyze all they have to offer. Veronica never bases her thoughts on rumor or gossip in hopes of getting views, which she loves about The Hollywood Insider. She’s an honest, positive girl who bases all her arguments on truth and fact, and tries to see the good in everything in order to build things up. While she enjoys entertainment of many kinds, she’s fond of children’s media because of how light-hearted and fun it is, and that’s what she enjoys reporting on most. It is her goal to work in children’s media to help entertain them today and create a memorable childhood for them in the future.
Veronica Waddell is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a degree in English and a passion for writing as well as film. She loves seeing what story each film has to offer and dissecting them to critically analyze all they have to offer. Veronica never bases her thoughts on rumor or gossip in hopes of getting views, which she loves about The Hollywood Insider. She’s an honest, positive girl who bases all her arguments on truth and fact, and tries to see the good in everything in order to build things up. While she enjoys entertainment of many kinds, she’s fond of children’s media because of how light-hearted and fun it is, and that’s what she enjoys reporting on most. It is her goal to work in children’s media to help entertain them today and create a memorable childhood for them in the future.
