Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter explains why Toy Story 5 will feel different from the previous movies in the franchise. Before becoming an executive, Docter directed several Pixar films, including Monsters Inc., Up, and most recently, Soul. He has been working at the studio for years, beginning as an animator in 1990. As such, he collaborated with the studio on the first Toy Story film, which came out in 1995. Over 30 years later, Pixar is now slated to release Toy Story 5 in 2026.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Docter explained why Toy Story 5 might feel different from previous installments. The CCO was asked about modern-day animated film pacing, and how it might affect the fifth movie. Docter admitted that “films have definitely sped up,” noting how this has already affected the Toy Story series. As for Toy Story 5, he mentioned that Pixar is “just trying to keep in touch with the rhythms of the world,” while still having slower moments. He also teased elements that will “keep people surprised” in a statement below:
If you go back and look at Bambi — I’m picking an extreme that’s kind of intentionally slow because it is about nature and watching the changes seasons and things — I think films have definitely sped up. Even Toy Story one to Toy Story 4, the level of visual sophistication, including the pacing, we’re just trying to keep in touch with the rhythms of the world and it’s definitely faster. So I will say Toy Story 5, I think [writer and director] Andrew’s done a really great job of letting moments breathe in unexpected ways. Things that [make you think], Wait, is this a Toy Story movie?, with some of his choices, which I think we need at this point. We’ve had four of ’em already. We got to keep people surprised, so it’s going to be fun.
That was important to us at the time when Toy Story came out, there wasn’t a lot of films that did that. There were a lot of ’em that were like four kids and nothing really other than maybe from Japan or something for adults. And so our goal was to, in the same way [Steven] Spielberg did with Indiana Jones and Star Wars with George Lucas, we’d love to bring animation into something that we as 20-, 30-year olds can enjoy.
What This Means For Toy Story 5
Docter Has Spoken About Pixar’s Creative Vision Before
While Docter mentions how Pixar has to be reactive to the times, the executive has not always wanted the company to stray from its roots. In a 2023 interview regarding what Pixar would look like in a post-Elemental landscape, the CCO noted that he and his team wanted to “double down on what allowed [them] to speak to audiences to begin with.” This would suggest a return to Pixar’s roots rather than a fully modernized way of approaching animation, which could extend to both the stories Pixar tells and how they tell them.
The company’s emphasis on the Toy Story franchise shows the “double down” process. That said, Docter seems cognizant of how he wants the upcoming sequel to stand out while being somewhat reactive to modern-day aesthetics and sensibilities. He still wants to make animation appealing to multiple age groups, so that more people beyond kids can enjoy it. As Toy Story 5 continues development, it will be interesting to see what Pixar comes up with to surprise audiences.
Our Take On The Toy Story 5 Pacing Changes
I Hope The Film Does Still Take Its Time
As Docter references when talking about Bambi, the calm pacing is part of what makes pre-2000 animation shine. While Inside Out 2 takes its time, I’ve been surprised by the breakneck pace of more recent animation, such as Kung Fu Panda 4, which moves through the story at a rapid speed. I can only hope that Docter is true to his word in that director Andrew Stanton has “let[] moments breathe” in some ways in Toy Story 5, and not leaned too far into the quick, TikTokified media format that so plagues much of the family-friendly media right now.
Source: THR
