Though fans thought they said goodbye to Woody and Buzz for good with 2019’s Toy Story 4, Toy Story 5 has been confirmed. Released in 1995, the first Toy Story movie was Pixar’s debut feature-length film. Toy Story revolutionized animated films, and since then, Pixar has become the gold standard of animation, telling emotionally resonant stories that adults enjoy as much as children. Unlike most animated franchises, the Toy Story series has never dipped in quality, and each one of them has introduced new beloved characters.

Woody and Buzz said goodbye in Toy Story 4, the last entry in the series (excluding the spin-off Lightyear), for the final time as they went their separate ways. Woody went on to lead a new life with Bo Peep as a lost toy, and Buzz continued to belong to Bonnie, living comfortably with Jessie, Rex, and new additions such as Forky. However, regardless of Toy Story 4‘s perfect ending, some of the toys will be getting new adventures in Toy Story 5. Though details are scant, Pixar’s classic franchise isn’t over yet.

The Latest Toy Story 5 News

Pete Docter Explains How Toy Story 5 Will Be Different

With anticipation building for the fifth installment in the beloved animated franchise, the latest news arrives in the form of a story update from Pixar’s Pete Docter. The director of classic Pixar films like Monsters Inc., Up, and Soul has transitioned to a new role as Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, and he spoke candidly about how animated movies have changed in recent years. More specifically, Docter explained how Toy Story 5 will be different from older animated movies because modern movies have “sped up.”

Though he offers little by way of detail, Docter went on to praise Andrew Stanton’s direction, saying audiences will be asking “Wait, is this a Toy Story movie?” Besides the need to speed things up to keep up with modern sensibilities, Docter made it clear that after four Toy Story movies, a mᴀssive change is needed to keep things from getting stale. How that will manifest in the final product remains to be seen, but Docter’s hints seem to suggest that the newest movie will be a major departure.

Read Pete Docter’s full comments here:

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.

Toy Story 5 Release Date

The Fifth Installment Is Coming In 2026

Though little is currently known about the fifth movie in the beloved Toy Story franchise, Disney has established a 2026 release date. This means the actual animation is probably underway, with the performance aspects also happening simultaneously. While release dates so far in the future are always tentative, Disney is not one to miss expected ᴅᴇᴀᴅlines, and fans can expect to see Toy Story 5 on June 19, 2026.

The Toy Story franchise includes:

Toy Story 5 Cast Details

Are Woody, Buzz & The Rest Of The Gang Returning?

Not much has been confirmed when it comes to the Toy Story 5 cast, though Pete Docter has confirmed Buzz and Woody’s return. That announcement isn’t particularly surprising, since Buzz and Woody have always been the heart and soul of the franchise since the first installment. This means Tim Allen will likely return as Buzz Lightyear and Tom Hanks as Woody, though the actors themselves have not been formally announced. The franchise has always introduced new and exciting characters in each sequel, and Toy Story 5 won’t be any different.

Disney released a concept art still at D23 in 2024, and the picture featured a slew of returning characters from previous installments. Besides Buzz and Woody, the still also showed Jessie, Slinky Dog, Forky, Rex, and Hamm, and it’s highly likely that those characters will appear. However, even if the characters do return, there’s no guarantee that their original actors will reprise their roles.

The presumptive cast of Toy Story 5 includes:

Actor	Toy Story 5 Role
Tim Allen	Buzz Lightyear
Tom Hanks	Woody
Joan Cusack	Jessie
Tony Hale	Forky
Wallace Shawn	Rex
John Ratzenberger	Hamm
Blake Clark	Slinky Dog
Annie Potts	Bo Peep

Toy Story 5 Story Details

Endless Possibilities For The Next Toy Story Movie

Though the story of Toy Story 5 was shrouded in mystery, Disney’s presentation at the 2024 D23 fan expo cleared a lot of things up. The ending of Toy Story 4 was somewhat conclusive, but the new sequel is set to present a challenge never before faced by the toys before. Director Andrew Stanton has confirmed that the toys will now try to stay relevant as their owner becomes infatuated with technology instead of analog playthings. This will likely only be one aspect of Toy Story 5‘s plot, but Pixar films often shine when their theme is resonant with audiences.

Pete Docter (Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer) has promised that Toy Story 5 will be different from previous installments, though he hasn’t offered much by way of specifics. Ironically, Docter did mention that movies have sped up in recent years and that modern audiences don’t want slower-paced movies. This need to speed things up will impact the movie’s story, but it’s unclear exactly how.