The official trailer for Toy Story 5 (2026) is here, and never has ‘To infinity and beyond’ sounded more like an omen than inspiration. Releasing Friday 19 June, the newest movie in the 30-year-long franchise pits the toys against a new existential threat to their way of life — technology. The trailer shows Bonnie getting a LilyPad (a legally distinct LeapFrog), voiced by Greta Lee, who steals Bonnie’s attention away from her beloved toys. Jessie, primed for her largest role in any movie since the second, calls in Woody for help, and we seem in for a classic adventure featuring him and Buzz Lightyear working together to overcome a new challenge.
While prior movies explored timeless themes of familial bonds and finding purpose in life, Toy Story 5 tackles a more contemporary topic with technology’s invasion of childhood. Although I think it justifies the significance of this film, I can’t help but think that years down the road, this story will age more poorly than those released in the 1990s. On the topic of nostalgia, bringing back Woody feels like a copout and the safest move this film can make. Whether you liked it or not, Toy Story 4 (2019) shook the status quo when Woody left his family to pursue a life with Bo Peep on the road. Such an ending arguably symbolised a conclusion, with Woody moving on and letting the next generation of heroes tell their own stories, illustrated by Woody handing Jessie his signature Sheriff’s badge before leaving. By bringing him back after only one movie and making Jessie the new protagonist, it seems that Pixar is trying to have their cake and eat it too.
While I can go back and forth on whether I think this movie will be good or bad, perhaps the question I should ask myself is whether this movie should exist. Even the biggest fan of Toy Story 4 will have to admit that the third movie provided a wonderfully satisfying end to the trilogy, a worthy final entry in the franchise. Now 15 years later, the series has brought itself back for the second time — third, if you count Lightyear (2022).
Watching the trailer, I noticed how old the voice actors all sounded, with Joan Cusack particularly catching my attention, given her extensive speaking. She is 63, Tom Hanks is 69, and Tim Allen is 72. Will the franchise outlive its leads? It should be a serious question to consider if this really isn’t the end. 31 years ago, Pixar changed the history of animation when it created Toy Story, the first fully CGI animated movie ever. In 2026, perhaps the most progressive thing they can do for themselves is let the series go.
Photo by Steve Jurvetson on Openverse.