The new Toy Story 5 trailer packs a powerful punch as Buzz Lightyear and a balding Woody reunite to save their friends from being replaced by technology – check it out here.
The movie, produced by Pixar for Walt Disney Pictures, is set to be released on June 19, comes seven years after Toy Story 4 and four after spin-off Lightyear, which traced Buzz’s backstory.
The toys – minus Woody, who left at the end of the last movie to become a ‘lost toy’ – remain with Bonnie, who was given the toys from original owner Andy when he left for college. But after she’s gifted a tablet, Lilypad, the toys are worried they’ll be abandoned again, Rex quipping, “Extinction? Not again,” and Jessie aiming to lay down the law with the tablet.
Woody returns, now sporting a poncho and a hint of baldness, to team up with Jessie, now the leader of the toys in his absence, Buzz, Forky, Slinky Dog, Hamm, Trixie and the Multi-Buzz army of commemorative Lightyear action figures. Woody and Buzz embrace as they meet again, the latter telling his old friend, “It’s been too long, cowboy”.
Of course, it’s not long until they’re squabbling again, as Mr. Potato Head remarks, “It’s good to see them fighting again,” and ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’ plays in the background. Check out the full trailer here:
The voice cast largely remains the same from the fourth movie, with the likes of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Blake Clark and Tony Hale all returning. Greta Lee (Russian Doll, The Morning) voices Lilypad, while late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien plays the potty training toy Smarty Pants.
Writer and director Andrew Stanton spoke to Empire about Toy Story 5 and the focus on technology last year, explaining: “Technology has changed everybody’s lives, but we’re asking what that means for us – and to our kids. We can’t just get away with making tech the villain.”
And in December 2024, Allen described the new movie as a “very, very clever story”. He added, “Do you wanna do five of these [movies]? I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it and they wouldn’t have called me and Tom [Hanks]. It’s really clever.”
NME gave Toy Story 4 a glowing five-star review upon its release. “Toy Story 4 is another masterpiece from Pixar,” the review read. “While never quite reaching the emotional highs of its predecessors, it’s arguably the most thought-provoking offering of the entire series and one which entirely justifies its existence. In short, it’s the return to the toy chest that we never knew we needed.”
‘Toy Story 5’ is in cinemas on June 19