By Movieguide® Contributor
Christian Malik
After what felt like a fitting conclusion in TOY STORY 4, many fans assumed the beloved franchise had reached its final goodbye. But according to the creative team behind TOY STORY 5, returning wasn’t about extending the series for the sake of it. It was about finding a story that genuinely felt worth telling.
During a recent virtual press conference, co-director and writer Anna Harris, producer Lucy Collins and Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter shared new insight into how the latest installment came together and why now felt like the right time to revisit these iconic characters.
According to Harris, the project only began moving forward once director Andrew Stanton found an angle that felt fresh. Stanton, who has been involved with the franchise since the original TOY STORY, reportedly approached the film with several ideas already in place: introducing modern devices into the world of toys, exploring what happens when Jessie takes on more leadership and imagining unexpected new situations for familiar characters.
For Harris, who grew up loving TOY STORY 2, the opportunity to work on a Jessie-focused story felt deeply personal.
“I’ve always loved Jessie,” she explained, describing how surreal it felt to collaborate on a character she had admired since childhood.
One of the biggest themes explored in TOY STORY 5 is technology and the changing way children play. Rather than presenting technology as simply good or bad, the team said they wanted to reflect modern family life honestly.
That idea led to the introduction of Lily Pad, a tablet-style device created to help Bonnie but whose approach to connection and play differs dramatically from the toys’ more emotional understanding of childhood.
Collins explained that the team deliberately avoided beginning with judgment.
Instead, they looked at their own complicated relationships with technology and what they were observing in children today. From there, the story evolved into something less about screens replacing toys and more about how kids connect, imagine and experience the world around them.
Jessie’s expanded role became central to exploring those ideas.
While previous TOY STORY films often focused on growing up and change, the filmmakers suggested this chapter leans more heavily into questions around connection, identity and what children need emotionally in a world increasingly shaped by devices.
Alongside returning favorites, TOY STORY 5 will introduce several new personalities. The team revealed comedian Conan O’Brien joins the cast as Smarty Pants, while global music star Bad Bunny also appears in a new role. Casting, they explained, often comes down to finding voices that feel distinct and create energy when characters interact together.
Even after three decades, Pixar says the heart of TOY STORY remains unchanged.
Although animation technology has advanced dramatically since the original film, Docter noted that visuals alone are never enough. Technical innovation may make bigger moments possible, but emotional truth still comes first.
As TOY STORY 5 prepares to arrive in theaters on June 19, the filmmakers hope audiences walk away with something simple but meaningful: a reminder that imagination, play and human connection remain timeless, no matter how much the world changes around them.
Read Next: Original Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Stars Passed. Who’ll Voice Them in TOY STORY 5?
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
Share:
- Content: +3
- Content: +1