By Gavin Boyle
Tim Allen teased that Jessie will play a major role in TOY STORY 5 as the narrative switches to her after an epic opening scene with Buzz Lightyear.
“I can tell you that [TOY STORY 5] is a lot about Jessie,” Allen told WIVB 4 radio. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyear. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”
Creating a fifth story in the franchise has left some fans wondering if Disney is focusing on a cash grab, but prior comments from those working on the project have addressed these concerns. Allen’s revelation about the focus of the story also helps ease these worries because, rather than finding another story for Woody and Buzz to star in, the writers appear to have allowed themselves to explore a plot line they could only now tackle.
“It’s a very, very clever story,” Allen told Collider last December. “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.”
The fifth movie in the franchise will also tackle a completely new problem that faces children today. Instead of worrying about how to keep their kid entertained as they grow up, the gang is struggling to keep Bonnie interested in anything not having to do with a device. The first teaser image for the movie revealed last year featured Bonnie hunched over a tablet as the toys looked on in dismay.
“[Through these characters] we’re learned all about loyalty and belonging and friendship. These characters have given us a unique perspective on growing up and navigating life and in all the TOY STORY films, above all else, the job of the toys has been to be there for their kids,” writer and director Andrew Stanton told the audience at Disney’s D23 conference. “With TOY STORY 5, the toy’s jobs get exponentially harder when our toy crew goes head-to-head with what kids are obsessed with today: Electronics.”
As TOY STORY 5 makes multiple shifts in its focus, parents can only hope that the movie remains grounded in the values that has made the franchise such a success. While we will get more information as the movie nears it release, audiences won’t really know until the movie hits theaters on June 19, 2026.
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