“Toy Story 5” director defends production of fifth film

“Toy Story 5” director Andrew Stanton is defending Pixar’s ongoing franchise despite concerns from some that it’s stretched too thin. talking to Empire Magazinethe Oscar winner for “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E” splits the series into the original trilogy and then everything that comes after (2019’s “Toy Story 4” and the upcoming fifth installment). Given how the relationship between children and toys continues to evolve with new generations, Stanton suggested that there is no limit to the number of “Toy Story” films that can be made.

“So No. 3 was the end of…the Andy years,” Stanton told Empire. “No one is robbed of their trilogy. They can have that and never watch another movie if they don’t want to. But I’ve always loved how this world allows us to embrace time and change. There’s no promise that it’s going to stay in amber.”

“Toy Story 5” follows Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the adorable gang facing off against an iPad-like tablet called the Lilypad. Stanton said the film “is less about a battle and more about the realization of an existential problem: that no one plays with toys anymore.”

“Technology has changed everyone’s lives, but we wonder what it means for us and our children. We can’t get away with making technology the villain,” Stanton added.

“Toy Story 5” comes six years after “Toy Story 4,” which became the highest-grossing film in the series to date with $1 billion at the worldwide box office. This film also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, following in the footsteps of Toy Story 3. Voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody and Buzz, respectively, along with Joan Cusack as Jesse, Blake Clark as Slinky Dog, and Tony Hale as Forky. Conan O’Brien joins the series as Smarty Pants, while “Past Lives” favorite Greta Lee voices Lilypad.

Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19, 2026 from Disney and Pixar.