The Toy Story franchise is continuing forward with the release of the fifth main movie in the long-running animated series. The original movie introduced protagonists Woody and Buzz Lightyear who’ve been carrying the series so far, but now it looks like Toy Story 5 will switch focus to a different character as the first story details are revealed.
Many aspects for Disney’s new Pixar sequel are still being kept under wraps, with previous reports confirming that the movie would revolve around traditional toys versus technology and a subplot revolving hundreds of recalled Buzz Lightyear toys. Now Buzz Lightyear actor Tim Allen has discussed the upcoming sequel and how a different character will lead the narrative of Toy Story 5.
Here’s what Allen shared while speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about the follow-up:
“They reboot everything. It’s all about Jessie, which is really cool,” Allen revealed. “She’s in trouble, and she needs help. We’re all over, so she has to gather everybody.”
Fortunately, Jessie is one of the oldest characters from the franchise going back to her introduction in Toy Story 2. As such, fans will likely be excited to see the character carry her own story. Jessie, who is a cowgirl toy based on the same fictional western series as Woody, will once again by voiced by Joan Cusack.
Allen also discussed his role in the film which includes the aforementioned lot of recalled Buzz Lightyear toys. Naturally, he’s quite excited about that particular subplot:
“We’re [in] a FedEx plane [when] a hundred Buzz dolls land, and they’re all lost. They’re hysterical. They’re trying to find their way back, and there are a hundred of them. I hope they have it in there,” Allen said.
Obviously there are still plenty of details to still be revealed. Pixar and Disney will no doubt have to work hard for the approval of Toy Story fans, however, especially with many believing that Toy Story 3 was a perfect ending for the franchise.
Toy Story 5 is scheduled to hit theaters on June 19, 2026. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more news on the Toy Story franchise as we have it.