Published: May 27, 2026
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – JUNE 08: In this Handout provided by Disney Resorts, Stars from DisneyPixars Toy Story 4 Woody (in costume), Tom Hanks (2nd-L), Tim Allen (2nd-R) and Buzz Lightyear (in costume) appear with characters from the film inside Toy Story Land at Disneys Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort on June 8, 2019 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Matt Stroshane/Disney Resorts via Getty Images)
By Mallory Mattingly
Buzz, Woody and their crew of friends are ready to embark on their fifth adventure next month in the next TOY STORY franchise installment.
So what’s ahead for the beloved toys? Tom Hanks, who’s played Woody for 30 years now, shared some details.
“I have seen it. I don’t know how they do it, but it is a vibrant and proper chapter in the TOY STORY canon,” he told PEOPLE at the opening of Celebrity Autobiography on Broadway. “None of us can believe that we’re still a part of it.”
“The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s TOY STORY 5, and this time around it’s Toy meets Tech. Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all-new threat to playtime,” a synopsis of the movie reads, per Disney.
Related: Tim Allen Brags TOY STORY 5 ‘Is a Really Good Story, Guys. It’s Really Good.’
Hank’s co-star, Tim Allen, who voices Buzz Lightyear, called the movie “really clever.”
“Well, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say. Yes, I just did the first five-hour session for Buzz, probably a week ago,” Allen told Collider in 2024 when production started on TOY STORY 5. “It’s a very, very clever story.”
He emphasized that he’s “so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear.”
For actress Joan Cusack, who plays cowgirl Jessie, tackling modern-day issues like tech versus toys was important.
“I know every parent in the United States worries about their kids. When do you get them involved in tech? What does that do to their brains?” she said, per EW. “And that’s what this movie’s about. It’s about humanity and playing and loyalty — and it makes me cry.”
Alongside Hanks, Allen and Cusack, TOY STORY 5 stars Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Tony Hale, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Matty Matheson, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, John Hopkins, Kristen Schaal, Ernie Hudson and Keanu Reeves.
Lee plays Lilypad, the tablet trying to take over playtime, which she said let her “channel a lot of our own fears and concerns” about tech and children.
“Playing her was extremely cathartic,” she said. “She’s this thing that has held so much power within my house and has been a very complicated source of consideration.”
Andrew Stanton directs, with Kenna Harris as co-director and Lindsey Collins as producer.
The movie debuts in theaters on June 19.
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