It’s amazing to think that almost 30 years after Toy Story changed the world of animated filmmaking, the 2025 movie schedule will herald the arrival of a new original Pixar film with this summer’s Elio. That legacy is also defined in the returns to the past that come with sequels, and Toy Story 5’s start of production taking place in this same milestone year is a pretty amazing feat.
But with all of this movement on the board, something as simple as Tom Hanks celebrating his return to Woody, while making sure we have no clue what dialogue he’s actually recording at the moment. Sharing a photo from the booth as this upcoming Pixar movie is getting underway, we have this great tease from Mr. Hanks’ Instagram on what he’s currently working on:
If you pay close attention to that script page in the bottom right hand corner, you’ll notice that the utmost secrecy is very much in play. Nothing like the digital equivalent of White Out to hide what our pull-string warrior will be saying in his latest Toy Story appearance. I also have to tip my hat towards Tom Hanks for the appropriate hand gesture; it not only resembles the number of this current sequel, but is also a good focus puller from that obscured script page.
Though I will admit that sort of secrecy is even more important than ever, seeing as Toy Story 4’s ending kind of put the series at a bit of a crossroads. With Woody and Buzz (Tim Allen) splitting up, as the cowboy was heading off on the open road with his true love Bo Peep (Annie Potts), the question has always been “how could they top that?”
Well, Tim Allen’s Toy Story 5 plot tease has certainly hinted that the wizards at Pixar have come up with something emotionally resonant, and Joan Cusack’s Jessie will be a huge part of it. But of course, the secrets of what’s in the works are still being kept, as this latest stretch of production is taking shape.
We’re not totally devoid of information, as you could see in Mr. Allen’s remarks above. Another recent development saw the Andrew Stanton-directed sequel finding a Toy Story 5 replacement for the late Carl Weathers, who previously voiced the role of Combat Carl. Even Pixar’s co-chief creative officer Pete Docter, another vet of this iconic franchise, has hinted at how Toy Story differs from “kids movies,” in a careful but creative way.
We’re not going to see the results until June 19, 2026; but Toy Story 5 is certainly doing a good job of luring people into its orbit. Even I have to admit that as a person who argued why Toy Story 4 should have been the last, I’m ready to see how such an emotional ending is undone this time around. So perhaps we should watch the skies, or rather Tom Hanks’ Instagram feed, and see what else trickles out of this den of secrecy in the meantime.
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