Thirty years on from their introduction, Woody and the gang return to take on the biggest threat to playtime yet writes Carter Smith
Woody and the gang have had to face many toys in the thirty years since they debuted, but in their new outing, Toy Story 5, they will have to face the newest craze that is threatening the existence of toys — technology.
Following the events of Toy Story 4, Woody (Tom Hanks) is back to help Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and the rest of the gang face off against Lilypad (Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet with new ideas on what is best for Bonnie.
It’s a big reunion as all the original cast are returning, as well as Randy Newman, who is back to do the score for a fifth time. This time, Andrew Stanton, the writer of all four Toy Story movies and the mind behind many of Pixar’s most iconic films, is stepping into the director’s chair for this film.
When asked why he decided to take the reins this time around, he said: “Somebody might fuck it up… I’ve always been a writer or involved in the writing of the other Toy Story movies. I said, ‘Let me just write our first draft of what I would like to see.”
It’s no surprise his mind wandered about taking on technology. Staring at the screen has become the new craze for kids across the globe and the latest headache for their parents. Although Lilypad may be the next thing disrupting playtime, Stanton doesn’t see the iPad as a villain.
“We’re not getting rid of these devices, no matter how hard we try. I’m always going to have my phone. I’m always going to be partially addicted to it. So it felt right for the toys to have to grapple with that nuance.”
Tom Hanks nearly didn’t return to the franchise after the first draft didn’t include Woody in it. “ I do admit that I didn’t know how to bring him back first, and so… I just wrote the first draft without him just to see if I missed him.”
There was clearly a cowboy-shaped void in Stanton’s heart as he did decide to bring Hanks and Woody back, but he is supporting a new bald patch. In response to his new look, Hanks said: “You put a rubber hat on top of a rubber head again and again and again and again, something’s gonna chafe.”
Toy Story 5 will hit theatres on June 19th in the UK, for the next iteration of Pixar’s most famous franchise.
Will it be the last? I wouldn’t count on it. If they weren’t going to stop at three, I don’t see it stopping now, and neither does Stanton.
“There would be two movies’ worth of Toy Story material to explore next. Maybe not with Bonnie, but a different character as a focal point.”
Let’s look forward to a fully bald Woody or Jessie with a walking stick.
- Toy Story 5 is free to watch on Disney +
