Bob Iger is tapping into what works at Disney with plans for new movies in the Frozen, Zootopia, and Toy Story franchises. In February, Iger teased returning to the studio’s known quantities to revitalize Disney’s animation arm, which has had its ups and downs in recent years. While we know about two Frozen sequels, news about another Toy Story movie has been missing from headlines until now. Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, Tim Allen appeared on The Tonight Show. During his interview, he said Disney contacted him and Tom Hanks about reprising their iconic roles from the Toy Story franchise for what could be Toy Story 5.
According to Allen, “one of the creators of the original series” is in charge of the new script. “Bob Iger, head of Disney, said it was on and actually said it was going to happen,” Allen said. “They have reached out to Tom and I to reprise the roles. They’re not saying anything about it…You wonder if four was too many. Is five going to be too much?”
Allen added, “According to the scuttlebutt, the writer that’s doing it wrote one of the better ones and said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it.’ It could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it.”
We could debate whether making Toy Story 5 is a good idea. Still, when you stop to consider Toy Story 4 (a movie few people said they were interested in) made over $1 billion worldwide, it’s easy to see why Disney is rubbing its paws together for a sequel. Audiences love that dopamine feeling of nostalgia that comes with Woody and the gang getting together for another adventure, but is Toy Story 5 a Toy Story too far? Toy Story 4 ended with Woody and Bo Peep parting ways with the core group, leaving Buzz and his friends behind to look after their owner, Bonnie, and carry Woody’s legacy into a new era. What could bring Woody and Buzz together for another film? How old is Bonnie in the new script, and what have Woody and Bo Peep been up to since forging a new path? I have so many questions.
What do you think about Allen and Hanks possibly returning for Toy Story 5? Does Disney’s Toy Story franchise still have stories to tell, or is it time to put the toys back in the box for good?