Pixar took the stage at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Friday, revealing new details about the highly anticipated Toy Story 5. Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter brought with him a sneak peek -- sharing with the audience the opening scene of the movie -- while social media was graced with a new image.
Never one to shy away from addressing trends and cultural topics, Pixar is tackling the growing rise of tech among kids with Toy Story 5's tagline described as "toys for tech."
The new image, shared on social media, shows Woody, Buzz, and Bullseye talking to a frog-like tablet named Lilypad. Doctor revealed that since Woody (Tom Hanks) left Bonnie to look for abandoned toys, it's actually Jesse (Joan Cusack) who has taken on the leadership role for the toys in Bonnie's room with Buzz (Tim Allen) acting as her second-in-command. Bonnie, now eight years old, is starting to become more interested in advanced toys like the aforementioned iPad.
"Toy Story 5, it's toy meets tech," revealed Docter (via Collider). "If you remember from Toy Story 4, Woody has left the kids for a life of adventure with Bo and her friends, helping lots of toys in need. And Sheriff Jessie is now in charge of Bonnie's room with a recently deputized Buzz Lightyear to assist, and the rest of the toy gang is still there with the same sassy attitudes, Ham, Rex, Slinky, Potato Head.”
"Bonnie is eight now, and she has become more concerned about being socially connected and making friends, which is why her parents agreed to buy her this lily pad," he continued, setting up the film's premise. "It's a new tech tablet allowing her to chat with her friends, but lily pad can be a little sneaky and prickly because in her mind, to better socialize, Bonnie needs to move on. She needs to go past toys.”
Serving as the film's antagonist, Lilypad wants to separate Bonnie from her toys to make her more social. With the toys in trouble, Jesse reaches out to Woody for help.
"That of course, puts her at odds with toys who have very different opinions about what Bonnie needs," Docter continued. "Woody is called back to help. It's been a little bit since they've seen each other, and he and Buzz don't always see eye to eye. As Potato Head says in the movie, “It's nice to see them arguing again.”
In addition to these initial plot details, audience members were also treated to the opening scene of the movie which ahs been described as "completely unbelievable" and a "huge departure for the series."
Toy Story 5 is set to release in theaters on June 19, 2026. With a little over a year to go, it will likely be a few more months before we see a trailer. But at least we now have a better idea about the film's premise, which was a huge concern when Disney first announced plans for a fifth movie in the beloved franchise. As a father with two children being raised in the "iPad generation," I'm looking forward to seeing the "toys versus tech" story play out on the big screen.