TOY STORY 5 New Look Unleashes a Buzz Lightyear Army as Director Breaks Down Franchise’s Fresh Start

It’s been 30 years since Toy story has innovated in terms of animation, and in the upcoming fifth installment, Woody, Buzz and Jessie will now find themselves confronted with a very modern problem: technology!

Being a kid today is very different than it was thirty years ago, and filmmaker Andrew Stanton set out to tell a story that reflects today’s world.

In an interview with Empire Online (via Toonado.com), he explained: “Honestly, it’s not so much a battle as it is the realization of an existential problem: that no one really plays with toys anymore.”

“Technology has changed everyone’s lives, but we wonder what that means for us – and for our children. We can’t just make technology the villain.” Stanton added before explaining how the Toy story the franchise will continue after the third and fourth installments offered what seemed like fairly definitive endings for these characters.

“So 3 was the end of the Andy years”, explains the director. “No one has their trilogy stolen. They can have it and never watch another if they don’t want to. But I’ve always loved the way this world allows us to embrace time and change. There’s no promise that it will stay in amber.”

Sequels have become a priority for Disney, especially at a time when studios like Pixar are struggling to sell original stories to moviegoers. Over the past year we have seen Inside Out 2 $1.69 billion gross vs. ElioThe $154 million global haul.

With these comments comes a new look at the Buzz Lightyear army which we have learned is collectively referred to as “the Multi-Buzz”. According to the site, they are “who will cause chaos as they all realize the true nature of their plastic existence.”

In Toy Story 5it’s Toy who meets Tech as Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang face off with a naughty tablet. Our heroes will face Lilypad, a high-tech smart tablet shaped like a frog voiced by Greta Lee (TRON: Ares), making the jobs of Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang exponentially more difficult as they face the all-new threat to playtime.

Tom Hanks returns as the ever-loyal cowboy Woody, Tim Allen takes over as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack gets back in the saddle as rootin’-tootin’ cowgirl Jessie, and Tony Hale returns as the voice of the homemade toy Forky.

It was recently announced that former late night host Conan O’Brien would also join the voice cast as the potty training tech toy, Smarty Pants.

Toy Story 5 is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton (WALL•E, Finding Nemo, Finding Dory), co-directed by Kenna Harris (Hi Alberto) and produced by Lindsey Collins (Turn red, WALL•E, Finding Dory).

The animated adventure will hit theaters nationwide on June 19, 2026.