Nearly 30 years after audiences were first introduced to Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Pixar is returning to one of its most beloved franchises with Toy Story 5. For director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins, however, the new installment is about more than revisiting familiar characters. It is an opportunity to explore the realities of contemporary childhood, including the growing influence of screens and digital technology on young lives.
Speaking to Arab News, Stanton emphasized that Toy Story 4 was never intended to serve as the definitive conclusion of the franchise.
“I never looked at it as finishing the whole series. That was just Woody’s story,” Stanton said. “I see the films as chapters in the lives of the children. The Andy years are over, and now we’re firmly in the Bonnie years.”
The fifth film ventures into distinctly modern territory, centering on a child whose imagination and emotional world are increasingly shaped by tablets, smartphones, and a constant stream of digital content. According to Collins, addressing that reality felt unavoidable.
“I think it reflects the world we’re living in,” she said. “These films have always tried to capture the moment—what toys are dealing with, and what we’re dealing with as people at that particular time.”
Stanton revealed that the creative team initially considered making technology, represented by a frog-shaped tablet named Lilypad, a straightforward villain.
“That was the first instinct,” he said. “But then you realize that if it were truly a villain, parents wouldn’t buy it and kids wouldn’t use it.”
Instead, the filmmakers chose to portray technology as something more complex—both compelling and disruptive.
“It’s a seductive force, and we still haven’t figured out the right balance,” Stanton said. “When you have it, it can completely consume your attention. That felt truthful to us. But it’s not a simple good-versus-bad issue. The challenge is learning how to live with something that isn’t going away.”
He compared today’s relationship with digital devices to the arrival of television in American households during the 1950s.
“Television may have disrupted certain family dynamics, but it never disappeared,” Stanton said. “We wanted to embrace that complexity rather than simplify it.”
With Woody’s departure at the end of Toy Story 4, the franchise has moved beyond one era of leadership. In Toy Story 5, Jessie steps into the spotlight as the leader of Bonnie’s toy community.
“Ever since Toy Story 2, there has been a strong desire to give Jessie her own moment,” Collins said. “When Andrew proposed a story with Jessie at its center, people throughout Pixar were excited.”
Collins described the new film as a natural companion to Toy Story 2, offering long-awaited development for the fan-favorite cowgirl.
“She’s leading Bonnie’s room now, and while she shares some qualities with Woody, she approaches things very differently,” Collins said. “She’s a little unhinged—in the best possible way.”
As the franchise reaches its fifth installment, Pixar faces the challenge of appealing both to children discovering these characters for the first time and to adults who grew up with them. Stanton believes the solution lies in avoiding demographic distinctions altogether.
“I’ve never separated the audience into children and adults,” he said. “That’s actually one of our strengths. We focus on what’s universal—what still resonates with us as adults when we think about childhood. As long as you’re telling the truth about childhood and its challenges, the story speaks to everyone.”
Visually, Toy Story 5 aims to balance continuity with innovation. While Pixar’s technology continues to evolve, Collins said the studio remains committed to preserving the familiar look and feel that audiences associate with the franchise.
“We’re actually pretty good at that by now,” she said. “Our tools are constantly improving, but with Toy Story the challenge is often knowing when to hold back. We want the world to remain visually familiar while still finding opportunities to push ourselves creatively.”
One example is the film’s expanded use of outdoor settings and natural environments, made possible by advances in animation technology. At the same time, the movie explores Bonnie’s imagination in ways that depart from previous installments.
“In our fantasy play sequences, we’re taking some real stylistic risks,” Collins said. “We’re entering Bonnie’s imagination in a way that feels completely different from anything we’ve done before.”
Ultimately, she said, the goal is to strike a balance between tradition and innovation.
“We try to do both,” Collins said. “We want to keep the story grounded in what feels familiar while continuing to push boundaries.”
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