Tim Allen Reveals Toy Story 5 In The Works, Disney That Desperate For A Hit?
When Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that there was going to be a new Toy Story film on the way, fans were hoping that Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear would be along for the ride. It seems like that will be the case, as Allen recently revealed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that he and Hanks were approached to reprise their roles. This means that the film is likely Toy Story 5 and not a spin-off like Lightyear, which ended up being a commercial flop for the House of Mouse.
Tim Allen also revealed that one of the original creators is handling the script for Toy Story 5, though he didn’t reveal who this creator is. Allen did, however, voice some concerns that fans of the franchise undoubtedly have, saying, “They’re not saying anything about it…You wonder if four was too many. Is five going to be too much?”
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.‘
Many fans felt that Toy Story 3 was an immensely satisfying end to the stories of Buzz, Woody, and Andy, leading to skepticism when Toy Story 4 was announced. However, Pixar proved the skepticism was unwarranted as Toy Story 4 managed to be an even more satisfying ending for these characters that people have grown to love over the years. So, though Toy Story 5 might not be needed, Pixar has certainly proven that it only revisits the franchise when the idea for the story is a good one.
Allen gave more of his opinion about the potential Toy Story 5, saying, “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.’” Clearly, whoever is writing this installment of the franchise is only doing it because they have a good idea that makes a return to the franchise worthwhile. Those are certainly comforting words from Allen, and it does bode well for Disney, which has had a string of disappointments under the Pixar banner.
The aforementioned Lightyear had a pretty muted performance at the box office, and the film Elemental did better, albeit not to the level you’d expect for a Pixar blockbuster. Add to the fact that previous potential box office hits like Turning Red, Luca, and Soul were released straight to streaming, and you get the feeling that Disney is looking for a big hit this time around. This is further evidenced by the fact that Iger also announced new films from other reliable franchises like Frozen and Zootopia alongside the Toy Story 5 announcement.
From a financial standpoint, Toy Story 5 seems like it should be a sure thing, considering the previous two films in the franchise both cleared over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, alongside the critical acclaim. Disney is likely hoping for similar success for its upcoming sequel, Inside Out 2 in 2024, which is another Pixar IP that has huge financial potential. It’s certainly fair for fans to be wary of yet another Toy Story film, but hopefully, the franchise continues the trend of not letting us down.
