It sounds like Woody and Buzz Lightyear will have more adventures after Toy Story 5. Toy Story celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2025, and the franchise is still going strong, with the upcoming sequel taking the number-one spot on Fandango’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2026. Both Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 were billion-dollar-grossing movies, and the newest adventure for the toys sees them tackling the topical subject of technology replacing toys as kids go to play with items.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Andrew Stanton teased that the brainstorming session for Toy Story 5 they possibly touched on was enough material for two more films. It is unclear whether he meant Toy Story 5 and a sequel, or two additional films after Toy Story 5. While he didn’t reveal any specific plans, he did hint that it could move the story beyond the toy’s most recent owner, Bonnie. Stanton certainly feels like Toy Story will keep going, though he hints he won’t be in the director’s chair at Pixar, saying, “This is probably the last one I’m gonna do.”
However, Stanton won’t be leaving Pixar, as he will continue to creatively consult on Pixar films until he is “in a rocking chair somewhere. And I will always have a strong opinion about this.” Stanton was one of the first employees at Pixar Animation, later scoring a co-writing credit on Toy Story before eventually co-directing A Bug’s Life. He would later direct his own films, including Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Finding Dory. “This is probably the best way I can leave my stamp at Pixar — teaching others how this is done.” Stanton is also the first to admit he has already made this declaration before, saying:
“I really thought [Finding] Dory was it. So I’ve got a lot of egg on my face. I’m not saying never, but the math doesn’t add up….Four years goes so much faster the older you get, and I want my four years to last so long. I don’t wanna blink one more movie and be close to 70.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The idea of more Toy Story films is both promising and frustrating. Despite Toy Story 4 being well received by critics and audiences, many were critical of the decision to continue the franchise after what many saw as the perfect trilogy ending with Toy Story 3. Names like Jack Black and Quentin Tarantino have expressed their disappointment about making more movies after Toy Story 3. However, both Toy Story 4 and the trailers for Toy Story 5 have shown there is still plenty of story left to tell with the iconic characters and how a toy’s place in the world has shifted since the original film opened in 1995.
Stanton’s discussion of more Toy Story movies does not guarantee that any are in development. Pixar already has plenty of films in development, ranging from original films like Gatto in March 2027 to sequels like The Incredibles 3 in 2028 and Coco 2 in 2029. Toy Story 5 comes out seven years from Toy Story 4, just a little under the nine-year gap between Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. This suggests that if Pixar does want to make another Toy Story movie, it will be at least four to five years away, if not longer.