Inside the Radical Rewrite That Transformed Toy Story 5

Toy Story is getting back in the spotlight with a fifth instalment, which means more existential crises for plastic playthings but this time with a tech twist. Pixar are dusting off the original cast, after taking a detour with Hoppers earlier this year, and they reckon they’ve found something fresh enough to justify a return. Apparently, the toys are about to face their scariest opponent yet: irrelevance, thanks to a villain that's basically an evil iPad.

The Return of Woody, Buzz, and... Jessie?

So, the usual suspects are back. Tom Hanks is once again voicing Woody, and Tim Allen’s slipping back into the Buzz Lightyear suit, despite everything that’s happened with that franchise. Joan Cusack, though, is the proper lead this time – meaning Jessie finally gets the spotlight, and not before time from where I’m sitting.

The story’s set seven years after Toy Story 4. This time, Bonnie (the toys’ latest owner – you might remember her from the last couple of outings) is growing up, and she’s not quite as glued to her actual toys as she used to be. Enter the new villain – they're calling her LilyPad, played by Greta Lee – who is literally a tablet and more than a little interested in stealing Bonnie’s attention for herself.

Out With Old School Villains, In With Gadgets

Previous Toy Story villains ran the gamut, from demented neighbourhood kids like Sid to crazed retro dolls and pink, strawberry-scented despots. Now, the real enemy is a slab of glass, and (let’s face it) that's probably a bit too on the nose for most parents watching this with their kids.

The plot is less about toys versus humans and more about what childhood looks like now. The writers, Andrew Stanton (also directing) and Kenna Harris, spoke to MovieWeb about how the tech angle wasn’t actually their first idea. At first, it was apparently a pretty straightforward ‘tech is bad, toys are good’ sort of showdown.

'When we started, it was proper black and white – LilyPad wanted Bonnie’s time, Jessie wanted Bonnie’s time, and it all got a bit selfish,' said Stanton. 'But it quickly became obvious that you wouldn’t want to watch that story go round and round.'

Harris explained the solution was to fire up another story thread: what if there’s a girl out there who’s a bit older than Bonnie, facing the same growing pains, and Jessie gets sent off to help her as well? Instead of scrabbling for attention, Jessie would try to guide Bonnie through whatever tricky bits come with growing up, basically taking a parental role.

'It unlocked things for us,' Harris admitted. 'Because it turns out LilyPad isn’t just a generic baddie – she wants a good parent too, in her own way.'

By the sounds of things, they’re hoping this angle will make Toy Story 5 relevant even when new gadgets crop up and kids inevitably get bored of tablets.

Who’s In, What’s Changed, And Where's This All Going?

• Directing & Writing: Andrew Stanton (core Pixar crew, had a hand in the originals), co-writing with Kenna Harris
• Main Cast: Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie
• Villain: Greta Lee as LilyPad (the ‘evil’ tablet)
• Release: June (Pixar haven’t moved the slot)

It’s not often you get a franchise bouncing back after such a clean emotional conclusion, as Toy Story 4 seemed to deliver, but Pixar reckon they’ve found a new angle, plus they’re not exactly subtle about planning more sequels, if current rumours about a Toy Story 6 and 7 are anything to go by.

If you’re wondering how many times the plot’s been through the blender, the answer’s ‘quite a few’. Stanton and Harris both seem aware that shoving tech into the franchise risks turning it into a ‘toys good, screens bad’ lecture, so they’ve tried to steer things into more interesting territory about connection—not just screen time. For anyone keeping count, that’s now a toy trilogy and counting, all about dealing with being replaced (first kids, then other toys, now electronics).