Pixar has extended the Toy Story franchise once again, prompting questions about the status and possibility of Toy Story 6. Since 1995, the animation studio has been telling stories about Woody and Buzz Lightyear. After starting as Andy’s toys, the franchise stalwarts and pals were passed to Bonnie in Toy Story 3.
Since the 2010 film, Pixar has continued to find new ways to revisit this world. But with each entry, uncertainty about the future has come. Toy Story 3 was thought to be the end of this story before another was made to fully shift the franchise to focusing on Bonnie as the kid the toys yearn to be with. And when Toy Story 4 ended with Buzz and Woody going their separate ways, it seemed to conclude the series once again.
Toy Story 5‘s release in 2026 proved this was not the case. Turning the focus to Jessie for a story about the impact of technology on kids, the movie found a fresh perspective and a worthwhile narrative. It’s another sign that Pixar has no issues making more Toy Story movies, so long as they feel the idea and themes are strong enough to warrant it.
Andy’s Room · Tri-County Area How Well Do You Know Toy Story? “To infinity… and beyond!”
🤠WoodyReach for the sky
🚀BuzzInfinity & beyond
👽The AliensThe claaaw
🍴ForkyI’m trash!
🧸Andy’s ToysPlayed with love
01
When Pixar released Toy Story in November 1995, it didn’t just launch a franchise — it changed the medium forever. What historic distinction did the original film claim?
✓ Howdy, partner! Toy Story was the world’s first feature-length film made entirely with computer-generated imagery — eighty-one minutes of CG when nobody had done more than a few-minute short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. (Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001; no animated film has ever won Best Picture; and the first $1 billion film was Titanic, two years later.)
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is: first feature-length computer-animated film. Eighty-one minutes of pure CG in 1995, when nobody else had managed more than a short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001, no animated film has won Best Picture, and Titanic was the first billion-dollar film two years later.
02
Sheriff Woody, Andy’s pull-string cowboy doll, has been voiced by the same Oscar-winning actor across all four Toy Story films — the role helping cement him as the unofficial voice of Pixar. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Tom Hanks has voiced Woody across all four Toy Story films, the spinoff shorts, and the Disney Parks. Tim Allen is his co-lead as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz, but scheduling conflicts pushed him out — he later did the genie cameo in Lightyear. Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Tom Hanks — Woody across every Toy Story film, short, and theme-park appearance. Tim Allen is the other half of the duo as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz but had scheduling conflicts; Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
03
Buzz Lightyear’s rallying cry is one of the most quoted lines in all of animation. He delivers it the moment he flips open his wrist communicator. Complete it: “To infinity…”
✓ Howdy, partner! “To infinity… and beyond!” The line got its own American Film Institute nod, was adopted (in slightly altered form) by an actual NASA mission, and even traveled to the International Space Station in 2008 on a real Buzz Lightyear action figure as part of an educational program. It’s the franchise’s most quoted line, hands down.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is “…and beyond!” Buzz’s tagline got an AFI nod, was adopted in spirit by NASA, and a real Buzz action figure even flew to the International Space Station in 2008 on a STEM education mission. It’s the most quoted line in the franchise.
04
The toys all live in the bedroom of a boy named Andy, whose name is written in marker on the bottom of each of their feet. What is Andy’s last name, shown on the family mailbox and on his college acceptance envelope?
✓ Howdy, partner! Andy Davis — his last name appears on the family mailbox, on the “Davis” minivan, and on the college envelope in Toy Story 3. His mom is Mrs. Davis (first name never officially revealed in-film, though a fan theory says “Emily,” aka Jessie’s old owner). Bonnie, the toys’ eventual new owner, has the last name Anderson.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Davis. It’s on the family mailbox, the minivan, and Andy’s college envelope in Toy Story 3. Bonnie (who inherits the toys at the end of TS3) is Bonnie Anderson — close, but a different family.
05
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” opens the first Toy Story and has been reprised in every sequel. The same singer-songwriter composed the score for all four films — one of Hollywood’s most decorated film composers. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Randy Newman wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film — he also did Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, Cars, and The Princess and the Frog. He’s a 22-time Oscar nominee with two wins. Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out), Menken is Disney’s Renaissance musical guy, and Zimmer handles Lion King territory.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Randy Newman. He wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film (plus Monsters, Inc., Cars, and A Bug’s Life). Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular composer (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out); Alan Menken handled Disney’s Renaissance musicals; Hans Zimmer did The Lion King.
06
In Toy Story 3, the gang ends up at Sunnyside Daycare, where everything seems wonderful at first. The day-care’s leader is a pink plush bear who smells like strawberries and turns out to be the franchise’s darkest villain. What’s his name?
✓ Howdy, partner! Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear — “Lotso” for short — voiced by Ned Beatty. The backstory of how he ended up at Sunnyside (replaced by an identical bear after being left in the rain by his original owner) is one of the franchise’s saddest beats. Stinky Pete is the TS2 villain (Kelsey Grammer), Zurg is from TS2 as well, and Gabby Gabby is the TS4 antagonist who gets her redemption.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Lotso — Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, voiced by Ned Beatty. The TS3 reveal that he was replaced by an identical bear after his original owner left him in the rain is one of Pixar’s darkest beats. Stinky Pete is TS2 (Kelsey Grammer), Emperor Zurg is also TS2, and Gabby Gabby is the redemption-arc antagonist from TS4.
07
In Toy Story 4, Bonnie cobbles together a brand-new toy during a kindergarten arts-and-crafts session, sparking the whole plot when he wails “I’m trash!” and tries to throw himself away. What everyday utensil is Forky made from?
✓ Howdy, partner! Forky is a spork — with googly eyes, a popsicle-stick foot, pipe-cleaner arms, and a red plasticine mouth. He’s voiced by Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), and his existential terror about being “trash” rather than a toy is the whole emotional engine of TS4. He got his own Disney+ shorts series after.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is a spork — with pipe-cleaner arms, googly eyes, and a popsicle-stick foot. He’s voiced by Tony Hale, and his “I’m trash!” meltdown is the heart of TS4. He even got his own Disney+ short series, Forky Asks a Question.
08
Toy Story 3 ends with one of the most emotionally devastating scenes Pixar has ever made: Andy, packing for college, hand-delivers his old toys to a new owner in her front yard and plays with them one last time. Who is she?
✓ Howdy, partner! Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had met earlier in the film when she “adopted” him from her mom’s day-care lost-and-found. Andy goes through every toy with her one by one before driving off to college. It’s the franchise’s natural ending. Bonnie then becomes the toys’ new owner in Toy Story 4.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had encountered earlier in the film. Andy goes through every single toy with her, one by one, before leaving for college. She becomes the toys’ new owner for Toy Story 4. Molly is Andy’s little sister (she gives up Barbie in TS3, but never inherits the gang).
The Toys Have Spoken · Play Time Over Your Toy Box Verdict
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Andy’s favorite — or destined for the yard sale?
With Toy Story 5 now released, the future of the series rests with Toy Story 6. Pixar and Disney have so far not made any formal announcements about the movie happening, nor have executives and filmmakers confirmed Toy Story 5 is the official end. Here’s everything we know about the sequel’s status and whether it should even happen.
Toy Story 6 Hasn’t Been Announced But It Hasn’t Been Ruled Out
Smarty Pants, Atlas, Snappy, Bullseye, and Jessie looking curiously out of a door in Toy Story 5
Pixar has had no issues greenlighting sequels in recent years, but Toy Story 6 is not yet one of them. The studio never announces sequels ahead of a new film’s release, often waiting years to confirm that another entry is on the way. That’s why most Pixar sequels have longer release gaps than Hollywood’s traditional turnaround time frame of three or four years.
This suggests that if Toy Story 6 is going to happen, we will likely have to wait a few years for such a confirmation. Pixar will certainly let Toy Story 5 have its time of celebration and see exactly how well it does at the box office before announcing anything. This will prevent the studio from making any premature decisions about the franchise’s future.
After all, there are many other confirmed upcoming Pixar movies already. They have enough projects in the works to keep their animation teams busy for years to come. This includes big sequels Incredibles 3, Coco 2, and Monsters, Inc. 3. If Toy Story 6 is ultimately greenlit, it will likely not be released for many years, giving Pixar time to make the correct decision.
It is worth noting that Toy Story 6 possibilities have already been discussed, though. Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton told ScreenRant that “you can never say never” when asked about the chances of seeing another sequel. He went on to tease the chances of Toy Story 6 following more of Bonnie’s life, with the franchise even able to move the toys to another kid down the road to keep it going even longer.
Stanton also gave some insight into how Toy Story‘s unconfirmed future has repeatedly left the latest movie to work as both a final film and plant seeds for another potential entry:
Stanton: “It’s like a series that doesn’t know it’s going to get picked up for the next season. We’d always end it like it could end here, but we’ve passed the badge on from Woody to Jessie at the end of 4, just in case it keeps going. So it’s always been that kind of mindset.”
One thing we can say with near certainty about Toy Story 6 is that Stanton won’t direct it. He previously said, “This is probably the last one I’m gonna do.” So, if Pixar does want to keep telling stories with Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, they’ll need to find someone else to take the reins.
How Toy Story 5 Sets Up A Potential Sixth Movie
Bullseye and Jessie looking scared in Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5‘s ending leaves the franchise very much in a place where it can make another movie, as there are multiple paths forward now. It is just up to Pixar to decide on which avenue is best to tackle next.
The most straightforward way for Toy Story 6 to happen is to explore more of Bonnie’s new friendship with Blaze. This would allow the sequel to keep both kids around and use both sets of toys, allowing Smarty Pants and other tech to come back alongside Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of Bonnie’s toys. It’d also be expected that Woody would return somehow.
Toy Story 6 could also shift the franchise’s main character once again. After largely focusing on Woody for the first four movies and Jessie for Toy Story 5, the sixth film could become more about Buzz. This could include reuniting with the hi-tech Buzz Lightyear army. Giving the franchise’s core version of Buzz a larger role like this would be a great way to close out the second trilogy.
We also can’t rule out the chance that Toy Story 6 moves beyond Bonnie’s story. One of the children who finds the hi-tech Buzzes in Toy Story 5‘s post-credits scene could be an option. So too could be Emily’s daughter, Jessie, if Toy Story 6 wants to craft an emotional reunion between the cowgirl doll and her original human owner.
Should Pixar Actually Make Toy Story 6
Woody and Buzz looking shocked standing in front of the other toys in Toy Story 5
Pixar has time to figure out Toy Story 6‘s fate, and whether the studio should keep this franchise going is sure to divide fans.
On one hand, Toy Story 5 would work as a final chapter in this series. It’s another strong entry in this beloved franchise that tells the most modern story possible. With Jessie and Buzz getting married, this would be a happy ending for all involved.
There is also the risk that the longer this story keeps going, the more likely Pixar is of making a movie that doesn’t fully satisfy audiences. Woody already received his smallest role in the franchise with the fifth film, and it could become increasingly difficult to explain his return to Bonnie’s room for future installments. Perhaps it would just be better to let the story end here.
However, Toy Story 5 proves that Pixar can still make a compelling, timely, and emotional story in this world, even after over three decades. As discussed previously, there are some intriguing storylines that Toy Story 6 could follow and add at least one more great movie to this series.
With Toy Story 5‘s 94% audience and critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes, there are also no signs of audience fatigue. It’d make sense for Pixar to keep returning to this well as long as they can craft the right story. There is no real reason to end it now when these characters can keep reaching children for years to come.
Considering their track record of doing so with the Toy Story movies, it would be surprising if Toy Story 6 never happens.
Video Game(s)
Toy Story, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue
Created by
John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft
