After being the original lead for the first four films, Toy Story 5 nearly didn’t bring Woody back, and the team are now explaining their prior plan.
The latest installment in the hit Pixar franchise sees Tom Hanks’ toy cowboy called for help by Joan Cusack’s Jessie to save their friends and the now-eight-year-old Bonnie from her new high-tech tablet, Lilypad. Toy Story 5‘s cast features a whole host of new and returning stars, including Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Greta Lee as Lilypad and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, among others.
In honor of the film’s release, ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender interviewed Tom Hanks, Kenna Harris and Lindsey Collins to discuss Toy Story 5. When asked about the sequel’s original script, in which Woody wouldn’t return to the fold, Harris confirmed that the film’s creative team “were talking a lot about the lost toys” and the desire to “understand what Woody has been doing” in the years since Toy Story 4, be it in a spinoff or otherwise.
However, as the co-director and producer joked that most of it ended up in Toy Story 5, laughing as they said that “Daddy cowboy was living his best life” in his adventures with Bo Peep, Harris further explained that the ultimate goal of the Woody-less early drafts was “us pushing to understand” what the story would look like as “we wanted to focus on Jessie.” They also confirmed that “we knew that, of course, Woody’s gonna be in the movie,” regardless of said early drafts.
Collins went on to express that “it makes so much sense” for how Woody ultimately comes back in Toy Story 5, feeling that with the new film exploring “the fact that Jessie was having so much insecurity” about starting to lose Bonnie to Lilypad, “of course she would call Woody” for help:
Lindsey Collins: It was like, all of a sudden, the person she’s gonna look to — even though Buzz is like, “Hello, right here” [laughs] — is Woody. So that, all of a sudden, started to feel really lovely, too, that they would, of course, keep a connection, and that, of course, he was a call me anytime. So, in crisis, that’s who she would call. Yeah, it just shows the subtlety of their relationships to one another. That’s who Woody is to her, whereas Buzz is something totally different.
Reflecting on Woody’s initial send-off in Toy Story 4‘s ending, and how he has changed in the years since, Hanks shared that his character “has a whole different reason to be alive,” denoting that his original drive as a toy was to be “dedicated to whoever [his] owner was,” starting with Andy before being passed on to Bonnie. However, as he joined Bo Peep in going “off into the world” in an effort to “find those discarded toys,” he has since evolved into giving them “the same reason for living that he did“:
Tom Hanks: The absolute sheer genius of having that little walkie-talkie be there, so that he could stay in touch with the people who love him and who he loves. There you go, that’s a major matter, which doesn’t alter — he didn’t say, “Hey, look, I can’t help out, I’m too busy reclaiming all these lost toys.” He actually says, “When do you need me? I’ll be there as soon as I can.” So that’s pretty great.
Despite being a central character in the first four installments, co-writer/director Andrew Stanton was the one to shock everyone a few weeks ago by sharing that the original Toy Story 5 plan didn’t include Woody. As he explained, it was largely down to an uncertainty in figuring out an organic way to fit Hanks’ character into the story, and wanting to see if it could operate without him, only to eventually find a way to do so, and feeling the movie was better for doing so.
Woody’s return did spark some early concerns among longtime Toy Story fans, particularly as the very first teaser trailer for the new film left him out. Some had already expressed their feeling that Toy Story 4 was a satisfying enough conclusion to both his and Bo Peep’s story that the next installment could leave him out, much in the way Andy didn’t return for the fourth installment.
Should they have proceeded without Hanks’ character, it certainly wouldn’t have been the first Toy Story project without Woody or other major franchise characters to appear. 2022’s Lightyear sparked a lot of division amongst fans for its lack of wider connections to the original movies, while Disney+’s Forky Asks A Question didn’t feature Woody or Buzz at all.
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?
Hank’s return as Woody alongside much of the original cast does already look to be working in Toy Story 5‘s favor. Critics have been highly favorable in their reviews for the sequel, netting it a 94% “Certified Fresh” approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while early box office projections are eyeing franchise-high numbers of at least $150 million in its opening weekend. Though some audiences may still come to disagree that Woody’s return was necessary for the sequel, it will be interesting to see if the bigger focus on Jessie quells some of those criticisms.
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