TOY STORY 5 Test Screening Reaction Suggests Pixar May Have Pulled Off Another Heartfelt Sequel
It looks like Pixar might have done it again. The first reactions from a recent Toy Story 5 test screening are rolling in, and from what’s being said, this long-running franchise may have another emotional winner on its hands.
Since Toy Story first hit theaters back in 1995, this series has become one of Disney and Pixar’s most beloved creations. But after Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 delivered what felt like perfect goodbyes, many fans were skeptical about going back to the toy box one more time.
Still, with Disney looking to revive its theatrical success after a string of box office disappointments like TRON: Ares, it’s no surprise the studio wants to keep playing with their most trusted brands, like Toy Story.
This time around, Toy Story 5 brings the toys face-to-face with technology. Jessie is now running Bonnie’s room when the story begins, but things take a strange turn with the arrival of a frog-like tablet named Lilypad.
The toys soon find themselves up against this digital invader, which sparks the return of Woody. Early concept art even teases an army of 50 Buzz Lightyears stuck in play mode that will make life even harder for our heroes.
Early viewers are reportedly loving it. According to The DisInsider’s Skyler Shuler, “Apparently, there was a Toy Story 5 test screening last week, and those in attendance loved it, and one person said, ‘Once again, another heartfelt film in this franchise.’”
That’s the kind of reaction Disney has been desperate to hear lately. It sounds like maybe the sequel will actually capture that familiar Toy Story mix of humor, emotion, and heart, while also tackling something timely: the impact of technology on childhood.
Seeing Woody, Buzz, and Jessie go up against a modern gadget like Lilypad feels like a clever evolution for the series rather than just another retread.
Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about what makes this new chapter stand out.
“I think [writer and director] Andrew’s done a really great job of letting moments breathe in unexpected ways,” Docter said. “Things that [make you think], ‘Wait, is this a Toy Story movie?,’ with some of his choices, which I think we need at this point. We’ve had four of ’em already. We got to keep people surprised, so it’s going to be fun.”
He added, “That was important to us at the time when Toy Story came out, there wasn’t a lot of films that did that. There were a lot of ’em that were like four kids and nothing really other than maybe from Japan or something for adults.
“And so our goal was to, in the same way [Steven] Spielberg did with Indiana Jones and Star Wars with George Lucas, we’d love to bring animation into something that we as 20-, 30-year olds can enjoy.”
Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, Toy Story 5 brings back Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, Tony Hale as Forky, Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, and Anna Faris as the new character Lilypad.
If the early reactions are anything to go by, this might actually deliver the emotional and nostalgic hit Pixar needs right now. Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19, 2026.