Toy Story 5 producer reveals why Woody is “in his dadbod, owning it” – and which toy deserved to be the focus of new sequel

by

Hanks playfully teased, “Sweet, sweet Woody, because she’s thoughtful and understanding.” Allen responded with exaggerated frustration, saying, “Oh, I get it!”

In Toy Story 5, Woody continues to show his age – Trixie the Triceratops playfully points out he needs a brown marker to touch up his hat. The film introduces a new villain, Lilypad, a tablet character voiced by Greta Lee, who sarcastically calls Woody “Stuffalo Bill.” Tom Hanks himself praises Lilypad as a remarkably clever and complex character, potentially one of the best villains or leaders he’s ever encountered.

In Toy Story 4, Woody chose a new path, leaving Bonnie and his friends to join Bo Peep and dedicate himself to helping lost toys find new children. According to Andrew Stanton, a key creative force behind all five Toy Story films (having directed and co-written the latest installment with Kenna Harris), Woody fully embraced the challenge of rescuing these toys.

He’s stopped worrying about looking perfect. Now that he’s free from being a child’s toy, he’s truly enjoying life, and he wears the marks of his adventures with pride.

Producer Lindsey Collins shared that Woody, the toy, is embracing a more relaxed, ‘dadbod’ physique, and fans are loving it. She even joked that people are surprisingly eager to buy a balding, ‘dadbod’ Woody toy, which is something they’ve been hearing from potential customers.

In the final scene of Toy Story 4, Woody passes his sheriff badge to Jessie, signaling a change in leadership. The filmmakers intentionally left Jessie’s story open-ended after Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 4 serves as a tribute to her character. According to producer Galyn Harris, they felt Jessie had more to offer and wanted to revisit her story, especially when Bonnie starts paying more attention to technology than her toys.

Stanton immediately decided the story should focus on Jessie, believing she needed a chance to heal. The film explores how even short relationships can have a lasting effect – for better or worse – and how important it is to be mindful of how we treat others, as you never know the impact you’ll have.

The toys are upset, fearing they’ll be forgotten now that Bonnie prefers spending time with friends playing games and using the Lilypad app. To make matters worse, a shipment of new, high-tech Buzz Lightyear action figures—all stuck in demo mode—washes up on shore.

It’s a natural step for the series to move from toys to technology, but Pixar doesn’t offer a simple answer. Instead, the film presents technology as an unavoidable part of life. According to one of the filmmakers, audiences asked for a solution, but the creators realized they didn’t have one – they simply wanted to help Bonnie navigate the change.

Is Pixar concerned about the impact of AI, much like the toys in their films? According to Andrew Stanton, it’s a complicated question. He compares AI to fire – it has the potential to be both destructive and beneficial, and its ultimate effect is still uncertain.

From the start, we’ve been dedicated to using machine learning and cutting-edge technology. Because this field is always evolving, we’re constantly refining our approach to find the most effective methods. Our primary focus is to empower artists by creating tools that simplify their work, spark creativity, and foster collaboration – we absolutely want to support artists, not replace them.

Both Tim Allen and Tom Hanks were surprised when Woody returned for another adventure after the emotional farewell in Toy Story 4. Allen admits he believed Toy Story 3 would have been the last film, especially since it concluded with Andy, their original owner, passing Woody and the other toys on to Bonnie.

Allen felt Buzz and Woody deserved a meaningful reunion scene. He explained that because saying goodbye to Woody was so difficult in the fourth movie, it was important to show Buzz realizing his friend had returned. He described the scene as brief and simple, but emotionally impactful.

In 2025, the groundbreaking computer-animated film Toy Story celebrated its 30th anniversary. Pixar followed with its 40th anniversary in February 2026. The actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have been connected to the franchise for decades, and their first meeting in 1995 mirrored the initial dynamic between their characters, Woody and Buzz.

Allen remembers that during lunch, Tom Hanks helped himself to chips directly from Allen’s plate. Allen, coming from a large family where that’s considered rude, found it very irritating. Hanks reportedly told him to relax, but Allen didn’t think it was amusing.

You know, I always heard that Abbott and Costello weren’t particularly close, that they didn’t really connect offstage. That would be a real challenge for any partnership, I think. But I find Allen a really engaging person to talk to. And it’s interesting – the genuine warmth between Woody and Buzz in those films really came through when their characters finally became friends. I definitely have a lot of respect and affection for Hanks as a person and a colleague.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. Before it loads, we need your permission because it might use cookies. If you want to see the content, please select ‘Accept and continue’ to enable reCAPTCHA.

Hanks realized while working on the second film that he needed to fully commit to the emotional core of the story. He felt a deep responsibility to reach a specific emotional truth, worrying constantly about whether he and the filmmakers had succeeded in capturing it. He knew this emotional work would be challenging and cause him considerable anxiety until he was satisfied with the result.

Toy Story is Disney+’s most popular movie series worldwide. The films have earned 11 Academy Award nominations, winning four, and have collectively made over £200 million in the UK and Ireland. Since 2020, Disney Store has sold enough Toy Story figures – including Woody, Jessie, and Buzz – to fill Wembley Stadium nearly seven times! It’s clear the franchise has been a huge success, touching audiences with its stories and beloved characters.

Tom Hanks reflects on the unique experience of working on the ‘Toy Story’ films, saying it’s incredibly rewarding but also comes with a lot of pressure. He wonders if others feel the same weight of responsibility, especially knowing how much the characters mean to young children. He and the team realized that meeting the actors playing Woody and Buzz Lightyear is a huge moment for toddlers, and that impact shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Allen expressed feeling thankful and humbled, saying he was honored by the recognition. Hanks added that it felt like being told their work was valued, whether by a young child or someone discovering ‘Toy Story’ for the first time with this new film. Hanks suggested the movie should simply be called ‘Toy Story,’ rather than ‘Toy Story 5,’ playfully ending with the classic line, ‘To infinity, and beyond!’

Authors

Laura Rutkowski

Read More

2026-06-08 19:38