Unless you've been living inside a toy box, you're no doubt aware by now that it is illegal to release a film that isn't a sequel. Okay, not quite – but with so many existing intellectual properties infesting our cinema screens in recent years, it can feel that way. Anyway, here comes Toy Story 5.
Disney has just announced that not one, not two, but three new sequels are in the works. Alongside Frozen 3 and, er, Zootropolis 2, Toy Story 5 will be arriving at some point in the "near future". And like many people on Twitter, I'm not sure I feel the need to say goodbye Woody, Buzz et al again. (Fancy revisiting the films? Check out our guide to Disney Plus (opens in new tab).)
In the company's most recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared, "Today I'm so pleased to announce that we have sequels in the works from our animation studios to some of our most popular franchises, Toy Story, Frozen and Zootopia." That's all we know so far, but it's enough to have riled up Toy Story fans.
The issue is that the franchise has already been given a definitive ending. Then another one. Toy Story 3 was the perfect denouement, with ownership of the toys transferring to another child as Andy rode off into the sunset (college). Then Toy Story 4 came along, doing a fairly decent job of justifying its own existence with another ending in which Woody left the group to live with Bo Peep and a group of toys without owners. If Disney tries to wrap things up again, we're likely to have a serious case of diminishing returns on our hands. Hey, maybe they'll actually all get incinerated this time.
There is going to be a Toy Story 5, I don't know how many endings to these toys I can emotionally handle.February 8, 2023
Toy Story 4 was my least favorite film in the franchise. Toy Story 1-3 was such a wonderful trilogy. I don't even want to think about a Toy Story 5.February 9, 2023
Toy Story 3 was the perfect ending to the trilogy, closing the book on Andy's childhoodToy Story 4 was a fine epilogue, allowing Woody to relinquish being the surrogate dad of the group and realise he could live his own life without worryingYou do not need to make Toy Story 5February 9, 2023
Still, while Toy Story 4 might have tainted an otherwise perfect trilogy from a narrative perspective, there's no denying that it's a technical and visual masterpiece. Just look at the staggering CGI difference between the first and fourth films.
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