Woody, Buzz, and a Tablet Villain Bring Toy Story 5 to Theaters Today

The Gang's Back — and So Is the Screen Time Debate

The toys are back in Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5, and this time it's Toy meets Tech. Thirty-one years after Woody and Buzz first tumbled onto the big screen and changed animation forever, the franchise returns today, June 19, with a story ripped straight from the modern parenting playbook. The villain this time isn't a sadistic kid named Sid or a greedy toy collector — it's a tablet.

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang's jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. The premise lands with the weight of lived experience for millions of families: nearly 60% of children have a tablet by age 4, and kids under 8 average almost three hours of daily screen time. Pixar didn't have to look far for inspiration.

A Fresh Story With Familiar Faces

Tim Allen, reprising the voice of Buzz Lightyear, says the character is front and center during the movie's "unbelievable" opening sequence, before the sequel pivots to focus largely on Jessie, the cowgirl memorably voiced by Joan Cusack. The film also introduces a new toy named Smarty Pants, voiced by comedian Conan O'Brien, alongside the new villain Lilypad — a tablet in a frog-themed case who goes up against the original group of analog toys.

The film is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins, and written by Stanton and Harris. It features an original score by Oscar winner Randy Newman, who returns to score his fifth Toy Story feature. The movie also features an original song by Taylor Swift, which could potentially draw an even broader audience into theaters. Pixar has clearly loaded this one up.

Record Box Office Numbers on the Horizon

The latest entry in Disney and Pixar's beloved animated franchise is targeting a debut of $145 million to $150 million from 4,400 North American theaters. Industry watchers believe that initial ticket sales could soar even higher — with some predicting a tally closer to $160 million to $175 million — given the goodwill toward the property as well as the sterling reviews from critics. Either figure would shatter franchise records.

Should projections hold, Toy Story 5 will blow past the opening weekends of both Toy Story 4 ($120 million in 2019) and Toy Story 3 ($110 million in 2010), becoming the biggest debut in the franchise's 31-year history. Juneteenth is fueling very strong business on opening day, as many parents have the day off work, while Father's Day on Sunday will also draw hordes of families to theaters. It's a near-perfect storm of timing.

Why This One Feels Different

Despite the potential franchise-high financial projections, early critical reception is pacing at a franchise low — Toy Story 5 currently holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. While that might seem high, the first two films boast a perfect 100%, while the third and fourth installments sit at 98% and 97%, respectively. Still, a 92% is a score most filmmakers would envy, and audiences rarely punish Pixar for anything above 90.

Beyond the box office, merchandising works strongly in Toy Story 5's favor — a recent report revealed that as of 2026, the Toy Story franchise has generated $11 billion from film and merchandise combined. With Toy Story 5 leading the charge and heavy hitters like a Minions and Monsters spinoff, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day still on the way, 2026 has a legitimate shot at closing the gap with pre-pandemic box office heights. Woody and the gang, it turns out, may still be the most reliable toys in Hollywood's box.