Pixar’s next trip back to Andy’s old toy box is not just about another villain or another rescue mission. In new comments released today, “Toy Story 5” director Andrew Stanton says the film is built around a very real, very modern problem: as he puts it, “nobody’s really playing with toys anymore.” The fifth movie will lean into that existential crisis for Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang, asking what happens to toys when children’s attention shifts to tablets, phones, and other screens instead of the toy chest.
That theme is woven directly into the plot. Recent previews and coverage confirm that the new film centers on a showdown between the classic toys and Lilypad, a frog-shaped smart tablet that has become Bonnie’s favorite companion. Lilypad is voiced by Greta Lee and functions as a kid’s entertainment, learning, and communication device all in one, turning into an “all-new threat to playtime” as the toys find themselves competing with a glowing screen instead of another doll or action figure. Stanton has been clear that the story is not a simple “tech bad, toys good” parable. He has said the team cannot just make technology the villain and walk away, and that the movie is really about facing the realization that children’s lives have been permanently reshaped by devices and asking what that means for the toys who once defined their worlds.
“Toy Story 5” will also build on the franchise’s long running arc about growing up and moving on. The original trilogy charted Andy’s childhood and ended with him handing his toys to Bonnie, while “Toy Story 4” sent Woody off as a “lost toy” with Bo Peep. Stanton has described the third film as “the end of the Andy years” and stressed that fans who see that trilogy as complete are “not being robbed” by the existence of a fifth movie. Instead, he frames the new chapter as a chance to “embrace time and change,” using the toys to explore how childhood itself has evolved since the first film arrived three decades ago.
Within that framework, “Toy Story 5” is being described as a Jessie-centered story that still reunites Buzz and Woody. Tim Allen has teased that the plot involves an entire “Multi-Buzz” army, with many versions of Buzz Lightyear appearing in what sounds like a major set piece. Returning voices include Tom Hanks as Woody, Allen as Buzz, and Joan Cusack as Jessie, along with Tony Hale as Forky. On the tech side of the toy box, Conan O’Brien joins the cast as Smarty Pants, a toilet-training gadget that sits alongside Lilypad in the lineup of kid-friendly devices that challenge the old-guard toys for Bonnie’s attention. All of these elements support the central question: how do toys define their purpose when the competition is not another plaything, but always-on technology that claims to be “better” for the child?
The real-world backdrop to this story choice is hard to ignore. Research from Common Sense Media’s 2025 census of families found that children eight and under now average around two and a half hours of screen media use each day, with tablets and streaming video taking up a growing share of that time. At the same time, pediatric and developmental experts have raised concerns that hours spent on screens can crowd out unstructured play, hands-on exploration, and face-to-face interaction with caregivers. Other recent studies and market reports describe a tug of war between physical toys and digital entertainment, noting that children’s increasing preference for games and apps is creating headwinds for traditional toy makers even as connected and educational toys try to bridge the gap.
“Toy Story 5” appears ready to bring that tension into the narrative. Coverage of the film has described it as the first entry in the series to directly grapple with how technology has changed the way kids play, not just in the background but as the core conflict. The toys are not only dealing with the fear of being replaced, which has been a theme since Buzz first arrived in Andy’s room, but with the possibility of being declared obsolete in a world where a single device can offer endless games, videos, and virtual friends. The story raises hard questions about what happens to toys, and to the idea of imaginative, physical play, when screens promise to be more efficient, more educational, or simply more convenient for busy families.
At the same time, Stanton’s comments suggest that the film will aim for nuance rather than an anti-tech lecture. Lilypad is reportedly not evil in the traditional sense, but a device that genuinely believes it is helping Bonnie by nudging her toward digital activities and “real world” preparation instead of imaginative play. That outlook is likely to feel familiar to parents trying to balance educational apps and online learning with screen-free time. For the toys, though, it becomes a gut-punching realization: they are not just being pushed aside by a selfish rival, they are being quietly reclassified as unnecessary by a gadget that sees itself as the logical next step in childhood.
For longtime fans who grew up with “Toy Story” and now have children of their own, the setup positions the movie as a generational conversation. Earlier films in the series explored jealousy, loyalty, and the heartbreak of being outgrown. This time the question is what childhood looks like in a digital world, and whether there is still room for a cowgirl doll, a space ranger, and a battered cowboy who remember a time when a favorite toy could occupy an entire afternoon. If Pixar can balance that reflection on modern play with the emotional storytelling the franchise is known for, “Toy Story 5” has the potential to feel less like an unnecessary extra chapter and more like a timely companion piece about how both kids and their toys adapt when the rules of play change.
“Toy Story 5” is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, with Kenna Harris serving as co-director and Lindsey Collins as producer. The film is set to bring Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and their new tech rivals to theaters on June 19, 2026, with marketing already framing it as a clash between classic toys and the screens that now dominate childhood. As more footage and details arrive, the central idea is clear: this time, the Toy Story crew is not just fighting for their child, they are fighting for the very idea of what it means to play.