Conan O'Brien cast in Toy Story 5
Conan O'Brien has been cast in 'Toy Story 5'.
The 62-year-old comedian and former late night talk show host is joining the next instalment in the beloved Disney and Pixar franchise as a new character called Smarty Pants.
The casting was announced during Disney's Licensing Expo presentation, while Conan himself has confirmed the news on Instagram.
He said in the social media clip: "I've got big news. I'm going to be in 'Toy Story 5'. Isn't that crazy? Legendary franchise!
"These films are amazing. I can't believe this!"
Conan - who has previously worked on 'The Simpsons' and 'Saturday Night Live' in the past - joked he initially wanted the role of Woody before being told bosses had promised it to Tom Hanks, who has voiced the cowboy toy since the first film in 1995.
He quipped: "And I was like, 'Uh, you kinda been there and done that. You know? You're in a bit of a rut, don't you think?'
"And they said, 'No, Tom Hanks, it's his role.' "
He joked that he then moved onto the idea of playing Buzz Lightyear, only to miss out to the returning Tim Allen.
He teased: "And I went, 'Guys, you gotta think outside the box'.
'But anyway, then they showed me this new character, Smarty Pants. It's the best character of them all.
"I far prefer this character. I don't even wanna play Woody or Buzz anymore, even if they beg me. I'm Smarty Pants; I love this!'
Allen recently hinted that the plot will see Buzz trying to get his love interest Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) out of "big trouble".
During an appearance on 'Good Morning America', he said: "I've already begun, I'm in the third act now. It's remarkable what they've done … with Pixar they didn't say I couldn't say anything but … I wish I could.
"There's a lot of real intrigue with Buzz. Jessie's got a big trouble, she needs help, so it's a really cool thing."
'Toy Story 5' is expected to follow the gang as they are forced to compete against technology for their child's playtime.
Previously, Allen said there was a "brilliant script" and insisted the upcoming sequel was not "about the money".
Speaking to Collider towards the end of last year, he shared: "It's a very, very clever story. Do you wanna do five of these [films]?
"I don't really believe it's about the money. I'm sure they want it to be a success, but that's not why they did it.
"Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn't have done it and they wouldn't have called me and Tom. It's really clever."
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