Latest news with #JoanCusack
CNET
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
In Pixar's Toy Story 5, the Big New Villain Is a Tablet
Pixar is giving its old-school toys a decidedly modern antagonist in its fifth installment of the beloved Toy Story movies: a tablet. During the studio's Friday showcase at Annecy's International Animation Film Festival in France, chief creative officer Pete Docter revealed that Toy Story 5's villain is Lily Pad, a "sneaky" and "prickly" tablet that convinces 8-year-old Bonnie Anderson that friends and games on a device beat dusty ol' toys in the closet. The first concept art shows the frog-faced tablet looming over Buzz, Jessie and Bullseye like a touchscreen tyrant of the toy box. As you can probably foresee, this is a battle between analog toys and always-on tech. (You can stream Toy Story movies one through four on Disney Plus.) The Lily Pad reveal topped a jam-packed Walt Disney Animation and Pixar showcase, where the company rolled out updated release dates, never-before-seen footage and a couple of all-new original films. Toy Story 5: tech is the enemy The premise of Toy Story 5 is that Anderson gets a Lily Pad for school chat and online games. But the tablet decides that Anderson's toys, including Woody, Buzz and Jessie, are holding her back. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack are all returning, while Ernie Hudson steps in as Combat Carl, honoring the late Carl Weathers. Docter shared the opening scene of Toy Story 5, which shows a crate full of stranded Buzz Lightyears trying to escape a desert island. Toy Story 5 is set for release on June 19, 2026, more than 30 years after the first movie came out. It's set a couple of years after the events of Toy Story 4, but no word yet on how Woody, who departed with Bo Peep at the end of that movie, will return to Bonnie's house -- or whether Bo Peep will be in the fifth movie. Toy Story 5 starts off with Buzz Lightyear action figures, stuck in toy mode, searching for Star Command (shown here in concept art). Pixar Pixar's two new original films: Hoppers and Gatto Daniel Chong's Hoppers, scheduled for March 6, 2026, turns an eco-heist into a critter-powered caper: 14-year-old Mabel uploads her mind into a robotic beaver to save her local pond from a highway project. Gatto, slated for summer 2027, centers on Nero, a black cat in Venice who's burned through most of his nine lives doing jobs for a feline mob boss. Now, questioning whether he's wasted those lives, Nero stumbles into an unexpected friendship that could finally give him purpose. The film will be shot in a "living storybook" style, which is new to Pixar. New footage from Zootopia 2 and Elio Jared Bush, Walt Disney Animation Studios' chief creative officer and director-writer of Zootopia 2, showed some new footage and images from the anticipated sequel, which should come out in November. The audience also got to watch a 27-minute sizzle reel from Elio, the cosmic coming-of-age adventure, which opens June 20.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
First look at Pixar's Toy Story 5 sparks fierce backlash as fans claim it is 'ruining the franchise'
Major new details have been released for Pixar 's Toy Story 5, but longtime fans of the franchise are fiercely divided over the plot of the upcoming movie. The animation studio first confirmed that Toy Story 5 was in the works back in 2023, but since then, they've stayed pretty tight-lipped about what's going to go down in the film. Now, we finally have some information as Pixar unveiled a new look at the fifth installment to the Toy Story series - which will hit theaters on June 19, 2026 - during a presentation on Friday at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter spoke in detail about the film's premise during the event, while confirming that beloved Toy Story veterans Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cussack - who played Woody, Buzz, and Jessie respectively in the first four flicks - will all return. He explained that it will follow your favorite group of toys facing a new challenge after their eight-year-old owner Bonnie gets an electronic tablet called Lillypad. 'It's toys meet tech,' Pete told the crowd. But when Pete's revelations were shared on X, formerly Twitter, fans were left split over the plot. Some praised it, calling it a 'genius idea' and 'kind of brilliant,' while pointing out that it adds a 'fresh layer' to the series. But others fiercely slammed the premise, branding it as 'too modern,' 'generic and expected.' 'Too modern… I hate it,' one user scathed. 'If computers in Toy Story could come alive we would have seen it already.' 'It's generic and expected,' agreed another. 'BUT if executed well, it could be a great message about the dangers of technology exposure for children in early stages of their life' 'Thanks for ruining my favorite movie franchise, Disney!' slammed someone else. 'They just keep ruining this franchise man. A tablet? Really bruh?' read a fourth tweet. 'I can't express how much I hate this. @Pixar come up with a better idea,' a fifth said. A different user penned, 'Lmao, a tablet villain? Toy Story's getting wild, huh.' 'Cute pun. Really intrigued to see how Pixar handles the topic of modern technology and this character in the film,' someone else wrote. But when Pete's revelations were shared on X, formerly Twitter, many people fiercely slammed the plot, branding it as 'too modern,' 'generic and expected' Others praised it, calling it a 'genius idea' and 'kind of brilliant,' while pointing out that it adds a 'fresh layer' to the series 'This has the potential to be amazing if done correctly,' added another person. 'This is actually a perfect idea for Toy Story. Relates with the current generation of kids and how the world is now,' praised a fan. 'The iPad baby storyline is about to wreck some parents,' joked someone else. Other positive comments read: 'Taking a stab at the iPad generation, it's kind of brilliant to be honest,' 'This adds a fresh layer,' 'Awesome. Actually a great move - toys vs. electronics,' and, 'I'm sorry but that's a genius idea for a Toy Story villain.' The ending of the fourth Toy Story movie left many people heartbroken as Woody decided to part ways with his longtime pals to stay with his love Bo Peep. But Tim previously told WIVB that Woody will reunite with his character, Buzz, in the new film. He added, however, that the fifth movie will focus a lot more on Jessie. 'I can tell you that it's a lot about Jessie,' he said. 'Tom and I do - Woody and I - do realign. 'And there's an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can't give you much more.' Pete actually showed the opening scene of the film to the audience at the event on Friday, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, it saw 'a container full of Buzz Lightyears awaken on an isolated desert island and struggling to reconnect with 'star command.'' Director Andrew Stanton previously revealed last year, 'In Toy Story 5 the toys' jobs get exponentially harder when our toy crew goes head to head with what kids are obsessed with today: electronics.'
Gizmodo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Toy Story 5' Is Making Tech Its Big Bad
During the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Pixar revealed new details and a sneak peek at its upcoming installment of the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5. During Pixar's stage presentation, chief creative officer Pete Docter lifted the lid on the film's premise. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Docter informed attendees that Woody and his friends will be facing tech-related challenges. After the events of the beloved Toy Story 3 and the less well-received Toy Story 4, Bonnie Anderson, now eight years old, has a new object of affection: a tablet called Lillypad. The official logline for Toy Story 5 reiterates Docter's expansion on the film's premise: 'Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang's jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all new threat to playtime.' In short, the gang will have to deal with a new generation of children who've become iPad babies. In addition to revealing the core premise of the film, Docter shared the opening scene of Toy Story 5, which features a container of Buzz Lightyears attempting to escape a desert island and re-establish contact with Star Command. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Docter also confirmed Toy Story 5's returning cast includes the likes of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie. Joining them is Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, taking over the role from the late Carl Weathers, who passed away last February. In tandem with the reprising cast announcement, Toy Story 5 also has a more specific release date than the initially announced summer 2026 window: June 19, 2026. It will be interesting to see if Disney Pixar's sequel-focused approach with Toy Story 5 resonates with audience members who, for the most part, feel that the franchise had a perfect send-off with Toy Story 3. Hopefully, Toy Story 5's premise, while prescient in light of today's realities, won't be late to the party in nailing home any of what it has to say about zoomers and their TikToks and maximized screen time.
