Lead
The first teaser for Toy Story 5, released by Pixar on 11 November 2025, offers a brief look at the sequel due in theaters next summer. The clip teasers a new arrival — a smart tablet named Lilypad voiced by Greta Lee — and frames the device as “an all-new threat to playtime” with the tagline, “the age of toys is over.” Co-directors Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris describe the film as adopting a “playfully antagonistic tone,” and the studio confirmed returning voices including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack. The announcement arrives as Pixar navigates a difficult run at the box office earlier in 2025 and growing scrutiny over how modern technology is depicted alongside legacy characters.
Key Takeaways
- Toy Story 5 teaser debuted 11 November 2025 and teases a release in summer 2026, introducing Lilypad, a tablet character voiced by Greta Lee.
- Co-directors Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris promise a tone described as “playfully antagonistic,” with Stanton notable for directing Finding Nemo and Wall-E.
- Principal returning cast members include Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack; Conan O’Brien is reported to voice a character called Smarty Pants.
- Ernie Hudson will assume the role of Combat Carl following the death of Carl Weathers in 2024.
- The Toy Story franchise has generated about $3.3bn worldwide to date; Pixar confirmed Toy Story 5 in early 2023 as a continuation of that franchise.
- Toy Story 5 is being released amid recent Pixar setbacks: Elio (2025) had the studio’s weakest opening and Lightyear (2022) was reported to have cost Disney roughly $106m.
Background
Toy Story has been a cornerstone franchise for Pixar since the original’s 1995 debut, evolving from a single feature into a multibillion-dollar series and cultural touchstone. The franchise’s four main films and associated merchandise and spin-offs together account for approximately $3.3bn in global box office receipts, a performance that has shaped Disney and Pixar’s strategy for family animation. Toy Story 5 was officially confirmed in early 2023, continuing a narrative arc that has repeatedly revisited questions of relevance, belonging and obsolescence as toys confront changing human households.
The series’ production history has not been without upheaval. John Lasseter, a founding creative force at Pixar, has not been involved in this installment; he left the company in 2018 after allegations of misconduct. More recently, Pixar faced commercial setbacks: Lightyear (2022) underperformed at the box office and was later reported to have cost Disney an estimated $106m, while Elio (2025) registered the studio’s weakest opening weekend, according to industry reports. Those outcomes have influenced internal and public conversations about franchise risk, tonal choices and audience expectations.
Main Event
The Toy Story 5 teaser concentrates on a new antagonist in the form of Lilypad, a glossy smart tablet whose arrival is framed as a disruptive force to the established toys. The trailer’s headline line — “the age of toys is over” — positions technology as a central thematic opponent to the legacy characters viewers already know. Greta Lee, known for Past Lives and Tron: Ares, provides the voice for Lilypad; studio promotion highlights the device’s charm and menace in equal measure.
Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, directing as a team, have characterized the film as balancing humor with emotional stakes, describing their work as both “hilarious and poignant.” Stanton brings veteran credits such as Finding Nemo and Wall-E; Harris makes her feature directorial debut after prior Pixar roles. The filmmakers say the story explores how longstanding toy characters adapt — or fail to adapt — to new household technologies and changing play patterns among children.
Cast updates highlight continuity and change: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack return, while Conan O’Brien is slated to voice a comedic side character called Smarty Pants, a toilet-training tech assistant. Following the death of Carl Weathers in 2024, the role of Combat Carl will be played by Ernie Hudson, a casting change the studio has confirmed.
Analysis & Implications
The teaser signals a deliberate thematic pivot: the franchise is foregrounding the tension between analog playthings and modern smart devices. That framing reflects broader cultural anxieties about screens displacing traditional forms of childhood play. For Pixar, which built its reputation on emotionally resonant stories about change and aging, the premise offers a familiar yet timely narrative lens that can reconnect the brand to contemporary family concerns.
Commercially, Toy Story 5 arrives at a delicate moment for Disney animation. The franchise’s cumulative $3.3bn haul sets high expectations, but recent misfires at the box office raise questions about sequel fatigue, marketing strategies and audience appetite for legacy properties. Pixar will likely rely on the franchise’s multigenerational fan base to counterbalance any residual skepticism from Elio and Lightyear’s underperformance.
Artistically, the choice to make a tablet a primary antagonist invites debate over whether the film will critique technology or anthropomorphize it for comic effect. If handled with nuance, Toy Story 5 could extend the series’ long-standing examination of identity and obsolescence; if handled heavy-handedly, it risks simplifying a complex cultural shift. International reception will be telling: markets where family viewing habits differ may respond differently to a tech-versus-toys storyline.
Comparison & Data
| Title/Subject | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Toy Story franchise (cumulative) | 1995–2024 | Roughly $3.3bn worldwide box office |
| Lightyear | 2022 | Reportedly cost Disney about $106m after underperformance |
| Elio | 2025 | Recorded Pixar’s weakest opening weekend (studio report) |
The table summarizes franchise performance and recent theatrical outcomes. The $3.3bn figure aggregates global grosses across the Toy Story films; the Lightyear $106m figure has been reported by industry outlets as an estimated loss to Disney following its 2022 release. Elio’s opening is widely reported as the studio’s poorest, though public reporting varies on absolute box-office totals. These datapoints frame Toy Story 5’s release environment: high historical expectations amid recent volatility.
Reactions & Quotes
Pixar framed the teaser as an early invitation to audiences to consider how beloved characters meet new cultural realities. The studio released a brief statement from the directors alongside the teaser.
“It’s been a hilarious and poignant journey exploring how our favorite team of legacy toys might respond to today’s world of technology.”
Andrew Stanton & McKenna Harris, co-directors (studio statement)
The trailer’s headline tagline has already become a focal point of online discussion; marketing emphasized the line in promotional assets.
“The age of toys is over.”
Toy Story 5 teaser trailer (studio marketing)
Industry commentators and fans have reacted on social platforms with a mix of curiosity and caution: many praised the creative premise while others flagged concerns about sequel fatigue and whether contemporary themes will mesh with the series’ established tone.
Unconfirmed
- Reports that Elio underwent extensive reshoots and that sections addressing queer themes were removed remain based on industry leaks and have not been fully corroborated by Pixar or Disney.
- Estimates of Lightyear’s $106m loss are aggregated from industry analyses and studio disclosures; the exact accounting methods and final figures have not been publicly audited.
- Early audience reactions to the Lilypad character are limited to the short teaser clip; the extent to which Lilypad will dominate the narrative or merely catalyze conflict is not yet confirmed.
Bottom Line
Toy Story 5’s first teaser stakes out a clear thematic battleground: legacy toys versus contemporary technology, embodied by a tablet named Lilypad. For Pixar, the film represents both a creative opportunity and a commercial test — a chance to reaffirm the franchise’s emotional core while responding to an entertainment landscape reshaped by digital experiences and mixed recent box-office results.
How the studio balances nostalgia with freshness will determine whether Toy Story 5 restores momentum to Pixar’s slate or struggles against audience expectations and sequel saturation. The next phase of marketing, early reviews and international reception in summer 2026 will be decisive indicators of the film’s cultural and commercial trajectory.
Sources
- The Guardian — news report summarizing teaser and studio comments (journalism)
- Pixar / Disney press resources — official studio press outlet (official/press)
- Box Office Mojo — box-office aggregation and industry data (industry data)