Will there be a 'Toy Story 6'? Pixar co-creator hints at the franchise's future
'Toy Story 5' hits theaters on June 19 with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and all of Bonnie's toys. People are getting excited. Wondering if there will be a 'Toy Story 6'. Disney and Pixar have not yet greenlit another movie, so we do not know for sure if 'Toy Story 6' is happening. The 'Toy Story' movies have done this before, where it seemed like it was over until Pixar found a new idea. However, Andrew Stanton from Pixar thinks another 'Toy Story' movie could still happen. Speaking to ScreenRant, Stanton addressed the possibility of another sequel and left the door open. "You can never say never," he said. That does not mean 'Toy Story 6' is happening. Also, Pixar has not shared any official plans for a follow-up. However, Stanton's answer suggests that the studio is not treating 'Toy Story 5' as a fixed endpoint for the toys.
The 'Toy Story' franchise has already had more than one ending that seemed final at the time. 'Toy Story 3' ended with Andy leaving for college and giving his toys to Bonnie. Then Woody got a separate ending in 'Toy Story 4' where he chose to stay with Bo Peep instead of returning to Bonnie's room. With 'Toy Story 5' now continuing the franchise, fans are wondering whether the fifth film is another final chapter or just the start of a new stage. Stanton also explained why he believes the franchise still has room to continue if Pixar finds the right story. "I always knew that there was a natural possibility to just follow Bonnie, and just follow her life, and just see what happens to the toys if it keeps going," Stanton said. That idea fits the way the series has changed over time, moving from Andy's childhood to Bonnie's room without leaving the toys behind. It also gives Pixar a simple path forward, since the toys can keep changing as the children around them grow and move on.
According to Stanton, Pixar has usually approached each movie as a story that could stand on its own while still leaving room for another one. "It's like a series that doesn't know it's going to get picked up for the next season," Stanton said. "We'd always end it like it could end here." That explains why the earlier films were able to feel complete without fully closing the 'Toy Story' world. In 'Toy Story 5,' that angle comes through Bonnie's relationship with technology. Jessie reaches out to Woody for help as Bonnie becomes attached to a tablet named Lilypad. The conflict is not just about toys being ignored, but about how childhood play changes when screens become part of everyday life. For the toys, that means facing a threat unlike anything they dealt with in Andy's room.
Stanton told Entertainment Weekly that the movie began with a very different idea. He originally thought of a script that started with 50 high-tech Buzz Lightyear action figures waking up inside their unopened packaging on a deserted island after the shipping crate carrying them tumbled off a boat. That early concept eventually became a story about technology, friendship, and the place toys still hold in a child's life. The same EW interview also hinted that Pixar has thought beyond Bonnie's story. Stanton said that even a brief brainstorming session on the life cycle of a toy could yield enough material for more than one movie. "That's why I feel like it can keep going," Stanton said.
For now, though, the situation is clear: 'Toy Story 6' has not been confirmed. There is no release date, no plot details, and no announcement that another sequel is being developed. Stanton's comments should be seen as a sign that more stories are possible, not as proof that another movie is on the way. Even so, they show that Pixar has not completely closed the door on Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the 'Toy Story' world. The franchise has already shown that the toys can move into new chapters of life and tell new stories. Whether that eventually leads to 'Toy Story 6' remains to be seen, but for now, Stanton is clearly not ruling it out.
