‘Toy Story 5’ trailer reveals Woody and Buzz’s unexpected new enemy and it’s painfully relatable
Well, look who’s riding back into town. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are reuniting for Pixar's fifth installment of ‘Toy Story.’ And this time? The plastic pals are staring down an enemy that doesn’t squeak and doesn’t need batteries. It’s a shiny new tablet called “Lilypad.” On February 19, Pixar dropped the official trailer for ‘Toy Story 5,’ giving fans a peek at what life looks like now that 8-year-old Bonnie has upgraded her playtime. Instead of tea parties and backyard adventures, Bonnie is occupied with her glowing device, which is voiced by Greta Lee. And yes, of course, the tablet talks.
The preview wastes no time showing how the digital newcomer shakes things up inside Bonnie’s room. Jessie, voiced again by Joan Cusack, looks worried. She confides in Woody, telling him tech has basically “invaded” Bonnie’s house. “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything,” Woody says to a sad Jessie. She responds, “I’m losing Bonnie to this device.” The trailer hints that Bonnie starts missing out on making real-life friends because she’s glued to Lilypad. That’s where Woody and Buzz step in, teaming up once again to save her from slipping too far into digital distraction. Woody, once again voiced by Tom Hanks, seems caught between eras. He’s the old-school sheriff in a world that scrolls and swipes. Meanwhile, Buzz, the space ranger with eternal optimism, is back in action too, and is voiced by Tim Allen.
“It’s been too long, cowboy,” Buzz says to Woody. The franchise first launched way back in 1995, when the original ‘Toy Story’ changed animation forever. Now, decades later, the series is leaning into the fact that time hasn’t just passed for the audience; it’s passed for Woody, too. The trailer pokes fun at his age because, apparently, toys can age in spirit if not in plastic. Trixie, voiced by Kristen Schaal, quips, “Someone needs a brown marker,” after noticing Woody’s slightly faded hairline. Then Lilypad bluntly asks him if he’s an old man toy. Forky, voiced by Tony Hale, jumps in with zero filter, “She thinks you’re old, because you’re bald, Woody.”
Behind the camera, there’s familiar DNA. Andrew Stanton, the filmmaker behind ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘WALL-E’, wrote the screenplay and serves as co-director alongside Kenna Harris. Stanton has been part of every ‘Toy Story’ script in some form, so he knows these characters inside out. Moreover, the voice cast expands this time with Conan O'Brien and Ernie Hudson. Fans can catch up with the crew when ‘Toy Story 5’ hits theaters on June 19.
