What’s the biggest lesson you took away from this new film?
Secret Mission Tim Allen (voice of Buzz Lightyear): It sounds a bit self-congratulatory, but I’ve learned to make a better product in about 20% less time. I now know how to focus and isolate my voice. I don’t do as many takes. Sometimes they even tell me, “I think we’ve got it. You can stop.”
Tom Hanks (Sheriff Woody): Really? I sometimes ask, “Please tell me you have it, because I’m so done with this.” For me, it feels exactly the same as it did at the start, except maybe there’s a bit more weight to it. I don’t think anyone picks our takes lightly on a Toy Story film. But everything else is just one thing after another.
Story-wise, there’s something to the fact that Jessie reaches out to us and says she needs our help. I’m not good at asking for help. So I can take that as a life lesson in this world of ours: we’re not in this alone.
TA: In terms of technology, this new film is incredibly spot on. I feel like I could rob everyone in a coffee shop and they wouldn’t even notice. Even the barista would just be scrolling. I love tech. I have a lot of phones and social media, and suddenly the algorithm manipulating what I like got ridiculous. I’m looking at plane crashes that never happened. It says, “A 747 lands sideways on an island in Greece. All these people died.” And I think, surely I would have heard about this? Truck accidents in Singapore on a mountain? It’s just making stuff up! So I applaud our movie for shining a light on things like that.
TH: There’s a moment when little Bonnie is spending time on Lilypad, which is supposed to be a shared, joyful experience. And her feelings get hurt by what’s being texted about her. That’s a powerful moment. No toy hurts your feelings when you’re playing with it.
TA: Will this movie make a difference? Well, what drives behavior? Why do bacteria and viruses mutate? What triggers change? Even at a molecular or quantum level? As my late friend Florine Mark [former president of Weight Watchers Group] said, 10,000 women will come to a big Weight Watchers event, and about 12% walk out having actually listened. Part of me really believes that a bunch of kids will see our film and think, “I do want to play with my toys.” Being on a tablet isn’t playing with a toy. It’s playing with dopamine.
Greta, you represent the age of phones and iPads in this new film. What approach to screens have you taken with your own children?
Greta Lee (Lilypad): We set pretty clear boundaries about how much screen time is okay, and when and where it’s appropriate. And we step back and refocus on things like spending time outside in nature. Hiking, gardening, all the good old stuff that kids still really enjoy. Even if it’s a struggle. And accepting boredom—actually enjoying boredom—and trying to fight against shrinking attention spans. It’s complicated, and it’s a work in progress for everyone.
Joan Cusack (Jessie the cowgirl): But you’re a parent who pays attention. And that’s the most important part. Otherwise, you just let them have it so you can get things done.
GL: And that’s totally understandable, but it’s not a substitute for parenting. I think the message in the movie is helpful. Understanding that making friends is hard, and you need your parents’ help to do it.
TH: All of society is dealing with this. Trying to ban social media for anyone under 16. Whether or not the film changes things, it wIt’ll spark conversation. We’ll see how popular the idea of this movie from one of the biggest media companies turns out to be.
TA: When I worked in TV, there was something called “standards in practice,” which meant there were things kids couldn’t access. Now, streaming has opened up pornography 24 hours a day. Kids can get around parental controls. How do you pull it all back? You’re not allowed to drink alcohol in the US until you’re 21. I think we should let kids be kids for as long as we can.
TH: Technology isn’t the positive addition to life that we assume it will be.
TA: Did we really think it would be? I remember when I was in college, there was a guy in Miami who invented a bullet that could go through police armor. A valid project for a technical engineer. But is it a good idea?
TH: So now we’ve created a toy that will eat up everyone’s time and attention.
TA: We’re drunk on our own creativity. We don’t care if it’s a good or bad idea. It’s like in Oppenheimer when they ask how they know the atom bomb won’t set the atmosphere on fire and destroy the Earth. The guy pauses and says, “Well, it could…”
TH: “So we can give this thing to our children that might make them never leave their rooms and become antisocial, unempathetic beasts?” “Well, it might, you know, if you let it. But it might help them with their homework…”
TA: There isn’t anything I haven’t fixed in the last 10 years without the help of YouTube. So it’s not all bad. I’ve got a 16th-century music box with a little bird that pops up and sings. It has an amazing number of gears. But I couldn’t find a key or figure out the winding mechanism. And a guy online had the same one, taught me the history, and showed me the secret hiding place for the key. I’d never have figured it out without the internet.
TH: When he was eight, my son made his own wallet with duct tape. He did it by watching a video online. And it’s still the wallet he carries around.
TA: So there’s this side and there’s the other side. The sick people who learn how to kill as many people as possible with a vehicle and a trash can.
TH: Who type insults and hurt people’s feelings. So the answer is it’s hopeless and all up to us. And we’ve got a 50/50 chance of setting the atmosphere on fire.
If you could be a toy yourself, which toy would you be and why?
stephenw1979
GL: I love Forky. A reanimated everyday household object is appealing.
JC: Something cozy that a kid could love. A blanket.
GL: A child would be so upset to get a blanket as a present. “Happy birthday, sweetie! A blanket!”
JC: “You can hide under it! You can hold it!”
GL: Or a vase? Not very kid-friendly…
JC: But if it was soft? A soft vase? I wouldn’t want to be a bear because everyone has one. Maybe a manatee? They’re cozy.
TA: I’ve always wanted to be a soldier. A little military action figure. They have something called GI Joe in the US – a male Barbie you can dress up in combat gear. I lost interest pretty fast. I just wanted the equipment. A machine gun would have been more interesting.
TH: One of the best toys I ever had was a rotorcraft, which was basically a boomerang. If you threw it the right way – at two o’clock into the wind – it would come right back to you. It was great for the three hours I had it until it landed in a tree. I never saw it again.
TA: I had a boomerang made of razor-thin, high-impact styrene that could cut you open if it came back to you at speed. What could possibly go wrong?Well, chances are it’s not coming back. You just weren’t throwing it at the right angle or with the right wind.
Can you remember being scared of a toy as a child, or are there any that still creep you out?
James__ClaytonGL: I had a Mother Goose toy—a big bird with blinking eyes and a beak. It ran on batteries and would recite nursery stories. She was a bit scary at night. I didn’t like the way she looked at me. She just kept talking. Goose, let me rest! My siblings and I had this whole thing: does she have free will? Why won’t she turn off? Why does she watch us? So at least it sparked some imaginative play.
TH: I’ve never liked mannequins. They’re all basically like a Twilight Zone episode. Like a corpse.
TA: Lawn darts. A two-pound piece of steel, sharpened to a point with wind vanes and a handle. You’d throw it at a target about 40 yards away. The kids wanted to see if it hit, so they’d stand right by the target. It’s amazing nobody got one through the middle of their head.
TH: They’re now illegal by order of the United Nations. You’d get arrested by Interpol agents.
TA: I go to the dark web for them now.
Joan, what do you think about Buzz and Jessie’s relationship? Broppy23
JC: Buzz is awesome. End of story. He’s adorable. She likes hanging out with him. They’re a good match.
Tim, what Space Ranger life advice would you give to my two-year-old? KHausdelo88
TA: My three-year-old nephews can’t get enough of Buzz, and I tell them: you’ve got to keep him away from water. Don’t take a bath with him. He doesn’t like sand. He’s used to being in outer space.
TH: I’d tell would-be Woodys: you’re in charge. You’re taller than most of them. You’ve got a badge, and you outsmart troublemakers and warn the bad guys to play nice. But use your authority with empathy.
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‘The films tackle the idea of the passage of time’ … Joan Cusack and Greta Lee. Photograph: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Why do you think the films have such a big impact on adults? Flimfancy2710, Harrylime53, FranTindz
GL: The way they deal with the passage of time. Anything that touches on the idea of a child who is now an adult. A toy that was once loved but is no longer loved. That really hits home for people trying to come to terms with having just one life to live.
TA: At the premiere, I saw the same look on faces from three different generations. I think this is honest art. Like Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov on some deep, wonderful level.
TH: There’s a moment in Toy Story 3 where Andy has grown up and is going off to college, and his mother is in his empty room. It’s a silent moment. When I saw it in a regular theater, it hit perfectly because one of my kids was leaving for college. The animators captured the pain Andy’s mother felt—that her boy had left and she only had the memories. How did this movie become so incredibly profound? Often, children’s films deal with grief for the very first time in someone’s life. Adults can get used to the realities of everything. But when you’re six and facing the dog dying or a toy being lost, that’s a powerful thing.
Greta, how would you rate the levels of in-yun between Lilypad, Buzz, Jessie, and Woody? DanPoole1982
GL: In-yun is a Korean word that can loosely be translated as a deep connection that spans generations. It’s about soulmates [and is central to Lee’s 2023 film Past Lives]. I think the in-yun between Jessie, Woody, and Buzz is very strong, reflected by the multiple generations of kids they all share.
Tom, I read that as a child you used to make a lot of your own toys. Do you still do that? JaneMarple
TH: I used a mechanical can opener as a helicopter, and I’d take three nails and any piece of wood to make landing struts for a rocket ship. Finding them, building them, imagining them gave me as much satisfaction as any toy I ever bought from a store. Maybe not quite as much, but close.Safe: the rusty nails from the construction site and the splintered wood. “No toy hurts your feelings if you’re playing with it” … That’s the tagline for the Toy Story 5 trailer.
TA: I got into building model airplanes or model cars from high-end balsa wood kits. But once you finished and painted them, they became so valuable that you couldn’t actually play with them. So I’d hang them from the ceiling.
TH: That makes me sad. I’d build a model plane, and as soon as it started to look like a plane, that’s all I wanted. I’d maybe follow about 60% of the instructions. Then I’m good—I’ve got a toy out of it.
Can someone please tell me what to do when there’s a snake in my boot? — McScootikins
TH: There’s a way to store your boot so no snake can get inside. I learned this from old cowboys. You put the leg of one boot inside the other and sleep next to them. And if there is a snake in your boot, you throw the boot as far as you can. Don’t just dump it out right there.
TA: I’m not afraid of snakes. We played with them a lot when I was young. Most snakes have no interest in biting.
TH: True. First, figure out what kind of snake it is. But if there’s a scorpion in your boot, that’s a real problem.
Toy Story 5 is in cinemas on June 19, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the topics you provided written in a natural conversational tone with clear and simple answers
General The Dangers of Tech
Q Did Tom Hanks and Tim Allen really say that technology can turn kids into antisocial monsters
A Theyve spoken in interviews about their concerns They dont think tech is evil but they worry that too much screen time can isolate kids and stop them from learning how to connect with people in real life
Q What do they think is the biggest danger of technology for children
A They believe the biggest danger is that kids miss out on simple handson play and real human interaction Staring at a screen all day can make a child less social and more anxious
Q Why do Tom Hanks and Tim Allen talk about rusty nails as a good thing
A They use rusty nails as a symbol of simple oldfashioned play It represents the joy of building something physical getting your hands dirty and using your imagination without a battery or a WiFi connection
Q Are they saying we should throw away all our tablets and phones
A No Theyre not antitechnology Theyre saying we need balance Tech is a tool but it shouldnt replace playing outside building things or having a facetoface conversation
About Toy Story 5
Q Is Toy Story 5 actually happening
A Yes Disney and Pixar have confirmed it Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are expected to return
Q Will Toy Story 5 be about technology
A Most likely yes Given the actors reallife concerns about tech and the way the last film ended many fans expect the movie to explore what happens when toys compete with tablets and video games for a childs attention
Q What is the plot of Toy Story 5
A The official plot hasnt been released yet But based on hints from the actors it will probably deal with the toys trying to survive in a world where kids are more interested in screens than in playing with physical toys
Q Will Bo Peep and the other new characters be in Toy Story 5
