Toy Story 5, everything we know: toys against technology

Woody, Buzz, and Jessie return in the fifth chapter of the Pixar saga. Here's the plot, characters, release date, and the role of the new technological threat called Lilypad.

by Biagio Petronaci

09 June 2026 07:04

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Toy Story 5 brings back one of the most delicate questions of the entire Pixar saga: what happens to toys when children stop choosing them? After the ending of Toy Story 4, the new chapter starts from a completely different balance. Woody has left Bonnie's room to follow Bo Peep and help ownerless toys, while Jessie has taken on an increasingly central role alongside Buzz Lightyear.

The plot
The director
When is it released in Italy?
Taylor Swift's song and the soundtrack
The voice actors
The trailer
The poster

The plot of Toy Story 5: what is it about?

The fifth chapter of the saga puts the protagonists in front of a threat different from those faced in the past. This time it's not a hostile toy, but a technological device. Bonnie, now older, receives a tablet called Lilypad and ends up dedicating more and more time to it, relegating Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of the group to the margins of her daily life.

Pixar thus chooses to address the relationship between childhood and technology. Toy Story 5 starts from a situation familiar to many contemporary families: the time dedicated to traditional play is progressively absorbed by screens and forms of digital entertainment. In this scenario, the toys find themselves having to regain Bonnie's attention and question their role in a profoundly changed world.

The film also continues the emotional journey left unresolved by the fourth chapter. Woody no longer lives in Bonnie's room, but the bond with Buzz and the other characters remains a fundamental element of the story. At the same time, Jessie seems to take on an increasingly relevant narrative function, becoming the character through whom to observe the crisis that the group is going through.

The director of Toy Story 5

The direction is entrusted to Andrew Stanton, a figure historically linked to Pixar and already involved in writing the previous Toy Story films. Alongside him is Kenna Harris as co-director.

When is Toy Story 5 released in Italy?

Toy Story 5 will arrive in Italian cinemas on June 18, 2026, one day earlier than the US release, set for June 19.

The film will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and represents the fifth main chapter of the franchise, as well as being the direct sequel to Toy Story 4, released in 2019. Subsequently, after its theatrical run, the film will arrive on Disney+.

Toy Story 5, Taylor Swift's song and the soundtrack

Another element that has attracted public attention concerns the soundtrack. Randy Newman returns to compose the film's music, continuing the bond that has always united the saga with its musical identity.

Alongside him is Taylor Swift, author and performer of the original song I Knew It, I Knew You. The song is linked to Jessie's journey and represents one of the most discussed aspects of the film. The song was announced on June 1, 2026, and released on June 5.

Swift's presence does not seem to be a simple promotional operation, but a contribution closely linked to the emotional core of the story. Toy Story 5 seems to use technology as an element of narrative conflict and also as an opportunity to return to one of the deepest and most recognizable themes of the entire saga: the desire to still feel chosen.