Tom Hanks is back in the voiceover studio working on the hotly anticipated Toy Story 5.
On Tuesday, April 22, the star shared a photo on Instagram of his hand taken in a studio, which he captioned, “First day of work on a certain Story Number 5! Need a hint? Disney. Studio B.”
The fifth installment of the much-loved movie franchise is officially hitting theaters on June 19, 2026. Now that work is underway, fans of Woody and Buzz Lightyear — voiced by Hanks, 68, and Tim Allen, 71, respectively — can start getting excited about the adventures they’ll get up to next.
Though details of the movie are, of course, a hotly guarded secret, during Disney’s D23 expo in August 2024, director Andrew Stanton revealed that the latest installment will tackle contemporary issues, particularly the impact of technology on childhood play.
“In Toy Story 5 the toys’ jobs get exponentially harder when our toy crew goes head to head with what kids are obsessed with today: electronics,” he said at the event. The concept art revealed at D23 — where fans were also shown a teaser trailer with Woody, Buzz and Jessie waving to viewers — depicted the toys looking on sadly as their owner was engrossed in a tablet.
Stanton, a longtime Pixar director known for classics like Finding Nemo and A Bug’s Life, will co-direct with McKenna Harris, who produced Elemental. And in August 2024, she revealed just how excited she was about her new gig via Instagram.
“YEEE-HAW! i’m co-directing toy story 5, and we’ve been having the best time with the best team ever! 🤠⭐️ ,” she posted. “so happy to be working with Andrew Stanton and my girl @jesschoismyth on this sweet, sweet movie!! 🥰.”
Meanwhile, during an interview with WIVB earlier this month, Home Improvement star Allen revealed that Woody and his character Buzz would be taking a step back from the spotlight in the movie’s plot and allowing Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack in the earlier installment of the franchise, to shine.
“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie,” he told the outlet of Toy Story 5. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyear. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more,” the actor said, adding that production on the fifth installment was already underway.
In an interview with The Wrap in February 2023, Pete Docter, executive producer and one of the creators and writers behind the 1995 original, said that the upcoming installment will be “surprising.”
“It’s got some really cool stuff that you haven’t seen before,” he added.
Catch up on all the Toy Story movies on Disney+.
