Disney laid off a lot of employees this week, with Pixar being a highly affected division. It turns out, the studio reportedly informed the state it was cutting people with a document that featured shockingly adorable letterhead. And yes, adorable is the right word too, because Pixar’s letterhead features Mrs. Incredible on it.

It was reported that Pixar informed the state that it was cutting 108 Bay Area jobs on Mrs. Incredible letterhead by SF Gate’s Matthew Brown. In a post on X, it was explained how many employees were laid off, and there was a screenshot of said letterhead; take a look:

Considering the serious matter at hand, the adorable letterhead was a bit shocking to see. However, I also assume the company’s regular letterhead features Mrs. Incredible or other characters from the best Pixar movies. Personally, I’m a bit surprised it’s not the classic lamp.

Plus, considering the plot of The Incredibles (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription), I can't deny that I was a bit surprised by the character featured at the top of this document. I mean, in the first movie, Mr. Incredible literally loses his day job as he’s getting back into being a superhero.

Overall, the letterhead is fun without considering what is written below it. However, all things considered, I’d assume it doesn’t make the news easier to hear. While this kind of letterhead does feel on-brand for Pixar's day-to-day use, seeing a beloved character on a document reportedly about layoffs hits different.

For context, on July 21, it was reported that several hundred positions were cut at Disney. Specifically, this affected Pixar and National Geographic in a big way, according to Deadline. Specifically, National Geographic was the most impacted, as it had layoffs at the cable network, editorial and operations.

Along with that, about a dozen ABC News employees were let go. Overall, Disney Entertainment Television and Studios cut just under 100 employees.

When the news broke, it was reported that Pixar laid off around 100 people from production and operations. This latest update says the number was specifically 108. This notably comes two years after Pixar went through a big round of layoffs in 2024.

All of this has also happened on the heels of Toy Story 5’s box office success. The studio also released Hoppers this year. Among the upcoming Disney movies, Pixar plans to release Gatto on the 2027 movie schedule, and Incredibles 3 is currently slated for a June 16 premiere in 2028.

Considering Incredibles 3 and the love for the first two movies, I can see why Mrs. Incredible was on the letterhead at Pixar. In fact, it’s an adorable detail. However, the last thing I expected was to see really difficult news allegedly delivered on objectively adorable letterhead.

For decades now, moviegoers have watched the best Pixar movies in both theaters and eventually streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The animation studio has given us countless beloved movies, from Toy Story to Inside Out to The Incredibles. Unfortunately, they've also been the subject of massive Disney layoffs, with hundreds reportedly being dropped by the House of Mouse. And some previous comments from a Disney animator showed that history is repeating itself.

Disney made some major layoffs on Tuesday, and Pixar was reportedly hit especially hard. This comes shortly after Toy Story 5 crushed at the box office, resulting in plenty of chatter online. As a result, a Variety story from earlier this summer has resurfaced, where a Disney animator spoke about the state of the industry. In their words:

It certainly feels like history is repeating itself in the wake of the studio's latest shakeup, which reportedly resulted in 116 people being laid off. That's a massive sum of workers, and it happening so shortly after Toy Story 5's release is especially newsworthy. Of course, this isn't the first time Pixar has had serious layoffs, as they did just a few years ago in 2024, resulting in 14% of its staff being dropped aka around 175 jobs.

As the Variety story previously reported, folks working in animation have been in a precarious place for years now, despite the genre's ongoing popularity. In addition to Pixar's two big layoffs in just two years, Netflix restructured its animation department in 2023, with jobs and entire projects being eliminated. Just like Pixar's success, those with a Netflix subscription will recall how projects like KPop Demon Hunters have dominated pop culture following their release.

When considering the genre as a whole, the unnamed animator's quotes do make some sense. And they said this before Pixar went through even more layoffs less than a week later. We'll just have to see how the genre continues to perform in the coming years, and if there's more job security for animators.

Funny enough, Pixar's last round of layoffs also happened after a wildly successful movie release. While this time around it was Toy Story 5, back in 2024 they happened shortly after Inside Out 2's release, which made over a billion dollars. And that timing is definitely turning heads.

Toy Story 5 is still in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully the folks at Pixar are safe from any future layoffs after this latest round of viral firings.

I know I don’t speak for everyone, but when director Brad Bird confirmed that we weren’t getting a sequel to Ratatouille, I think many of us gave a collective sigh of relief. That's because when looking back at every Pixar movie, I would say that Ratatouille is definitely in my top 5 favorite from the company. In fact, I’d consider Ratatouille a perfect movie. Not only that, but there are a few other Pixar films that I think better not get a sequel, either, and here’s why.

WALL-E (2008)

Oh, and for those of you who haven’t heard the news yet, in an interview with Collider, Bird, who wrote and directed the classic Pixar film, said that he thinks Ratatouille’s story has already been told and that it doesn’t need a sequel, and amen, brother. Amen.

Do you want to know a Pixar movie that I thought would never get a sequel, but did? Inside Out. In fact, when it was revealed that we were getting a sequel, I definitely had mixed emotions, because I didn’t even know how you could MAKE a sequel to that movie. Upon seeing the box office sensation, I understood. Riley was growing up, and it only made sense that she would have stronger emotions when entering into her teenage years. In hindsight, a sequel to Inside Out almost seems like a foregone conclusion.

I could definitely say the same for WALL-E. The story of the last robot on Earth getting swept away on an adventure to essentially save a plant, the film ends on a positive note in which humans return to a destroyed Earth and plant a tree. So, in theory, a sequel only seems natural, as we could see what Earth looks like in the aftermath years later.

But, not so fast, because a WALL-E 2 would totally devalue the themes of the original, which is to not lose the human connection, and to take care of the planet while we still can. WALL-E is not one of my favorite Pixar films, but I do think it has the strongest message out of any other movie in the company’s catalogue.

I also think that WALL-E resides in a very specific time period for Pixar. Sandwiched between 2007’s Ratatouille and 2009’s Up, 2008’s WALL-E was when I think Pixar was at its absolute apex, and truly soaring when it came to original ideas. So, I really don’t think any film from this period should get a sequel, as they should stay as singular, inventive concepts. Oh, and speaking of Up…

Up (2009)

Let me tell you. If there’s any Pixar movie that falls completely and utterly apart by its third act, it’s Up. That said, no Pixar movie has ever come remotely close to matching the beauty, sadness, and elegance of Up’s first ten minutes, and I don’t think any Pixar movie ever will.

It’s like a mini movie of a married couple’s lives, in both the high highs, the low lows, and the end of one of their lives. No Pixar movie has probably made more people cry than Up…besides maybe Toy Story 3, and that was mostly because we had come to know these characters for THREE movies and didn’t want to see them die. Up made us cry in ten minutes, though! However, I truly do think Up’s legacy is just in those opening minutes, because the rest of the movie is kind of ridiculous.

An old man goes on an adventure in his flying house with a boy scout, and there are dogs flying planes, and all manner of wackiness. It’s the kind of story that when you watch it again, you’re like, wow. This movie is actually kind of bad, mostly because it’s all over the place and doesn’t even come remotely close to living up to those first few minutes.

Which is why I feel a sequel to Up would be a huge mistake. Everybody remembers this movie for its opening moments, and all a sequel would do is make everybody remember the rest of Up, which I don’t think Pixar should do. Not if they want people to remember the original fondly.

Coco (2017)

Coco is one of the best music movies of all time, but that's not its only legacy. It’s also one of Pixar’s most “grown-up” movies ever, as it explores death and how family members deal with it.

It’s also a gorgeously animated film that respects Mexican heritage, and does so in a way that is fully digestible for children. More importantly though, it’s a film that doesn’t need a continuation, especially since the heart of the film is really about a daughter and her father, and by the end of it, they’re reunited.

Even though we go on Miguel’s journey to the Land of the Dead, the story isn’t about him. Not really. Yes, it’s about following your dreams - in this case, Miguel’s dream to be a musician - but it’s more about cherishing the people who came before you, even though they may have passed.

So, for a movie that’s all about death, let the dead lie because Coco doesn’t need a sequel. It’s perfect as it is.

Onward (2020)

When it debuted, Onward was my favorite Pixar movie, and I was upset that it didn’t do well financially. Granted, this was at the start of the pandemic, so it made sense that people didn’t want to leave their houses. It’s such an emotionally rich story - again about loss, this time of a father - that I thought that maybe people should do their best to see it in theaters. Thankfully, it found its audience at home.

The story of two brothers who go on an adventure to bring their dead dad back to life, Onward hits me so hard in the feels. In fact, since the movie came out, I lost my mother, so its storyline of bringing back a family member, even if only for a day, hits me even harder now than it did back then.

Which is why Onward shouldn’t be touched, as how can you possibly replicate that feeling? Yes, the magical world of Onward is interesting, and the characters are…fine. When the heart of your story is about family coming together in the toughest of times, then it’s made its point.

I think Onward should be left alone, probably more so than any other movie on this list.

Soul (2020)

The other 2020 Pixar film (and our pick for the best movie of that year), Soul, is still probably the best movie Pixar has ever made. The story about a music teacher who dies just before his big break and his desperate quest to get back to life, Soul is arguably the most creative and heartfelt movie the company has ever created.

It’s also such a singular story that it wouldn’t make sense to have a sequel. Throughout the film, a “lost soul” named 22 doesn’t want to be born, and our protagonist, Joe, acts as its mentor. All the while, Joe learns a great deal about himself and to appreciate the life that he’s lost, which shows great self-discovery.

Now, Soul is the only Pixar film that my children still haven’t finished, and I think that a lot of kids probably wouldn’t be as interested in this film as adults, as they’re not really thinking about their own mortality. That’s yet another reason why Soul should never have a sequel, as who would it even be for?

Soul is Pixar’s most mature movie, and as adults, we got the point the first time - appreciate life while you still can. Because life is short.

Toy Story 5 spoilers are ahead, so READ ON WITH CAUTION!

Andy and Bonnie’s famous toys returned this summer by way of the 2026 movie release Toy Story 5. Reviews for the Pixar sequel were very positive, and it smashed box office records during its opening weekend, earning $160 million domestically in three days, which was a new benchmark for the franchise. Considering all of that success, one might be tempted to think that a sixth installment is on the way. That hasn't been announced, though Tom Hanks (the voice of Woody) shared a great take on whether such a film should happen.

Toy Story 5 reveals a previously untold part of Jessie the Cowgirl’s story and, at the same time, it focuses on the toys dealing with the threat of tech. Ultimately, though, the film ends with owner Bonnie embracing her toys alongside her new friend, Blaze. All the while, Woody and Bo Peep continue to help abandoned toys find homes. Overall, the biggest loose ends are tied up, so I could completely understand Tom Hanks' rationale when asked by EW, if another movie should be made:

Hanks makes a lot of sense. After seeing this fifth film, I felt like everything was tied up pretty well. And, believe it or not, the Saving Private Ryan star was initially hesitant to take on another Toy Story movie for fear there’d be no story left to tell. However, he became hooked on the concept of the toys facing the threat of technology. All of that is a testament to the notion that a good story can really draw someone to a project. So, on that note, what could another TS flick entail?

All I can think of is a story that possibly brings characters like Slinky, Rex, Hamm or even Lilypad to further prominence with their own main storylines. It goes without saying that with each film, the ensemble of characters has grown, so there are plenty of stories to mine from any of them. And, of course, major players like Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie would theoretically remain in key roles as well.

It's honestly been interesting to see how Disney and Pixar have continued to expand this franchise following 2010's Toy Story 3, which was thought to be the end of the series. Nevertheless, Pixar figured out how to tell more stories in unique and entertaining ways. It goes without saying that the studios have found success, but they still might want to tread lightly with further installments.

TS5 director Andrew Stanton recently spoke with CinemaBlend about a possible conclusion for the franchise, saying it would have to be told “just right.” The fifth movie’s co-writer, Kenna Harris, also joked it may take 100 movies to get there! (Of course, at that point, I hope kids are still playing with toys.)

I'm definitely down for more, but I'll side with Tom Hanks on the point that there needs to be a story worthy of being told for that film to happen. What we have here is an example of a franchise that arguably keeps getting better as it goes, I definitely wouldn't want to see the quality decline due to lackluster storytelling.

Feel free to watch the new adventures of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of your favorite toys in Toy Story 5, which is playing in theaters now. You can also watch the franchise’s first four movies using a Disney+ subscription.

We just passed the halfway point of the year, and I can confidently say that Toy Story 5 is definitely one of my favorite 2026 movies. Pixar’s latest gave me everything I wanted out of a sequel to a franchise I’ve grown up with my whole life, and seeing Jessie finally get her moment is a big reason why. Days after I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face over the new animated film, I decided to give its predecessor, Toy Story 4, another shot, and I’m very happy I did! Let’s get into it.

What I Thought About Toy Story 4 When It First Came Out

While it took me a double-take to believe it, Toy Story 4 came out seven years ago. I remember going to see it in the theaters opening weekend just like I did for its newest installment – but I recall being very disappointed and feeling kind of icky about it. Given, for context – it was the first Toy Story movie that came out since I became an adult.

My most potent memory about the movie was the Toy Story 4 ending where Woody and Buzz say goodbye to each other with “To infinity and beyond”. I can recall the heavy sigh the scene incited from me like it was yesterday. To me, I think it felt like Pixar was trying to recreate the perfect ending of Toy Story 3 with another heartfelt goodbye between two major characters, and it just didn’t hit the same as last time, in what I would consider one of the best Pixar movies ever made.

Otherwise, I remember liking Forky and thinking Toy Story 4 was OK overall, but just kind of unnecessary. What a difference seven years makes!

What I Think After My Recent Rewatch After Seeing Toy Story 5

After loving Toy Story 5 as much as I did, I started to question my previous feelings about Toy Story 4. Was it really as bad as I thought it was? After my latest viewing, I can confirm that I was way too harsh on the sequel, and I think I know why. Toy Story 4 had to follow Toy Story 3, and even though it had been almost a decade since it had come out at that point, I wasn’t sold on the idea of Woody, Buzz and the gang coming back yet. Technically, I still think of Toy Story 4 as the weakest of the movies, but really not by much.

This time, I really appreciated Toy Story 4 for how it took some time to explore Woody’s life post-Andy. I kind of think of it as a metaphor for being an empty-nester parent who’s trying to find your purpose after your kid goes to college. I haven’t had that experience myself, but I’ve seen my parents struggle to redefine themselves since I went away to college and became an adult. With that in mind, I found Woody’s journey to be really meaningful, and his decision to “retire” (which becomes a hilarious gag in 5) and go after Bo Peep isn't sad, but a really beautiful start of a new chapter for him.

After watching Toy Story 5, I also was curious about seeing more of Bonnie from before and how the toys adjusted to being part of her room before. I really like how both 4 and 5 explore different ways that toys can be helpful to kids through Bonnie – who I realized now is very different from Andy and very much of her generation. And, I'm happy we have multiple kids in the Toy Story franchise.

The conclusion that I’ve come to is that every Toy Story movie has been made with complete love and care, and I’ll be happy to take more as long as there’s another good story to tell. And I like how each one has a few different main characters to come back to depending on how I feel the next time I want to go back and watch a Toy Story movie. If you felt similarly to me about Toy Story 4, I very much recommend a rewatch!

Did you know that Toy Story 5 almost didn’t include our pal Woody? Since Toy Story 4 ends with his retirement, I can see where the filmmakers were coming from initially. But man, am I happy they found a way to keep him in all while finally giving Jessie the limelight! I was living for all the gags the character has in the latest of 2026 movies, especially after learning more about how it came together during Pixar’s famously collaborative filmmaking process.

Pixar Had The Best Time With Woody's Toy Story 5 Gags

I mean, between Woody rocking a poncho, having a bald spot and taking a leadership role with Bo Peep as a hero to toys, I absolutely adored seeing the cowboy back in action. And during a Q&A with the Toy Story 5 filmmakers that CinemaBlend was in attendance for, writer/director Andrew Stanton shared how they found a way to give Woody these hilarious moments. In his words:

After Toy Story 4 gave Woody such a sweet send off, it definitely makes sense that Pixar would be scratching their heads over what to do with the iconic character next. But, I think they absolutely nailed it. As Stanton added:

Woody playing into some middle-aged / retired men stereotypes was definitely a fun way to show the cowboy doll is aging in a relatable way fans can laugh together about. And as you can imagine, once they had landed on that, a lot more ideas than they knew what to do with started to roll in.

How Woody Being Retired Inspired More Ideas Behind The Scenes

Kenna Harris, who co-wrote Toy Story 5, also revealed the funny extra step they almost took with Woody. In her words:

Yeah, that’s fun. I sort of get why they might have ultimately decided not to, because then Woody would look much different than usual and it’d be more difficult to reverse that coloring. But still, that would have been another great addition to Woody’s Toy Story 5 characterization. Stanton also said this:

So, apparently we can thank Tom Hanks for really playing along with Woody getting older, and leaning into it through the voice work, too, with improved bits. I just love how the creative team behind Toy Story 5 went from not knowing what to do with Woody to giving him some of the most hilarious moments in the whole movie.

And, that's just one reason why I totally agree with the sequel’s critical acclaim! Toy Story 5 is in theaters now.

When actors get cast in roles, it’s often because their auditions serve as proof that they're the right choices. However, Mark Ruffalo can thank his social media for landing him an upcoming Pixar movie. The actor has made a name for himself with hulk-y superhero and quirky indie roles, but his newest role is one that's close to the actor’s heart.

Pixar teamed up with the Emmy-winning actor for a purrfect role in the upcoming 2026 movie Gatto that allowed him to draw from his previous crime drama experiences. After the teaser trailer dropped, I learned the funny (and sweet) reason Ruffalo was cast in Pixar’s next movie, and I love everything about it. The director of the movie, Enrico Casarosa, spills the tea on X:

Casarosa’s first time directing was for Pixar’s take on sea monsters in the adorable story of Luca. However, he has worked on numerous projects for Disney. This time he’s taking viewers to Venice with Gatto, a gangster-comedy about a cat who works for a feline mob boss named Rocco and who is voiced by Laurence Fishburne.

The teaser for the movie has already dropped and as a cat person, I’m already sold. Ever since Hocus Pocus, I’ve had a weakness for black cats so I’m already obsessed with this story. The teaser felt like something I’ve had way too much experience with. Three cats who become distracted half-way through a tuna interrogation and can’t resist the need to bat at a light. Given Ruffalo’s love for cats, it’s clear why Casarosa wanted him for the project.

While Ruffalo has purrfect comedic timing, he's also an expert when it comes to stirring the emotions. Just watch him in The Adam Project or Just Like Heaven. However, recently the actor has been playing a lot of cops, such as his role in the crime drama Task. The actor has gotten a lot of praise for the HBO show. I have no doubt that the experience will help him bring the feline to life.

But I’m not the only one sold on the actor playing a cat. One fan, valentino, says, “If the cat’s purrs are louder than the Hulk’s roar, I’m sold.” Another, Fabo, says, “[Ruffalo]’s literally been preparing for this his entire life.” However, no one is singing the actor’s praises louder than the director himself:

It’s no secret that Disney loves its sequels (go watch Toy Story 5 in theaters), but the production company also finds time to prioritize personal stories. These stories, like Turning Red, are what define Pixar and are often the reason you need tissues just to watch them. You can check any of these stories out with a Disney+ subscription.

Though the teaser looks comedic, I’m already emotionally preparing to get teary-eyed. We all remember how Monsters Inc. ended. The movie is set to hit theaters in March of next year, and I can’t wait to watch it.

I would not have guessed that WALL-E, one of Pixar’s best, and Alien, one of the best horror movies of all time, shared any real creative wiring beyond the whole “outer space can get weird” of it all. But according to WALL-E director Andrew Stanton, Alien helped inspire the flick in a way that has me shook.

In a recent appearance on the How I Write Podcast, Stanton explained how he knew WALL-E would be mostly dialogue-free, so the script itself had to prompt readers to slow down and absorb the action, emotion and rhythm of the movie rather than rushing ahead to the next spoken line. That is when he looked to Walter Hill’s 1979 draft of Alien. He explained:

That is such a fascinating micro lesson in screenwriting. The way the longtime Pixar creator describes it, he gets at something most casual moviegoers never think about and that is that a script is not just a blueprint for what happens but also teaches the reader how to feel the movie's pace. In Hill’s case, that sparse formatting helped create dread through silence and tension.

For Stanton, the same trick served a completely different emotional purpose. WALL-E is not trying to scare you in its opening stretch. It is trying to get you to sit with this little machine as he moves through an abandoned Earth, cleaning up after humanity and collecting scraps of meaning from all the junk left behind. If a reader skimmed through that, they would miss the whole point.

Stanton explained that he borrowed Hill’s formatting so people could not “cheat” their way through the page. He wanted the screenplay to force the same kind of patience that the finished movie would ask from an audience. He continued:

I love this because it makes total sense once he explains it. WALL-E works because it trusts silence. The Alien connection is especially cool because Stanton was not borrowing monsters or horror imagery but rather the screenplay’s architecture. A way of arranging words on a page. A way of telling the reader, “No, stay here. This moment matters.”

That is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes craft detail that makes me want to rewatch WALL-E immediately. The movie already felt like a small miracle, but knowing that part of its rhythm was shaped by one of the greatest sci-fi horror scripts ever written adds a strange new layer. Now that I have this bit of behind-the-scenes knowledge rattling around in my head, I kind of want to fire up my Disney+ subscription and revisit WALL-E with fresh eyes.

As for Stanton, he has another major new Pixar project on the 2026 movie calendar, as he directed Toy Story 5, which is currently playing in theaters.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t seen Toy Story 5 in its entirety, so be warned if that applies to you, pardner!

By and large, Toy Story 5 is a sequel keenly devoted to Jessie’s biggest fans, and is thus filled with highly emotional moments for the generation-connecting cowgal. But it’s also a story of finding friendship in unexpected places with unfamiliar faces, as our young protagonist Bonnie attempts to broaden her playtime horizons with other human beings. Unfortunately, before she could cross paths with the magnificence that is Blaze, the eight-year-old had to suffer the insincere community of Chelsea, Heidi and Kara.

If you’ve seen the new 2026 movie, you know exactly who I’m speaking of, and why my tone is unmistakably haughty and judgmental. I’m talking about the three girls who are somewhat coerced into welcoming Bonnie to their Lily Pad group chat. Naturally, they’re vapid little monsters who only care about their devices, and they don’t hesitate before making Bonnie feel lesser-than because she plays with toys. So naturally, this grade-school clique has received highly amusing and rage-filled vehemence online.

The best and most brilliantly conceived take concerning Chelsea & Co., however, comes from X user @Thisisntflying, who calls out the ringleader for her self-obsessed pettiness.

I'm sure few among us are totally innocent of accidentally hitting a reactionary emoji on one's own post or comment, but this was no mere accident. This was all on purpose for Chelsea, who invited Bonnie over to her house seemingly without any real impetus for putting her on the same pedestal as Heidi or Kara. No, this seemed to just be about having someone around who serve as a verbal punching bag. Not that I think Chelsea's thought process went so deep, but anyone who intentionally laughs at their own bully posts isn't necessarily thinking deeply.

While the comment above was superbly pointed and drew on a specific behavioral element to draw the claws out, quite a few comments (on that post and elsewhere) were more general in their gleefully malicious opinions about Chelsea and her underlings.

• Yeah lol what a little dork! - @SuperPowerBread
• On the bright side. At least that means no other kids want to be friend with her to have a group chat that small - @mariosonicfan99
• She should be in prison - @Smallzz3214
• Imagne hating some other kid cus she still plays with toys i hated the f-ck out of those three sh-t heads - @Drawing811
• Just finished watching Toy Story 5…. Chelsea, Heidi and the other girl don’t want it fr. - @Brifrombrooklyn
• Toy story 5 count your days. chelsea heidi and the other one count your f-cking days. - @SWINGINPARONIRIA
• These three gremlins are straight-up running a cyberbullying ring because Bonnie won’t abandon Woody for TikTok dances - @kooktfc

I will always laugh anytime someone authentically uses the word "gremlin" to describe a child, especially when it's most applicable, as it is here. I bet when Chelsea eats a snack after midnight, she just turns into herself with slightly greener skin.

To be fair, a few of the commenters I came across somewhat righfully put the onus of blame on Chelsea's parents (and those of the other girls') for allowing them to be in unmoderated group chats and possibly not keeping track of who is invited into their home. But come on. Bonnie parents are kind of in that same boat, and Bonnie is a peach, so there's something inherently ughhh about Chelsea.

Of course, Bonnie never would have been made fun of in the first place had a certain someone (or thing) not manipulated events to theoretically work in the young girl's favor.

If not for Lily Pad's net-based scheming, Bonnie never would have been jettisoned into such unfamiliar waters that made her the brunt of Chelsea's jokes, both on the app and in real life. So yeah, even if redemption was recognized and achieved by the end of the movie, Lily Pad was always the true antagonist.

I previously wrote about various Toy Story 5 moments that would be terrifying outside of this movie's context, and now I'm thinking it'd be fun to see an animated short where Woody, Jessie and Bo Peep go on a stealth mission (possibly with Leap Frog as the "tech in the chair") to completely ruin Chelsea's life, likely with Heidi and Kara catching shrapnel.

Toy Story 5 is currently still destroying the box office, even though Chelsea is probably waiting until it hits streaming to watch to save money, that monster.

SPOILERS for Toy Story 5 ahead.

We got a monumental moment in Toy Story 5, as Jessie and Buzz shared a kiss! After the sequel explores Jessie’s backstory and develops her character, she plants a big smooch on Buzz Lightyear upon their reunion, who’s been itching to ask her to marry him the whole movie. It’s a sweet scene, but Tim Allen got honest about how awkward it was to record the moment in the newest Disney movie.

The 73-year-old has been playing Buzz Lightyear for over 30 years, but there’s a specific reason why the romance of it all felt odd to him at first. In his words to Us Weekly:

Now, this totally makes sense! Sure, Buzz Lightyear has grown older in a sense across the past five movies, but he still thinks of the character as a little kid on his end. So, it was tough to wrap his head around the maturity of Buzz and Jessie being outwardly romantic this time around, with both a kissing scene and a wedding. As he continued:

You gotta love this reaction. Buzz and Jessie’s big kiss is pretty innocent, but as he recalls, he found himself a bit shocked about it when he first read it on the page.

Tim Allen also couldn't help but think about his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, who is 17 (his other one, Kate, is 36). As he shared, he still distinctly remembers a time when she would have an adverse reaction to kissing. He compared his daughter’s past reactions to that of his own when he learned Buzz and Jessie would be smooching in Toy Story 5.

That being said, obviously, he approves of the scene now. As he added:

Both Tim Allen and Tom Hanks have been candid about their initial hesitancy to be in another Toy Story movie. In Allen’s case, he found the fifth movie’s story “really clever” and got himself excited to go back in the recording booth to play Buzz Lightyear again. He’s also been vocal about how “hysterical” he thinks the 100 Buzz B-plot is.

Buzz and Jessie’s romance in Toy Story 5 is a sweet advancement to their storyline after there’s been a wink to their interest in each other in past movies. They also get a lovely wedding moment staged by Bonnie, her new friend Blaze, and the rest of the toys during playtime. How adorable was it for Toy Story to give these two a Disney-worthy happily ever after?

Ever since I was a kid, it’s been a tradition to see all the animated movies from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar. Something that was always especially fun about the experience of seeing both studio's films in theaters growing up was the original shorts that would play beforehand. But in recent years, the House of Mouse hasn’t been doing them much. That’s thankfully going to change with one of the next of upcoming Disney movies, Hexed!

There's Exciting News For The Next Animated Disney Movie

For the past handful of latest Disney animated releases (Toy Story 5, Hoppers, Zootopia 2, Elio, Moana 2 and Inside Out 2), shorts have not gone before them. But Hexed is getting one. Check out the announcement below:

It’s 6/26, so it’s the perfect day for Walt Disney Animation to announce the return of the animated Stitch to the big screen ahead of the live-action Stitch getting a sequel. We're getting a new short called Lilo & Scratch, and it’s debuting exclusively in theaters with this November’s new Disney flick.

The poster does an excellent job of communicating what we’re in for with this short, too, without giving it all away. It seems like maybe Stitch will meet another experiment like him that’s similar to a kitten. But apparently he’s “finally met his match” and Scratch will likely be even more destructive than he is. I’m so nostalgic for this. I can’t wait.

What's Been Going On With Disney Shorts?

It’s funny that this news has just come out, because after I went out to see the current box office smash Toy Story 5 in theaters last week, I did think about the time when shorts used to be part of the Disney animated movie experience. And I got kind of sad the tradition has gone away. The last time you might have seen one in theaters was in 2023 when Disney was celebrating its 100th anniversary and Once Upon A Studio played before Wish or when Carl’s Date came before Pixar’s Elemental.

Before 2023, Disney has been tapering off on shorts, previously only pairing one with 2021’s Encanto, called Far From The Tree and Us Again was the first short in five years when it played before Raya and the Last Dragon. I personally think it's such a bummer that’s been the case. Growing up there were so many memorable shorts I thought of long after leaving the theater. I'm think about Paperman playing before Wreck-It Ralph, Bao before Incredibles 2 or Lava before Inside Out.

Sure, most shorts can be watched nowadays with a Disney+ subscription, but seeing a new one with an audience right before a new Disney movie is such a treat. I’m so happy it’s coming back this holiday season for Hexed, in theaters on November 25.

SPOILERS AHEAD for Toy Story 5.

'If you’re both a fan of Taylor Swift and Pixar, the last couple of months might have been an exhilarating rollercoaster (if you’ve been following what’s been going on, that is). As someone who is terminally online, I’ve been following the rumors of Taylor Swift having a Toy Story 5 song since the first big clue dropped in May. The song, titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” is amazing, obviously, but something about it just didn’t hit right with me.

Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 Song Played With My Heart

By the time Taylor Swift confirmed she’d be on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, there was a month of lead-up, and I started to make it out to be more than it ultimately was. I had hopes that it would play during the movie itself and might coincide with Jessie reuniting with her other kid, Emily – perhaps as a callback and bookend to the Sarah McLachlan song “When She Loved Me”.

I was pretty convinced it wouldn’t be an end credits song too after writer/director Andrew Stanton said when he said he's seen “the song on the end” and it was “not Taylor Swift” after the rumor started spreading. I figured that meant it was definitely during the movie, and Stanton was being cheeky, hinting at that.

Then, in an effort to make the experience of Toy Story 5 a fresh experience for myself, I even decided not to listen to the song in its entirety until I watched the movie on opening night. But then I found myself a bit disappointed when the song ultimately turned out to be a song in the credits rather than coinciding with a pivotal moment in the movie.

Jessie doesn’t reunite with Emily as I imagined the song was suggesting. Instead, the song isn’t really talking necessarily about the events of the movie at all and feels more like Swift was inspired by the sequel to write something that can stand on its own. I know I wasn’t alone in theorizing this because I saw other Swifties/Pixar fans guessing how the song would connect with Toy Story 5, and that’s not how things played out.

Why I’ll Get Over It

“I Knew It, I Knew You” is not what I expected, but in some ways that’s actually a good thing. I really enjoyed Toy Story 5 – especially for its cathartic Jessie story, and it didn’t need a Taylor Swift song in the middle of it in order to be made better. I also didn’t need Jessie to reunite with Emily either. The fact that she found a lunchbox instead that led her to learn Emily had named her own daughter after her made me teary-eyed. I wasn’t expecting the reveal, and it was all the more sweet because of that.

I’m happy there’s a Toy Story 5 song written by one of my favorite artists, even if the rollout had me super confused. I wish I didn’t have to feel like I was a toy being spun around by a five-year-old because Taylor Swift is part of the movie, but I guess I assumed a lot of things, too. Anyways, I absolutely didn’t know it, but the new Toy Story 5 is definitely one of my favorite 2026 movies, so there’s a happy ending to it all, either way.

I've had Toy Story movies on the brain since seeing Toy Story 5 in theaters last weekend. Naturally, this week's movie quiz had to be focused on the iconic Pixar franchise, which has been going strong for decades.

I should mention that you don't need to have seen Toy Story 5 to do the quiz below. Familiarity with the characters and some quotes and plot tidbits from the first four Toy Story movies is all that's required if you want to solve all of the clues in the quiz.

Disney has spent years turning animated classics into live-action movies, and that trend is not slowing down anytime soon. Moana is set to hit the 2026 movie schedule soon, and Tangled is currently in the works, which means plenty of beloved Disney titles are still making the jump from animation to live action. Pixar, however, has mostly avoided that treatment so far. Now, thanks to someone asking the Toy Story creators about that very possibility, we have a pretty clear answer, and their response is hilarious.

During a recent BAFTA interview with Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins, the two were asked late in the conversation whether they would ever consider making a live-action Toy Story movie, and their reactions were immediate. After both seemed to groan at the idea, Stanton said:

Collins, meanwhile, sounded like someone trying to stop a spell from being spoken aloud in a haunted attic. She jumped in with:

Stanton then jumped in with a question many Pixar fans were probably thinking. He asked:

Collins quickly shut the whole thing down. The producer added:

Stanton agreed. He echoed her sentiment:

Honestly, I love everything about this exchange. Nobody reached for the careful studio answer. There was no “never say never” or “we’re always open to new storytelling possibilities.” They reacted like someone had suggested the unthinkable. Which, to be fair, sending Woody into the uncanny valley feels pretty "unthinkable."

The funny thing is, we actually joked about this idea before. In the past, Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson said they were ready to star in a live-action Toy Story, if only they could find someone to play Woody. It was an idea the two had joked about after their Jungle Cruise pairing. It was a fun hypothetical, and honestly, if anyone could make that conversation entertaining, it would be those two.

But a live-action Toy Story is a weird idea on a basic conceptual level. The whole premise already exists in a world where toys look like toys, move like toys and interact with human spaces. The animation is doing the job that live action would theoretically be trying to “realize.” So what would the new version be? Actual toys moved around with CGI faces? Humans in toy costumes? A photorealistic Woody with pores? No, thank you, Sheriff.

That does not mean new Disney live-action remakes are automatically bad ideas. Some have connected with huge audiences, and the upcoming live-action Moana at least has the built-in hook of bringing Dwayne Johnson back as Maui while introducing a new actress as Moana. There are ways to rethink an animated story for a different medium.

The original 1995 movie was already revolutionary for the way it used computer animation to make toys feel alive. Its whole identity is tied to Pixar’s form. Taking that into live-action risks sanding away the very thing that made it special in the first place.

Maybe that's the reason why Stanton and Collins’ reactions are so satisfying. They are not making a grand anti-remake argument. They just seem to know, instinctively, that this particular franchise does not need another layer of reality slapped on top of it.

Besides, Toy Story 5 already has enough going on. The franchise is continuing in animation, where it belongs, with the same visual language audiences have loved for decades. Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang do not need to be dragged into the uncanny valley for the sake of novelty. Sometimes the best answer really is the simplest one. That’s gonna be a hard no from me as well, dog.

Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes. But if you want to revisit the other five movies or the rest of the House of Mouse's back catalog, all you need is a Disney+ subscription.

Toy Story 5 played into the idea that everyone’s favorite cowboy doll Woody is getting older — showcased best by his blindingly reflective bald spot — alongside not only the franchise’s fanbase, but also the iconic actor who’s voiced the role for the past 30 years. But I don’t think we can blame aging on the fact that Tom Hanks was apparently clueless that entire time about Woody having a last name.

The character, who wasn’t originally written into the fifth movie, is as beloved as Pixar and Disney characters get, but I can’t deny how easy it is to totally miss out on the lawman’s moniker amounting to more than just the five letters composing his first name. So I won’t be the first one to judge Hanks for being out of the loop, especially since his reaction to the news is so danged funny to watch, as seen below.

When presented with the new-to-him information that Woody isn’t just a single-named entertainer like Cher or Madonna, he was surprised, and offered up maybe the world’s best guess for what Woody’s surname might be.

Is "The Sheriff" a single last name in the vein of De Niro or Del Toro, or is "The" meant to be Woody's middle name there? Either way, a classic response from the acting legend.

As was this display of incredulity after learning that Woody's last name is actually "Pride." To which he responded with:

While this didn't get addressed within that interview from BBC Radio, Woody's full name was initially revealed by Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, who stated at the time that the identifier had been a discussed and established detail since the development phases on 1995's Toy Story. So it wasn't just something tacked onto the character years later. (Toy Story 5's most emotional sequence plays into name-based reveals, so this interview clip feels pretty on-point for the sequel.)

More fun was had when the topic came up that Jessie's last name is also Pride, which has sparked plenty of internet fan theories about how closely the two characters are related. That was something that Tim Allen said he'd come across online in the past, noting that he'd seen fans talking about Woody and Jessie being brother and sister.

Turns out Tom Hanks doesn't want the two toys to be that closely linked. As he put it:

If the sibling bit is true, it wouldn’t change anything TOO much, and isn’t nearly as bothersome as it’d be to learn that Buzz and Jessie share the same bloodline. Or that Forky and Karen Beverly are related. Oh wait, that one might track...can plastic utensils be related?

Another more pertinent question: can Toy Story 5 continue its box office dominance into its second week in theaters, or will the upcoming DC movie Supergirl push it down to #2? [Cue Smarty Pants cracking up.]

Since Toy Story 2 arrived in theaters more than two decades ago, I've had a soft spot for Jessie. I think I'm always going to be drawn to characters who've not only experienced tragedy or trauma, but have found the strength to move forward. Life is harder for those with that kind of baggage, and I find these characters to be inspiring. Yes, that applies to animated characters like those in the Toy Story movies. When it became clear through the promotions that Jessie -- voiced by Joan Cusack, "yeehaw!" -- would be taking center stage for Toy Story 5, I was not only excited, but also a little bit hopeful that this new movie would somehow find a way to set Jessie on the path to healing.

Spoilers for Toy Story 5 ahead! 🛑

Jessie Has Never Fully Gotten Over Losing Emily

We learned in Toy Story 2 that Jessie’s original owner, Emily, grew up, lost interest in her toys, and donated Jessie along with a box of other unwanted stuff. Though Jessie is tough as nails and always willing to stand up for herself and her fellow toys, it clearly took effort for her to move forward and allow herself to be taken in by another kid -- first Andy, then Bonnie.

Even with new friends and new kids to love, the franchise never forgot what she'd been through. In Toy Story of Terror (a TV special that came out in 2013), Jessie's fear of being boxed up resurfaced as part of the story. And before that, in Toy Story 3, we saw Jessie begin to go into full-on panic mode at the thought of being abandoned by Andy when he was going off to college.

For years, some fans have theorized that Andy's mom was actually Emily, though I'm not sure how Jessie wouldn't have recognized her, even in adulthood. I never really liked that theory, and I realized as Toy Story 5 approached and I saw some fans theorizing that Emily might return in the movie, that it's because I didn't want to meet Emily in the present.

I don't think she's a villain -- Emily's only crime was outgrowing her toys, a thing we've all done, right? Still, it's hard not to associate Emily with the pain and panic Jessie has experienced in the decades since she was abandoned, and I couldn't see how bringing the character into a present story could fix that. Honestly, I couldn’t think of any way Jessie could be healed from what she went through.

Just like Combat Carl, Toy Story Found A Way

Emily doesn't return in Toy Story 5, but her childhood home is featured when Jessie ends up there (due to being separated from Bonnie and having her original owner's street address printed on the back of her chaps). It's at the old farm that Jessie comes across a lunch box time capsule buried near the rope swing tree. Inside it, Jessie finds some old things -- including one of those knocker-ball hair ties I remember from my own '80s youth (the tops of my fingernails hurt just thinking about the snap of those things) -- and a card from Emily, written to her daughter, whose name is Jessie. Emily named her daughter Jessie.

I have to credit the filmmakers for working this into the story (it's incredible to me that it was a late addition to the plot!). I really couldn't picture Emily returning and somehow conveying to Jessie just how much she really meant to her in a scene that didn't feel forced. Jessie learning that Emily named her own daughter after her was perfect. It showed Jessie just how much she meant to her, and that's all that really matters to a toy. She wasn't unloved, nor was she ever forgotten.

Beyond knowing that Emily always loved her (and wearing her daughter's hair tie as a way to carry that with her), I really appreciated how Jessie came to terms with her purpose as a toy. By the end of Toy Story 5, it's clear that she understands that what's most important is that she's there for Bonnie for as long as she needs her. So not only is Jessie in a better place over what happened with Emily, it seems like she's more prepared for the inevitable day that Bonnie outgrows her toys.

The level of care that Pixar has taken with the Toy Story franchise over the years is why I've had no problem sticking with it for three decades. It's probably also why I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit my level of investment in these characters and their stories.

Anytime a new Toy Story movie hits theaters, several assumptions can be made. 1. It’ll be a beloved and emotionally fraught journey for most of the audience. 2. It’ll make a ton of money at the box office. And 3. It’ll feature situations and details only a shade away from being existential nightmares. Toy Story 5 does not disappoint there, and Team Pixar kept my horror movie-loving brain contemplating potentially terrying scenarios for the characters throughout.

The magical nature of Toy Story is the gift that keeps on giving by way of “What if…?” scenarios, and writer/director Andrew Stanton’s sequel features some classic “toys playing dead” moments for Jessie, Buzz & Co., while also introducing Conan O’ Brien’s A+ new character Smarty Pants and Greta Lee’s villainesque tech Lily Pad. Let's get to it, but be warned there are SPOILERS AHEAD!

Sticky Slap Hand Seemingly Becomes One With Smarty Pants

I am quite possibly more freaked out by Sticky Slap Hand than by most horror movie monsters. This is, to my understanding, a standalone toy able to communicate non-verbally and independently travel around. Yet soon after these playthings are introduced, the Hand wraps its ropey length around Smarty Pants' handle and essentially becomes the potty trainer's new limb.

Nobody comes out and says, "There's a psychic link between those two," but so much of what the Hand does is in Smarty Pants' favor, and shouldn't be such instinctive behavior for a completely separate toy. What actually ARE you, Sticky Slap Hand?!?

That Dormant Rubik's Cube In Blaze's House

If "living" toys being locked away in attic trunks for decades makes up one side of the Toy Story nightmare spectrum, the other side would probably be seeing toys in the wild that never gain consciousness without humans around. Because what happened there?

Case in point: When Jessie is going through Blaze's house, she passes by what is clearly a Rubik's Cube. But instead of jumping up with some twisty and colorful animation, the Cube just exists as scenery, and doesn't appear to share in other toys' vitality. What. Happened. There?

All Those Buzz Lightyears Doing Anything Synchronized, But Especially The Drone Stuff

Watching 50 identical Buzz Lightyears doing differing things isn't so bothersome, but seeing them working in tandem is definitely unnerving, such as that whole squad rising up out of the water Apocalypse Now-style. However, the real horror comes amidst the film's climax, when the upgraded astronaut toys show off their drone propellors to fly Jessie and the core crew through the city far more quickly and safely (in theory) than walking.

However, that rescuse happens above busy streets with cars whipping through, and there's no possible way the toys travel from Points A to B without drivers seeing all the lit-up drones carrying toy-shaped cargo. To humans, I'd think they'd appear to be a UFOs/UAPs, and someone would use a phone to record video of it all. Imagine the Buzzes all going slack and falling into the traffic below...The horror!

The Pizza Planet Driver Passing By All The Toys

Before the drones, when Jessie is leading the pack along the side of a road, everyone goes limp when a car (Toy Story 5's Pizza Planet reference) is approaching. But then before the vehicle is even out of the frame, everyone jumps back up and starts advancing anew.

A paranoid conspiracy horror movie could kick off right there. If I'd ever see that many toys just jumbled on the side of the road while driving, I'd 100% slow down and have my eyes glued to my car mirrors, wondering what in the world could have happened. Because they jump up so quickly, a mirror glance would make that break in reality quite visible for the driver. Maybe he drove off the road in shock, never to be seen again.

The Unearthed Lunchbox Under The Tree

The most emotional moment in Toy Story 5 for yours truly and others was Jessie learning she was the namesake for her former owner's daughter. Which she discovered in the lunchbox time capsule buried at the base of the tire swing tree. Now imagine being Blaze's rational human mother going out there and discovering that lunchbox and its connection to the toy that "randomly" showed up at their house.

I think Blaze's mom would believe her daughter saying she wasn't responsible. So if I'm Mrs. Manoukian, I'm thinking it's either someone from the former owner's family secretly trespassing, or it's ghosts. No other options, and both of those suck.

Lily Pad Is Basically M3GAN With Worse Dance Moves

This requires the smallest leap to horror, since Lily Pad is a monster wrapped in bright plastic, with her Internet connection being a catalyst for chaos. Sure, she comes around in the end, but what if this was a M3GAN-esque story? Lily would have eliminated those cruddy girls who bullied Bonnie, no question.

It's wild to consider what would happen if the cops had to access Lily Pad's data in relation to a murder (or whatever crime), and they were faced with a statistical anomaly that could only be explained by screaming "The toys are sentient!" while running out of the police station.

Thanks for reading along! Don't forget to lock up all your toys when you go to bed tonight, and remember to check for scratches on the inside of the closet door in the morning.

Major spoilers for Toy Story 5 lie ahead!

Toy Story movies have been in my life for 30 years now and, in that time, one particularly emotional sequence has never left my brain. In Toy Story 2, we meet Jessie, who had a previously special relationship with a girl named Emily before she grew too old for her, and Jessie was donated to charity. I never expected we’d get closure for Jessie’s backstory, but then Toy Story 5 became part of the 2026 movie schedule. And, as I (and CinemaBlend learned) one of the film's most affecting Jessie scenes wasn't initially planned.

In the latest Toy Story sequel, Jessie, who’s voiced by Joan Cusack, ends up at the home where Emily previously lived. Late in the movie, the doll finds a remnant of her former owner's later life after she was donated, and it comes right as the character needs it. Jessie finds a lunch box belonging to Emily's daughter, who happens to be named Jessie and referred to as her mother's "little cowgirl." I definitely felt the tears well up as Jessie realized just how much she truly impacted Emily's life.

Fans may find it hard to believe that full-circle scene was only added at the last minute. During CinemaBlend’s Toy Story interviews, the filmmakers told us about how the scene came about. Per co-writer Kenna Harris:

It’s actually wild to me that this Toy Story 5 moment wasn’t originally in the script originally, because it really feels like the emotional center of the film to me. In a separate interview, co-writer/director Andrew Stanton told us that exploring Jessie's backstory further was the jumping off point for the sequel for him, but the idea of Jessie inspiring the name of Emily’s child didn’t come until later. As producer Lindsey Collins added:

When Toy Story 5 starts, Jessie is dealing with the trauma of being pulled away from Emily as she watches her new person, Bonnie, get sucked into technology and cease to play with her toys. So, when Bonnie initially decides to desert Jessie in the third act of the film due to peer pressure, Jessie is ready to give up on being a toy out of sadness. However, when she learns of Emily’s daughter, she feels validated by how much she meant to Emily after all. As Harris also told us:

Pixar movies take many years to make, and famously go through a lot of changes throughout their production cycles. Stanton, for example, told us that when he first wrote Toy Story 5 he did so without Woody before deciding he wanted him in the movie. It took awhile to land on the emotional Jessie scene, but I’m so happy they did. Collins also said this:

I’m not the only one who loves how Toy Story 5 turned out, as it’s earning rave reviews from critics and positive reactions from general audiences. Honestly, it's wild to me that we’re on the fifth Toy Story film and the quality of the storytelling hasn't been diminished. As far as I’m concerned, the franchise doesn’t need to end as long as the filmmakers continue to come up with worthwhile ideas. It's thanks to that continued creative inspiration that I'll be thinking about this sweet Emily revelation for quite some time.

Check out Toy Story 5 in theaters now, and stream the first four installments using a Disney+ subscription.

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since Toy Story 3 came out and emotionally wrecked audiences. Like so many people, I’ll never forget how the movie perfectly capped off the story of a bunch of toys and their person, Andy, as he officially leaves childhood behind and goes off to college. It was the perfect ending for the franchise, but then a fourth movie came out, and now Toy Story 5 is the latest upcoming Disney movie on the way. Is the franchise officially past calling it quits now?

I decided to ask Andrew Stanton this very question: Will Toy Story ever reach a final conclusion? He's been a creative voice behind the scenes on every Toy Story movie and is the director behind the latest, and he says the nature of toys is that they can be passed along, at least for a good while.

So, as long as audiences turn up for a new Toy Story movie and the creatives over at Pixar continue to be inspired by the property, we’re not going to have to say farewell to this franchise. For how long? As his Toy Story 5 co-writer Kenna Harris added:

Pixar made an all-time great trilogy with the first three Toy Story movies, but as Andrew Stanton has said to haters of future Toy Story sequels: “nobody’s being robbed of their trilogy” and they don’t have to watch more if they don’t want to. Since Toy Story 3, they’ve found a way to continue the storyline through their move to Bonnie's room. I'm also happy to hear this movie in particular is already booming with positive reviews (save one) from critics who are calling it “a smart examination of evolving technology and its effect on children." It's "heart" and "conviction" are also being called out in reviews.

It’s certainly not easy or common for a movie to reach five films, and it's especially surprising to do this many with such high acclaim. Yet,Toy Story keeps proving its capable because the Pixar creatives keep finding new ways to keep these iconic characters around and expand the world of toys they’ve built.

This time around, the movie finally gives Jessie the center stage to explore her origins (and has added a sweet new Taylor Swift track to go along with it). In our interview with Tom Hanks, he got candid about being hesitant about Toy Story 5 before he learned the concept behind the movie. The animated flick tackles how technology is affecting children growing up nowadays.

I’m so curious about how Pixar will go from here after this new installment. Or will this one be the last after all? Either way, I personally find it nice that it's been kicking around for thirty years and new films get to be enjoyed by other generations. I wonder if I'll feel the same way in my old age if Toy Story 24 comes out.

You can see Toy Story 5 for yourself when it hits theaters this Friday, June 19.

Whether or not you were as hesitant as Tom Hanks about another Toy Story, it’s hard to deny the excitement that a new story featuring Buzz, Woody and Jessie brings. Toy Story 5 is hitting the 2026 movie calendar more than 30 years after the original, and I honestly can’t say I’m surprised that critics are giving the newest installment a big thumbs up. There’s always one detractor, though, isn’t there? Let’s take a look at Toy Story 5 reviews and see what people like (and don’t like) about the animated flick.

The newest chapter sees the return of all of our favorite voices — Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, etc. — as well as some exciting new additions including Conan O’Brien, Greta Lee, Craig Robinson, Bad Bunny and Alan Cumming. The new toys are exciting, as our old friends will see competition from Bonnie’s high-tech devices. Germain Lussier of Gizmodo says Toy Story 5 exceeds expectations as a more-than-welcome addition to the franchise:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire grades the movie a B+, boldly calling it the “best Pixar sequel since 1999.” Conan O’Brien’s role voicing the Smarty Pants potty training device is “one of the funniest voice performance roles in Pixar history,” but the movie’s biggest message is one that’s going to affect every parent in the theater. Ehrlich says:

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY rates it 3 stars out of 4, saying Jessie really steps forward into the lead role of this movie, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that’s even more engaging than Woody and Buzz’s battle against the screens back home. This critic also mentions that Conan O’Brien was born to play the role of Smarty Pants, delivering both potty humor and character depth. Overall, it’s another successful outing for Disney/Pixar, Truitt says, writing:

David Rooney of THR says in his Toy Story 5 review that it’s hard to resist the movie’s captivating sweetness as it delivers a message about screentime that can always bear repeating. Rooney writes:

The family friendly film is already Certified Fresh with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. So if you’re wondering what’s going on with that leftover 6%, I present to you Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian. His review of Toy Story 5 gives it just 2 out of 5 stars, and the issue seems to be with the redemption of some of the tech toys, as mentioned in the previous review. Bradshaw says:

If you want to form your own opinion on the Toy Story universe’s take on screens vs. physical play, you don’t have to wait long now! The upcoming Disney movie is set to hit theaters on Friday, June 19. In the meantime you can also catch up on the previous movies in the franchise, which are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

The toys of the Toy Story movies may be there until the end of the line for Andy and Bonnie, but how about the voice actors behind them? Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are Woody and Buzz, but is there a future where they won’t be? Luckily, there isn’t one right now, but Hanks did get honest about asking “why” they should do Toy Story 5.

When CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb sat down with the stars of Toy Story who’ve been voicing these characters since the original movie 30 years ago, Hanks commented on his initial reaction to reprising the role of Woody for the fifth movie. Check out the exchange (also in the video clip above):

Tom Hanks: “In all honesty, when they say, ‘Would you like to do another Toy Story?’ My question was, ‘Well, why? What are you going to talk about?’ And Andrew [Stanton] had the thing of, ‘Well, we're sort of going to take on tech because Bonnie now has a device.’ ‘Got it!’”

Tim Allen: “And really low key. You go wow!”

Tom Hanks: “All the writers and producers are, you know, preoccupied with other stuff that's going on. They just kind of give us the bare bones.”

Very few franchises get to the fifth film and retain the quality of the original movie. And sometimes, it even leads to cast members who started with the leading characters being swapped out because it’s no longer what it used to be. When Hanks was first approached for Toy Story 5, it sounds like he wasn’t totally sure about another one, but then he was quickly grabbed by the concept.

Toy Story 5 follows the toys, previously of Andy’s room, as they navigate Bonnie getting a tablet named Lilypad. When the tech device starts to demand all her attention, the toys start to freak out about an impending doom where they are stored away in a box collecting dust in the garage, and Jessie tries to fix things. You can check out the latest Toy Story 5 trailer below:

The latest of the upcoming Disney movies tackles a timely concept of how screen time is not only affecting young children these days, but everyone. It totally makes sense why Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would instantly be drawn in to return to their iconic characters thanks to some ingenuity by the Pixar filmmakers. They've also clearly built years of trust after all the great Toy Story movies.

In addition to Toy Story 5 tackling technology, it also gives Jessie a central plotline she never got to have before. In a previous interview with the Toy Story 5 filmmakers, director Andrew Stanton told us that the first draft for the sequel didn’t include Woody at all. However, he missed the cowboy in the mix, and he felt like it would make sense for Jessie to ask for help from the toy even if he’s enjoying a retirement elsewhere with Bo.

Toy Story 5 had its world premiere last week, and first reactions to the fifth Toy Story are calling it a “genuine home run”, “deeply profound” and “top tier.” You can see it yourself in theaters starting this Friday, June 19.

When we heard Conan O’Brien was joining the cast of Toy Story 5 about a year ago, I perked up at the reveal. I think the former late night host is one of the most amusing people alive right now, and I’ve been so curious about what he would bring to Pixar’s OG franchise. He’s playing a potty training toy called Smarty Pants, and I had to ask the movie’s creative team about how such an outlandish character came to be.

When CinemaBlend sat down with Toy Story 5 production designer Bob Pauley about Smarty Pants ahead of the upcoming Disney movie release, he talked to us about the evolution of the character before it became a toilet paper roll voiced by Conan O’Brien. In Pauley’s words:

Smarty Pants comes into the picture when Jessie goes off on her own adventure to another household outside of Bonnie’s. He’s one of those toys that’s been lying around in some drawer for years since his kid has all the toilet training skills she could ever need. As Pauley shared, the animators knocked around a lot of ideas for the character’s visual design, and it took a few tries to get right.

As it turned out, one of Pixar’s interns ended up being the person to crack the design for Smarty Pants. Here he is in all his glory:

It’s a pretty fun design, isn't it? Now wait until you hear Conan O’Brien’s voice come out of him in Toy Story 5. Pauley also said this about the process:

I always find it interesting how character designs change over the years when a Pixar movie is coming together, because these movies take a long time. Pauley also told me this fun tidbit about a Toy Story regular who nearly had the role instead of O'Brien.

I absolutely cannot wait to see Smarty Pants in action. As Pauley also told us, Toy Story 5 is very much Jessie’s movie since it explores her backstory. The Pixar sequel hits theaters on June 19. You can check out what critics are saying about it following its world premiere earlier this week. Until then, may you remember that even a roll of toilet paper can serve as inspiration on a big movie!

I'm a lot of things, and a proud cat-person is one of them. I'd say that I own two cats, but let's face it, they own me. Anyone with deep-seated feline appreciation knows this is their world, and we're just living in it. That the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie is called Gatto -- the Italian word for cat -- was enough to have my interest piqued, but the teaser Disney just released has me sold that this movie understands the assignment.

Pixar's Gatto is set in Venice, Italy, and will center on Nero (Mark Ruffalo), a cat who's taking stock of his life -- or lives, as it were. The plot description promises an "unexpected friendship" forming for our hero in search of his purpose; however, the teaser doesn't dive deeply into what we can expect there. Instead, we get a glimpse of Nero and mob-boss cat Rocco (Laurence Fishburne), as they interrogate a rope-bound cat about some missing tuna. It seems like a very intense situation, until all three cats get distracted by the dangling pull-string from the ceiling light.

This is exactly the kind of humor I was hoping we'd see from the movie, and I can't wait to see more footage as the release date approaches. There are so many opportunities for great cat jokes and nods to feline behavior. Thinking back to a recent Pixar release, I thought Hoppers did a great job of tackling some funny (and occasionally dark) aspects of animal life. From this Gatto teaser, I'm especially optimistic that we'll get lots of great cat jokes. As for what we can expect from the plot, hopefully it won't be long before we get a proper trailer for the film to better introduce us to Nero and his story.

As much as I wish Gatto were arriving not he 2026 movie schedule, we'll have to wait until next year for this one, as it's set to release on March 5, 2027.

Toy Story 5 is easily one of the most anticipated titles on the 2026 movie schedule and, thankfully, its release date is just around the corner! Between more of Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang, a tech-centric story and a fresh song from Taylor Swift, fans have a lot to look forward to with this one. Now, members of the press have finally screened the film in its entirety, and they’re sharing their reactions on social media. Their sentiments aren’t exactly the same, but there’s one thing they all have in common.

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris, Toy Story 5 sees the gang dealing with an existential crisis due to the rise of tech usage amongst youngsters. With that, the toys make their stand against the antagonistic Lilypad and those who’d seek to end playtime. The creative team really had to thread a needle when it came to crafting such a story containing timely themes but, so far, reactions from critics seem to suggest they pulled it off. Variety’s Jazz Tangcay shared these glowing thoughts about the movie X:

Obviously, that’s some seriously high praise, and the comments from Andrew Salazar of DiscussingFilm seem to align with that general vibe. In his own reaction, Salazar praised the decision to make Joan Cusack’s Jessie the lead character, and he also lauded the filmmakers for taking a “hard stance” in one particular regard:

Early on, trailers for Toy Story 5 teased that Jessie (and her origins) would be taking center stage and, per the responses to her role in the film, fans of the character are sure to be pleased. That sentiment about Cusack’s yeehaw-spouting protagonist was shared by Collider’s Meredith Loftus:

It probably shouldn’t be all that surprising that another Toy Story movie is being well-received, especially considering the critical responses to the first four (which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription). On Rotten Tomatoes, the first and second films both hold a 100% critic rating, while the third film sits at 98%. As for the fourth film, that one has a 97% score.

Of course, not every movie is totally perfect, and that also seems to be the case here. Germain Lussier of Gizmodo used the word “disjointed” to describe the first part of the film, yet it seems it smooths out as it goes:

And if that weren’t enough, film critic Scott Menzel also had plenty of praise for Pixar’s latest film. Not only that, but he’s already predicted it could become one of the year’s best films:

I was already excited to see Toy Story 5 but, after seeing this first round of reactions, I’m even more hyped. All in all, it would seem that the creative team has managed to craft a movie that’s not only good but also stands firmly alongside the previous installments in terms of quality. That’s certainly the best a fan like myself could hope for. Check out the film when it opens in theaters on June 19.

Toy Story 5 is one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming 2026 movies. The franchise has been around for over three decades, and Joan Cusack has been voicing Jessie for more than two of those. At this point, she’s spent plenty of time with her fiery cowgirl counterpart—likely delivering some of Jessie’s most iconic lines more times than I could count. One of the most memorable, of course, is the rootin’est-tootin’est cowgirl in the west’s signature “Yeehaw!”—though, as it turns out, it wasn’t something Cusack immediately warmed up, which she told CinemaBlend about.

Cusack first started voicing Jessie in Toy Story 2, when the character was introduced alongside Woody’s Roundup gang. Since then, she has voiced Jessie in all of the franchise’s feature films, as well as numerous TV shorts, video games, specials and promotional appearances. The cowgirl has yodeled and “yeehawed” her way through a lot of material, and with what we know about Toy Story 5, Jessie is set to take on a more central role—likely meaning even more of those signature exclamations from our favorite cowgirl.

Ahead of Toy Story 5, I had the opportunity to speak with Cusack during a recent Walt Disney World event, and I couldn't resist asking about Jessie's signature catchphrase. The veteran actress admitted that her relationship with "Yeehaw!" has changed over the years:

CinemaBlend was on hand at Walt Disney World for a preview of Disney’s Cool Kids' Summer celebration, where guests can also experience Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-A-Roarin’ Revue at Magic Kingdom. It was there that Joan Cusack shared this juicy Jessie tidbit, and I have to admit: It’s really fun to say “yeehaw” out loud. Still, after saying it repeatedly for over 20 years, I can see how it might have started as a bit of a love-hate relationship before it just became part of the rhythm of the character.

Given that Cusack has fully embraced Jessie’s signature catchphrase, I can imagine her using it more than a few times in Toy Story 5. With Jessie taking Bullseye's reins and stepping into a larger role, she’s teaming up with some old friends—like Woody, complete with a new bald spot—to help save Bonnie’s toys from Lily Pad, voiced by Greta Lee, as technology threatens to take over playtime for good.

With this larger role, however, I do have one lingering worry: that Bonnie could become another Emily. The Toy Story 5 trailer seems to nod back to Jessie’s past, and fans can only hope she isn’t forgotten again. I doubt it’s a line Cusack would sign off with in an email, but it’s one that still sticks: “You never forget kids like Emily or Andy, but they forget you.” All we can hope is that Bonnie never lets Jessie end up gathering dust under a bed again.

Whether Cusack is tugging at our heartstrings or leading the charge in the franchise’s latest adventure, it sounds like she’s fully embraced one of Jessie’s most recognizable traits. And, with Toy Story 5 giving the cowgirl the spotlight she deserves, I’m sure we’ll hear a few “yodel-ay-hee-hoos” and plenty of “yeehaws” along the way. Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19.

Pixar Animation movies famously go through a lot of changes from the moment they are greenlighted. It's no surprise, as it's a long process to even make the movies, ranging from anywhere from four to seven years. The studio's latest, Hoppers, was a six-year passion project for director Daniel Chong before it became one of the most successful 2026 movie releases. When CinemaBlend sat down with a couple of the movie’s filmmakers, they revealed one memorable scene that (shockingly) wasn’t even in Hoppers until late in its development. And they can thank Pixar fans for the assist.

Hoppers revolves around Mabel, a teenage Japanese-American college student who’s passionate about nature and animals. It’s certainly not the norm for a Pixar film to follow a human near-adult, but that was part of the movie from the jump. As Hoppers’ lead story artist Margaret Spencer told us ahead of the movie's streaming release:

OK, so Mabel pretty much stayed the same age and personality from the inception of Hoppers. That's cool and all, but here's the juicier bit the film’s story supervisor John Cody Kim told us.

I mean, can you believe we almost didn't see little Mabel? The scene we're talking about is at the very top of the movie--but minimal spoilers are in the next couple of sentences. We see Mabel steal all the class pets in her school before getting caught. Her parents then lecture her about her behavior. The scene transitions into a cute moment between Mabel and her grandma where she asks her to listen to the sound of nature. It's the perfect introduction to the character, and it's hard to believe it only came at the last minute.

Even more important for context? The scene was added after screening early versions of the film. The audience had thoughts about Mabel, and the scene was added after the animators took feedback. The screening thing is not unusual. Pixar is known to screen its films while they are in the middle of working on them via a peer review forum called the Braintrust, which is in and of itself, very cool.

There were plenty of other ways Hoppers changed throughout its lengthy production period. Chong first pitched it as more of a “Mission: Impossible spy thriller” and the character of Jerry was more of a “cold cut” antagonist before the filmmakers made some changes to Jon Hamm’s character later on. But this tidbit is the perfect morsel as the movie heads to streaming.

Hoppers just leaped its way onto TV screens for those with a Disney+ subscription, it’s the perfect time for a rewatch. I know I’m definitely going to appreciate the opening scene even more knowing that it was a late addition to the movie.

Like many other Swifties around the world, I'm bracing myself for whatever Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff have in store for us with the new single they wrote for Toy Story 5. While we wait for "I Knew It, I Knew You" to drop on Friday, I've been thinking about other Taylor Swift songs that kind of sound like they belong in a Toy Story movie... at least, by their titles, anyway.

To be clear, I don't think any of the titles below will end up on the new movie's soundtrack, nor do I believe any of them were inspired by past Toy Story movies. Lyrically speaking, it just wouldn't make sense. But if we're looking at the titles alone, it's kind of fun to imagine a Toy Story connection. And it's a way to pass the time while we wait for Toy Story 5 to arrive on the 2026 movie schedule on June 19.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

This one may seem obvious, but I also need to credit Pixar directly for the connection. Back when The Tortured Poets Department was just coming out (and was chock full of heartbreaking lyrics), the studio shared an amazing thread of images tying track titles from Taylor's album to some of their movies. Naturally, they dedicated "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" to Toy Story's Sid. Let's face it, Andy would never break his favorite toys, but Sid took a disturbing amount of pleasure in the act.

Cowboy Like Me

I mean, come on, "Cowboy Like Me" is only one of Taylor's best and most underappreciated songs, and I will hear no arguments against that opinion. The Evermore track fits perfectly with Woody and Jessie, whose paths cross in Toy Story 2. It takes one to know one, and on sight, Jessie knew without a doubt that Woody was a cowboy like her.

It's Nice To Have A Friend

As innocent as "It's Nice To Have A Friend" is, especially if we were to pair the Lover track with Randy Newman's iconic "You've Got A Friend In Me," I decided to take a more ironic approach for this one and dedicate it to Toy Story 3's Lotso, who may be lotso things, but the kind of friend it's nice to have isn't one of them.

Invisible String

Wait... Woody has a string! Ok, but that's not the only reason I like "Invisible String" for the cowboy character. Let's not forget that it was Woody's pull-string that caused him to dangle from that tree in Toy Story 3, putting him directly into Bonnie's path. Almost as if there was something cosmically tying him to her.

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

We're going back to the original Toy Story for this TTPD track, as there are no toys that give "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) better than the very non-cannibalistic, very misunderstood misfit toys at Sid's house, who manage to get Buzz's arm reattached for him.

Right Where You Left Me

Perhaps the most literal pick of the bunch, I think this Evermore bonus track fits perfectly with the life of any toy featured in the Toy Story movies. After all, while they're able to talk and move about when humans aren't around, they always have to end up right where their person left them.

Mine

I saved "Mine" for last because it made me smile the most. One of the things Woody makes clear from the first movie on is that he's proud to belong to Andy. Being a kid's toy is his ultimate purpose and a point of pride. And nothing says "mine" better than the sight of Andy or Bonnie's name written on his boot.

With less than a day until "I Knew It, I Knew You" drops, and just a matter of weeks before Toy Story 5 arrives in theaters (watch the trailer!), we have a lot to look forward to!

If you saw Toy Story 5 on the 2026 movie schedule and wondered why we’re getting yet another Toy Story sequel, there’s actually a good reason for it. Jessie the Cowgirl has been a beloved character in the franchise ever since she was introduced in Toy Story 2, but she’s never quite been center stage before. Writer/director Andrew Stanton wanted to change all that when writing the upcoming Pixar movie, and he told us why.

I had the chance to see half of Toy Story 5 on behalf of CinemaBlend and then sit down with Stanton and some of the movie’s other key filmmakers. What struck me the most about what I’ve seen from the movie so far is how instrumental Jessie is to the storyline. During the film, she even finds herself back in her previous bedroom from before she met Woody and co. Here’s what Stanton said about making the character central to the new release:

Since the end of Toy Story 4 has Woody leaving Bonnie’s room and giving Jessie the sheriff’s badge, it certainly feels like a natural transition for these movies. Actually, during our conversation, Stanton also told us that when he first wrote Toy Story 5 without Woody before deciding to bring the character back.

Jessie ends up going on a grand adventure that leads her to meet a new cast of characters, including Bad Bunny’s toy and Conan O’Brien’s potty training toy. She’ll also meet a new human child named Blaze. As his co-writer Kenna Harris added:

We won’t go too much into detail about Jessie’s backstory and the Toy Story 5 adventure. However, since there've been so many sequels, I know I was curious what Pixar had up their sleeves this time around, and I love that they’re finally giving some more love to Jessie the Cowgirl.

Toy Story 5’s production designer, Bob Pauley, who’s had a hand in every Toy Story movie just like Stanton, also gushed about the role Jessie gets to play this time around in our interview with him. In his words:

This week, we also learned that Taylor Swift has written a song for Toy Story 5 that will appear in the film after theories started forming among Swifties. We have to wonder if the song called “I Knew It, I Knew You” will be another emotional song for Jessie after Sarah McLachlan’s tune from Toy Story 2, “When She Loved Me”. When I asked Pauley about the end, the production designer said this:

Well, I know I’m officially convinced why Toy Story 5 needed to exist. You can see the movie only in theaters starting on June 19.

It's time to wipe off the clown makeup for this one, Swifties. Theories have been on the rise about Taylor Swift's possible involvement in the upcoming Toy Story movie for weeks, and today, after much speculation, she and Disney confirmed that a new single is on the way! Swift has a new original song for Toy Story 5, and it's coming out in a matter of days.

Swift shared the following Instagram story, posing in an outfit I have no doubt Jessie would approve of (she's a cowgirl like her, after all!) and announcing the sale of the CD singles for the song, titled "I Knew It, I Knew You."

Three different versions of the single are on sale for a very limited time (48 hours!) at Taylor Swift's store. Disney has confirmed that the song will officially be released on June 5th, ahead of Toy Story 5's June 19th arrival on the 2026 movie schedule.

In addition to the story about the singles, Swift also posted on X her thoughts about getting to be a part of the soundtrack.

Fans have been speculating about Taylor Swift's potential involvement in Toy Story 5 for weeks, after a countdown briefly appeared on her site. There was speculation about an outfit she wore, and eagle-eyed fans noticed the very Toy Story-like cloud backdrop that appeared in the "Opalite" video, which may have been a very early clue that something was up. Just last week, Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton seemed to debunk the rumor, and yet, here we are!

I Don't Think I'm Ready For It

The Toy Story films aren't musicals, but music has always been a key part of the franchise. Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend In Me" is a classic. I'm also a big fan of "Strange Things." But can we talk about Toy Story 2 for a second? Because it's been more than two decades, and I still haven't fully recovered from the "When She Loved Me" Jessie montage. Written by Randy Newman and performed by him and Sarah McLachlan, the song and the scene absolutely wrecked me, the way it tapped into the heartbreak and abandonment Jessie experienced after her first owner left her behind.

My point is, the bar for a great Toy Story song has been set high with past films. With that said, if there's a songwriter and singer who can meet that standard, it's Taylor Swift. She teamed up to write this one with frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff. I'm torn between not being able to wait for this single, and not being at all ready for whatever kind of emotional punch "I Knew It, I Knew You" packs.

Based on the Toy Story 5 trailers, the latest Pixar movie boasts beautiful animation as well as a timely story about how technology is impacting playtime for kids. What the film also has, of course, is a robust roster of voice actors, including franchise veterans like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack. Unsurprisingly, there are some newcomers in the mix, too, as even Conan O’Brien has been cast. Now, in a delightfully surprising turn of events, Bad Bunny has been announced as a cast member, and the singer/rapper’s funny role involves sunglasses.

The last few years have seen Bad Bunny – whose real name is Benito Ocasio – dipping his toes in the acting profession. However, despite the fact that Ocasio landed roles in films like Bullet Train and Caught Stealing, I wasn’t expecting him to join a Toy Story flick. Pixar revealed his casting this week, and he’s playing a character named Pizza with Sunglasses. Yes, you read that correctly and, if for some reason you think I’m making this up, get a quick look at the diminutive toy in the TikTok post below:

On the one hand, I’m trying to wrap my head around the concept of Ocasio lending his voice to a small, plastic piece of pizza. But, on the other hand, this feels like an oddly fitting role for the “Mónaco” performer, who’s known for his sometimes quirky, creative sensibilities. The sunglasses, of course, are also a nice touch due to the fact that BB is also known for sporting sweet shades during some of his concerts.

Disney and Pixar also released an official character description for Pizza, who’s apparently a “mysterious,” yet “cool,” member of a forgotten colony of toys. The sunglasses-wearing slice and his fellow playthings live in an abandoned, backyard shed, which makes me wonder how they’ll cross paths with the core group of characters.

What I want to know now is how writer/director AndrewStanton pitched the role to Bad Bunny, as I can imagine any actor being surprised upon being offered the chance to play a dancing pizza slice. I’m also prompted to wonder about this due to having previously heard about how O’Brien’s role was pitched to him. The former talk show host is playing a toilet-training toy known as Smarty Pants, and Stanton offered O’Brien the role via a pun-filled letter.

However the Grammy winner was convinced to join this 2026 movie schedule offering, I’m just delighted that he’s a part of it in some way. And he and O’Brien aren’t the only newbies who’ll be joining the Toy Story franchise this time around. Greta Lee is playing the role of Lilypad, and it was just announced this week that Alan Cumming would voice Evil Bullseye, which is a playtime persona for Woody and Jesse’s faithful (and usually non-speaking) horse. Also, part of the cast is Krys Marshall, who’s playing a non-toy character, though further details have not been revealed on that front.

The legacy sequel’s general premise has been revealed, though, and it sees Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the toys in Bonnie’s room banding together against the technological threat of Lilypad. All signs point to this being a somewhat darker Toy Story installment, which intrigues me. Still, there will surely be moments of levity, and I could definitely see Pizza with Sunglasses contributing to that fun. So here’s hoping Bad Bunny crushes whatever slices (sorry) of the film his character appears in.

Fans can see Toy Story 5 when it opens in theaters on June 19. In the meantime, catch up by streaming the first four movies with a Disney+ subscription.

Since the Toy Story movies have been coming out now for over three decades, it wouldn’t necessarily be surprising if Woody and Buzz turned things over to a new generation of toys – especially Woody after he literally left Bonnie’s room at the end of Toy Story 4. But thankfully, both characters are back in action for Toy Story 5, which is among 2026 movies hitting theaters this summer. But, I recently found out from the movie’s writer/director Andrew Stanton that this wasn’t always the case for Woody.

Toy Story 5 has Woody reuniting with our favorite toys, bald spot and all, and of course, is once again voiced by Tom Hanks. During CinemaBlend's interview with the Toy Story 5 filmmakers, Stanton said this about the return of Woody:

Toy Story 5 follows the toys of Bonnie’s room, who were given to her by Andy during the emotional ending of Toy Story 3, as they face a new problem among them. Bonnie is given a tablet named Lilypad that steals all of her attention away, and the rest of the toys are stressed about it. Jessie, who has assumed the leadership position of Bonnie’s room, gets in contact with her buddy Woody to talk out the problem, and it leads to him joining in on another thrilling and fun animated adventure.

An emergency in Bonnie’s room totally makes sense as a way for the audience to see Woody again, but as Stanton told us, at first, he wrote Toy Story 5 without the cowboy at all. However, as he continued to work on additional drafts, he decided he missed Woody and found a way to add him to the upcoming sequel. As he continued:

While Woody definitely plays a big part in Toy Story 5, there’s a lot more focus on Jessie (still played by Joan Cusack as well) than we’ve ever seen of her before, too. The movie even involves the cowgirl riding on a real horse and getting to visit her previous room. There she meets Conan O’Brien’s hilarious potty training toy, among many other fun surprises I’ll keep to myself for now. Producer Lindsay Collins added this:

The first look at Toy Story 5 did feature Woody briefly, but the latest look definitely gives fans a much better look at how the dynamics in the movie look, and Tom Hanks’ iconic character is definitely a big part of it. You can check out the Toy Story 5 trailer below:

I don’t know about you, but I’m so curious how Toy Story 5 will tackle the issue of toys vs. tech, and forward these characters we know and love. You can see it in theaters on June 19.

Toy Story 5 is only weeks away from making its debut as part of the 2026 movie schedule, which means fans are close to reuniting with the franchise’s lovable characters. At least one of those famous toys will look a bit different when they show up again, however, as Woody will have gone through a few changes. In the Andrew Stanton-helmed film, the famous cowboy will not only have a bald spot but a gut as well. Now, Tom Hanks – who voices the beloved pull-string doll – is answering a question I’d had about the design.

I actually had the opportunity to speak with Stanton about the response to Woody’s bald spot but wasn’t able to ask about the more practical reason for it. What I’ve specifically wanted to know is exactly what causes the top of Woody’s head to become faded in-universe and, after his gut was revealed, I had the same question. Well, Hanks talked about his character’s new look as part of a piece for EW. During the chat, the fan-favorite actor shared his take on what exactly has caused the cowboy’s dome to fade:

This seems so obvious in hindsight but, to be completely honest, I never really considered the notion of the constant removal of Woody’s hat being the reason for his bald spot. A part of me wondered if it was just fading on its own over time due to other factors. That aside, the gut aspect of all of this may have seemed like an even bigger mystery to some fans. Well, Hanks and co. have thought of that as well and, again, the answer is quite practical:

Ever since I read that latter quote, I’ve been trying to recall whether I had any stuffed toys as a kid that settled in such ways. Nothing comes to mind right now, though the rationale here definitely makes sense. On the surface, these cosmetic changes to Woody can definitely be played for laughs, but they also represent the passage of time. That notion really hits hard for someone like, who’s old enough to have seen Toy Story 2 in theaters during their childhood. On that note, what this franchise continues to prove is that it can grow with its audience and remain timely at the same time.

Speaking of timely, Toy Story 5 sees Bonnie’s toys facing the rise of technological devices, which are beginning to permeate playtime. That prospect is seemingly what causes Woody to reunite with Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye and the gang. Based on the footage that’s been revealed thus far, this could be a somewhat darker entry in the franchise. At the same time, though, there still seems to be plenty of comedy, and the TS5 trailer also teased some sweet nods to the earlier films.

We’ll have to wait and see whether the toys end up thriving within the age of tech. Aside from watching the story play out, though, I’ll admittedly also remain focused on Woody’s bald spot and gut. I’m curious as to whether the character just keeps those imperfections or fixes them using a magic marker and some stuffing shuffling techniques.

Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19 and, in the meantime, fans can watch the first four movies using a Disney+ subscription.

It's no surprise that Pixar's first five-film franchise follows up on the movie that started it all, and it sounds likeToy Story 5 will be reflective of the 31 years that have passed between it and the acclaimed first movie. (A span that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen joke about.) When the sequel joins other 2026 movie releases in June, audiences will apparently be watching Buzz, Woody and Bo Peep's darkest adventure yet.

That assumption stems from this week's news about the MPA slapping a PG rating onto Toy Story 5, making it the first of the flagship Toy Story movies to be rated anything beyond the all-inclusive G. (Chris Evans' live-action LIghtyear also got the PG branding, but I don't think that can be blamed for its lacking box office.) The MPA clearly things at least one element in the movie is worthy of making sure child viewers have a parent or guardian nearby for comfort, akin to Finding Dory's getting a different rating from Finding Nemo.

Obviously, it's not known just yet why Pixar's latest effort was branded differently from the first four features, so wouldn't it be fun to speculate about why this almost definitely end up being the darkest Toy Story movie yet? I'm going to assume everyone reading just hollered "Heck yeah, and I have my thinking hat that looks like a cowboy hat just a finger's length away," and all at the same time.

Theory 1: The Toys WIll Be Corrupted By The Internet

On the opposite end of the plaything spectrum from Forky's simplistic handmade glory is the Toy Story franchise's newest must-have: the frog-shaped Lily Pad tablet. Obviously any new toy sapping Bonnie's attention from her longtime collection is going to feel threatening, but Lily Pad brings a completely different kind of threat into the playroom: a WiFi connection.

Certainly, director Andrew Stanton & Co. won't be giving Trixie an OnlyFans page, and nor will they be putting any focus on the myriad adult entertainment sites out there. That would send the rating all the way up to an R instead of a PG, so no worries there.

Instead, I'm talking about things that might not seem soul-crushing to the uninitiated, like reading horrifying comments on YouTube and X, or going down any number of social media rabbit holes filled with disingenuous content. I mean, even going to WebMD would be debilitating for these toys. Or streaming services. Can you imagine what watching a full season of The Boys would do to Rex?

Theory 2: We'll See "Evil" AI Versions Of Woody, Buzz, And/Or Bo Peep Doing Terrible-ish Things

There's something very Black Mirror-esque about the Toy Story 5 poster where our protagonist trio are shown in the reflection of Lily Pad's screen. Which made me think: if Lily Pad has a camera installed, she might be able to take pictures of the other toys, and could use those images for any number of nefarious acts that would get them into hot water with Bonnie and other humans.

Honestly, just showing adults proof that toys can talk would change everything, but assuming that doesn't happen, I think it's feasible that Lily Pad could create AI versions of Woody, Buzz and/or Bo Peep that would be employed for devious schemes. For instance, Lily Pad could sew distrust within the playroom by creating a video of AI Woody badmouthing other friends and claiming it was made while he was still on his toy-saving pilgrimmage. Or showing Woody a manufactured video of Bo Peep kissing Buzz. (Bring out the PG-13 stickers!)

Plenty of other conceivable examples exist for how Lily Pad could use AI to turn the main characters' lives (so to speak) upside-down, with much potential for other yet-to-be-introduced characters to be involved, such as Krys Marshall's potentially worrisome new entry. And if Bonnie's parents buy a 3D printer that Lily Pad can connect to? Cooked.

Theory 3: The Evolution Of Toy Technology Will Be An Existential Nightmare

Surely, the Toy Story franchise is among the most adept at emotional arcs that audiences of literally any age can be moved by, and all without talking down to viewers or tiptoing around umcomfortable beats. Still, this world of make-believe doesn't dwell much on philosophical topics that could send characters (and younger viewers) spiraling. Like, Buzz suffering a complete personality change in Toy Story 3 due an on-body switch could have easily set up a feature-length conversation about the ramifications of having such a vulnerability, and having it go public.

Maybe Toy Story 5 will lean more into those unspoken concerns that are generally above children's heads, which I think could easily tie into the "corrupted by Internet" theory higher up. What if Slinky Dog stumbles across the information that the Earth is going to be destroyed when our sun goes supernova? There's nothing salacious about that info, but the anxiety it could inspire isn't so G-rated.

That's an extreme example, but having an extremely advanced toy like Lily Pad around could easily cause other toys to question their arguably less-than existence. It's in the same ballpark as thinking about what life is like for toys packed away in storage containers, or on constant public display without a means of getting free. The tablet could easily make other toys feel inferior without even having that intention. At least at first.

Which could then lead to narrative beats that dig more into truly dark subjects like abandonment, abuse, grief or death. Toy Story movies often feature characters who worry about being replaced, but we all know that phones and tablets absolutely become the ultimate substitution for imagination-based toys. Which is the scariest thing of all. It'd make me want to seek a parent's embrace, but much like many Disney protagonists, my parents are dead.

That feels like a great note to cap off this story about — [checks notes] — Toy Story 5, and it's one of those rare instances where I kind of hope none of my movie theories end up coming true. Maybe the PG rating is just because one of the toys poops on the floor. Which is a different kind of death.

Toy Story 5 will hit theaters for children and guardians everywhere on June 19.

As we look forward to Toy Story 5's premiere on the 2026 movie schedule, it’s wild to think about how long the Pixar franchise has been going on. And, when Tom Hanks and Tim Allen turned up together at Las Vegas’ CinemaCon on Thursday to talk about the latest animated sequel, they hilariously pointed out how long they’ve been making these movies with a funny little interaction.

The first Toy Story movie came out back in November 1995, making these movies freshly 30 years old as of a few months ago. Hanks brought this up during the recent appearance with Allen, leading to this exchange:

• Tim Allen: "I don't think we look any different. We looked at video of us doing it, and we looked like our grandchildren in the video."
• Tom Hanks: "I thought, did I make the first one when I was in junior high school?"
• Tim Allen: "Horrible."
• Tom Hanks: "We have both had this experience where we've been somewhere in public, and an adult with a little kid has said, 'Oh my gosh, it's Buzz Lightyear! It's Buzz Lightyear! It's Buzz Lightyear! Honey, this is Buzz Lightyear!' And the kid looks up and sees that."

These two probably had no idea that they’d be playing Woody and Buzz Lightyear well into their sixties and seventies (Hanks is 69, and Allen is 72), but they are, and remain beloved for their roles, of course. The actors joked around about looking like their “grandchildren” and like middle school kids when they first made Toy Story three decades earlier, by comparison to today.

Hanks threw the best shade, though, when he told an anecdote about what happens when parents point out to their kids that the actors are Woody and Buzz. He said they are met with a couple of grey-haired guys. Pixar itself kind of has its own wink at how old Woody is getting with the cowboy having a bald spot in one gag in the movie. You can check out the latest Toy Story 5 trailer here:

From what we know about Toy Story 5, this time around, the toys in Bonnie’s room (previously of Andy’s room) will have to fight for attention from a tablet that comes into the kid’s life called Lilypad. All our original favorites are back, including Jessie, Hamm, Rex, Slinky Dog, Mr & Mrs. Potato Head, along with a couple of favorites from Toy Story 4: Forky and Duke Caboom. The movie is helmed by Andrew Stanton, who has been involved in all the previous Toy Story movies. We can look forward to Toy Story 5 hitting theaters on June 19.

Doing the Toy Story movies together has made Tom Hanks and Tim Allen good friends since first starring in the roles back in the '90s. The pair apparently meet for lunch a few times a year to keep things going, and this fun exchange between them definitely is evidence of their fun-loving relationship.

We entered the 2026 with two Pixar movies slated. The first, Hoppers, came out in March, and Toy Story 5 arrives to the 2026 movies schedule in June. Given how well Hoppers performed and how popular the Toy Story franchise remains, this year is shaping up to be a big one for the animation studio. That me all the more shocked at the newly-revealed reason why Pixar canceled one of its recent movies, as I think it had the potential to be huge as well.

Last month, it was reported that Pixar scrapped a feature called Be Fri in late 2023 that had been in development for three years. Directed by Kristen Lester, who previously helmed the 2019 Pixar short Purl, Be Fri was going to follow two teenage girls who were once best friends, but started drifting apart, only to be sent on a journey across the universe to save humanity after learning that their favorite Sailor Moon-style TV show is real. Clifford the Big Red Dog’s Blaise Hemingway wrote the script, and editor Nicholas C. Smith, who had been working at Pixar for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2024, was also attached.

So what went wrong? Accord to an unnamed former Pixar employee who spoke with THR, Be Fri kept getting notes from higher-ups at Disney and went through four iterations before being scrapped. This source recalled that Lester, Hemingway, Smith and several storyboard artists put together that final iteration in just six weeks, whereas preproduction on an animated movie usually takes a year of storyboarding. The ex-employee continued about the final Be Fri footage that was created:

That’s a curious perspective in hindsight considering that 2024’s Inside Out 2, which once again focused on Riley and her emotions, became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. The female protagonist-focused Pixar movie before that, Turning Red, also earned positive critical reception, though it was released directly to Disney+ subscription holders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ex-Pixar staffer said that the Be Fri cancelation was “devastating,” and those who worked on the project held a “funeral” for it.

A different former Pixar staffer also told THR that some employees are “disappointed that the studio seems to let concerns about public perception lead its decision-making on movies like Elio and Be Fri.” The mention of the former is referencing how its LGBTQ+ storyline was cut. This same individual said that “the joke around Pixar” is that the studio’s leadership “has no spine at all.” Oh, and if Be Fri sounds a lot like Netflix’s KPop: Demon Hunters, which took the world by storm last year, you’re not alone. The first ex-employee said:

If Be Fri had been anywhere the level of quality as KPop Demon Hunters, then I’m sure it would have crushed at the box office. It makes me wonder if any of the Pixar brass were kicking themselves over canceling Be Fri after seeing KPop: Demon Hunters’ success. Alas, it doesn’t sound like this will be one of those cases where a canceled movie is later revived, as the Pixar slate is filled up until 2029. As mentioned earlier, Toy Story 5 is up next, arriving on June 19.

Hoppers is a big win for Pixar, as it's the first time since 2017 the studio has had such success with an original story. Sure, the studio will continue to make Toy Story 5 and other sequels for as long as audiences will show up to watch them, but it was refreshing to see the studio come out with something new that was well-received. I loved it, though, admittedly was not prepared for that WTF scene toward the end that had my daughter and me talking afterward.

I think one of the most endearing things about this movie is that it's unafraid to embrace the morbidity of nature, and how twisted an idea like hopping into a robot animal can get. As we saw, it's especially disturbing the other way around, but I absolutely loved it all the same.

Hoppers Caught Me Off Guard With Its WTF Scene With Titus

Hoppers feels really silly at the start, but things take a dark turn when Mabel inadvertently sparks a revolution of animals against the human race. After his mother was "squished," young Titus assumed the throne of the insects and forced the humans into making a human robot for him to "hop" into.

The Pixar film then transformed into a mild horror, as Titus adjusts to using a human body, having previously lived the bulk of his life as a caterpillar just seconds before. He slithers around in the body and moves unnaturally, and as he moves, his "skin" begins to sink from his robot face. There's no blood, gore, or violence, but the sunken face scene creates a horrifying sight that I know would give me nightmares as a kid. To think, the team actually had to tone this scene down to make it less unsettling!

I'm All For Disney Movies Scaring Children Again

We used to be a society that wasn't phased when a Disney film terrified a child. I, for one, am glad to see Pixar got back to that. I can't remember the last time the studio has done something that disturbing since the scene where Woody first arrives in Sid's room in Toy Story. I still think about those mutant toys and think about how they freaked me out as a little kid.

I think this new scene from Hoppers is worthy of inclusion into one of Disney's darkest moments, and not just because of the body horror element. I mean, let's not forget that Mabel did kill Titus' mother, which a human audience may brush off because she was a butterfly. I'm just saying, he had a right to be angry, even if his plan to kill a bunch of humans was out of pocket. All that said, credit to Hoppers for being a Pixar movie that had a real 90s feel with how it wasn't afraid to potentially scar a child or two for life.

Hoppers is in theaters and eventually will be streaming on Disney+. Pick up a Disney+ subscription if you don't plan on seeing it in theaters, though I would highly recommend that you do!

Ever since it was officially announced, Toy Story 5 has been a movie that has generated a lot of questions and no small amount of concern. As much as people love the Toy Story franchise, there are many who still feel the movies should have ended after the third one. A fifth movie in the franchise just feels like going back to the well too often for some. And so far, nothing that’s been revealed about the film has put fans entirely at ease.

The latest detail about Toy Story 5 is the latest piece of casting information. Deadline has confirmed that Krys Marshall, most recently of the hit series Paradise (available with a Hulu subscription) will play a role in the new movie. But the most interesting thing about her part is that she’s not playing a toy.

Could We Get A Significant Human Character In Toy Story Who Isn’t A Villain?

While humans have always been part of the Toy Story world, they’ve never been particularly important to it. Even Andy and Bonnie, the humans who own the toys, have never really factored into the plots of the stories they are in.

The most significant human character in any Toy Story movie has been Al, the owner of Al’s Toy Barn, who steals Woody away in Toy Story 2. He’s the movie’s villain, at least until the Prospector is revealed. Beyond him, humans have never played much of a role.

Little is known about Krys Marshall’s character. The character is set to be a human adult, one who “has to contend” with her child’s new hobby. That hobby, one assumes, is a brand new tablet. We know that Toys vs. Tech is the overarching story of Toy Story 5, as Bonnie will get a tablet and will start to use it more than her toys. The Toy Story 5 trailer has also shown us other kids with tablets. Marshall’s character may be a parent to one of them.

It would be cool, and at least something different, if we got a human character who was a significant role and ostensibly one of the “good guys.” In this case, somebody who is fighting for the same thing as the rest of the toys. Based on little we know, this could be the case, but it could also be something far more mundane.

Or Will Krys Marshall’s Character Simply Tell Us “Screentime Is Bad”

It’s unclear right now even how significant Krys Marshall’s role is. It could just be a small part, a little more than a cameo, though the implication is certainly that this is at least a role on par with other adult humans, like Bonnie’s parents, who are never a focus but are always around.

If that’s the role this is, then it could end up being something far less exciting. The implication of the plot of Toy Story 5 is that it will be something of a statement against screentime in favor of playing with actual toys, or at the very least, a plea for moderation in screentime. If that’s the case, Marshall’s character could end up being little more than a mouthpiece for this argument, and might not be much more than that.

Still, Krys Marshall is arguably the biggest name to voice a human in the Toy Story movies, so it seems unlikely she would only get a cameo or a generic role. Toy Story 5 certainly may surprise us. There could be more going on under the hood than it appears. I, for one, hope so. A simple Toys vs. Tech narrative seems far less creative than previous films in the franchise, and it would be an unfortunate use of talent.

Pixar’s Hoppers is getting near-universal praise and for a number of very good reasons. One of the things that many critics and fans have noted about the film is that it’s one of the funniest Pixar movies we’ve ever seen. And one of the movie's best jokes… is barely a joke at all, and somehow still hilarious.

Jesse Andrews wrote the screenplay for Hoppers, and in a recent post on Twitter told the story of how one of the moments that gets the biggest laughs in the theater came about. It’s a single line delivered by a spider who, in response to a question from another spider, drops the exasperated line, “It’s an arrow, Ted.”

According to Andrews, initially, it was going to be a funny-looking bird who helped out Mabel with directions to the stream. But the scene wasn’t quite funny enough, leading to a request for a joke. Andrews explained…

The spider idea was embraced, but there was still no joke in the scene, a situation that apparently lasted for months. At some point, it sounds like Hoppers' director Daniel Chong was getting frustrated that nobody had come up with anything to do with the scene.

Andrews says he came up with the initial idea for the setup, which sees a spider draw the arrow, and then a second spider comes over and asks what it is. Initially nobody laughed. Then script supervisor Rachel Slansky suggested the tone of the delivery, that of a woman frustrated by her dumb husband. Andrews continued…

The line is great because it’s set up and punchline all in one. The tone in which it is delivered tells you all you need to know about the relationship between these two spiders, who you never see again. The room at Pixar finally got the joke, and the script supervisor’s delivery was so perfect, that she’s the one in the movie. Andrews said…

I’ve seen Hoppers twice in theaters and both times “It’s an arrow, Ted” got one of the biggest laughs in the entire movie. Even outside of context, the joke works perfectly.

Sometimes it’s the little things about Hoppers that really work, and this great joke is certainly part of that. If you haven’t made it to the theater yet to see this one, do it soon and enjoy the great jokes with a crowd. At some point, you’ll be able to watch the movie with a Disney+ subscription, but you really don't want to have to wait for one of the best Pixar movies ever.

In March of 2005, Bob Iger began his (first) tenure as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. He wouldn’t wait long to leave his mark on the House of Mouse, as less than 12 months later, it would be announced that Disney was acquiring Pixar. It would be the first of several major acquisitions for Disney under Iger, including Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and ultimately, 20th Century Fox.

Today, 20 years after Bob Iger acquired Pixar, a new CEO is taking over The Walt Disney Company. Josh D’Amaro, as Bob Iger did in the weeks before stepping down, has indicated that Disney isn't contemplating any major mergers on par with the recent Warner Bros./Paramount deal. That said, I will be shocked if there isn’t a smaller, but no less important to Disney, acquisition on the horizon.

Disney Is Going To Own Bluey Soon, Right?

I’m thinking about Ludo Studio, the Australian studio behind Bluey, the animated family show that is one of the most popular IPs in the world right now. Bluey is big business for Disney, which is why I fully expect Disney to own the Bluey business eventually.

There’s no way to undersell how big the little blue dog is right now. Bluey has been the most popular series on any streaming platform for the last couple of years. More Bluey has been streamed than anything else, which, considering episodes are only a few minutes long, is even more of an accomplishment. Disneyland just opened the first Bluey attraction in one of its parks, and the line for it ran halfway across the park. Bluey is becoming such a big part of Disney; a lot of people probably don’t realize Disney doesn’t own it.

What Works For Disney, Becomes Disney

Star Wars, Pixar, Avatar, and even the Muppets all appeared in Disney Parks before Disney actually owned them, but ultimately all of them came under the Disney umbrella. Paying licensing fees rather than having to actually manage a brand can be preferable in some cases, but Disney, even before Bob Iger, saw things differently, preferring to have control over everything.

And there is some evidence that Bluey is already becoming part of Disney in everything but name. In addition to being added to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World this year, there have apparently been talks about doing crossovers between Bluey and The Simpsons. Disney Jr. even released an animated short recently that had Bluey and her family dancing with Mickey and the gang.

This sort of Disney "synergy" isn't usually spent on licensees. Disney is very protective of even its own properties. We didn't get the first "official" Disney and Pixar crossover until 2021. Mickey Mouse doesn't dance with just any old cartoon.

If Bluey were merely successful, simply profitable, that would be one thing, but Bluey is arguably the most valuable brand Disney has at the current moment. The fact that the company doesn’t own it means that it can potentially lose it. That would be bad for Disney.

At the same time, simply buying Bluey isn’t enough. You need the creative minds that made Bluey successful if you want to have confidence that it will remain successful. This is why if you want Bluey, you need to buy all of Ludo Studio.

It certainly wouldn’t be a deal on the scale of the ones Bob Iger did, but it would allow Josh D’Amaro to make a mark and to improve Disney’s portfolio, without spending nearly as much money as it cost to buy Fox. It also means not having to share what is likely to be an incredible box office when the Bluey movie comes out next year.

And if this is going to happen at all, there's no reason to wait. I think, like Captain America, Luke Skywalker, and Kermit the Frog before her, Bluey is going to be a Disney property one day, and that day will probably be soon.

I grew up on great Disney films, and characters from some of the best Disney and Pixar movies, like Tiana from Princess and the Frog and Jessie from Toy Story, who were role models for me. While I grew up with some pretty great female characters to look up to, after seeing Hoppers, I realized just how much I could have used Mabel as a kid.

In the critically acclaimed Hoppers (which is also a box office hit), we see Mabel turn herself into a beaver as she fights to keep a piece of land she loves safe. She stands up for it with vigor and passion, and she does it in the only way she can. That unapologetic individuality, passion and self-awareness was wonderful to see on such a big screen, and I think it’s why Piper Curda’s character is someone I wish was around when I was growing up.

I Love The Mabel Is Unapologitically Herself

First and foremost, Mabel is unapologetically herself, and Hoppers, and its wild sense of humor, is unapologetically itself too. That was so refreshing to see. Watching Mabel quite literally crash into labs and chase what she’s passionate about, no matter what anyone thought, was empowering. She always dove headfirst into everything, and that’s something I always want to do.

Seeing Mabel stand up to Mayor Jerry despite her age and size gave me confidence in myself, and it made me think about how I can fight for things I care about. When I was growing up, I always knew this kind of confidence was admirable. Though there were examples of it in pop culture, it’s right at the center of Hoppers. That kind of focus and emphasis was something I wish I could have seen as a kid.

Mabel Understands And Embraces Her Flaws

Mabel is confident to a fault. She’s loud and proud. She’s also aware of her own chaos. She understands her flaws, and she also gets that they really aren’t flaws. I loved seeing her embrace them and use them to further her cause and save the land she wanted to protect.

I’m a firm believer that what we think are faults can be strengths and vice versa. So, to see Hoppers embrace that idea really moved me. I loved seeing Mabel crash-land into the forest and dive headfirst into the pond community without hesitation. I loved seeing her embrace her anger and use that for good. It was refreshing and a good lesson for all kids to learn. Our imperfections make us, us, and they really aren’t faults; it’s just all about how you look at them.

Mabel Knows Herself, And She Fights For What She Cares For

Ultimately, Mabel is a wonderful example of someone who knows herself and stands up for herself. I'm a shy, quiet perfectionist, and she’s the character I needed growing up to help me break out of my shell a bit. She lives her life on the edge of her comfort zone without fear, and that's something we could all benefit from doing.

I think having Hoppers as a kid would have helped me look inward and figure out what I cared about, what I wanted to stand up for and what I loved about me. While I have done all that, I think having Mabel as a kid would have helped me do all this way earlier.

However, I’m happy I got it now, and I’m thrilled that so many kids will get to grow up watching Hoppers and Mabel in theaters (and eventually with a Disney+ subscription). Talk about a one-of-a-kind, chaotic and lovely role model to look up to.

It's a new era at the House of Mouse. Today, Josh D'Amaro officially takes the reins of The Walt Disney Company as Bob Iger ends his second term in the position. Dana Walden has also become Disney's first-ever Chief Creative Officer alongside her new role as President.

D'Amaro will start his tenure on a big stage at the Walt Disney Company's Annual Shareholders Meeting. There will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on D'Amaro, both from Wall Street analysts and Disney fans who want to get a sense of what the future of Disney will be like under him. We can expect updates on all the things that will make both groups happy, like upcoming movies, theme park attractions, Disney Cruise Line details, and more.

Last year's Shareholders Meeting only gave us one significant announcement, in the form of the news that Coco 2 was in development. Since a lot of people are going to want to get an idea of what Josh D'Amaro will be like as CEO, I would expect that we'll be getting more than just updates on projects that Bob Iger started this year, but time will tell.

In just a few minutes, the Shareholders Meeting will be getting underway. The first question of interest is how much of Bob Iger we'll see. He is staying with Disney through the end of the year, and technically, this meeting is about the prior year's performance, so he may still be a big part of it, but since this is essentially the coming-out party for Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden, I expect they'll be the main focus.

As such, I'd expect a bit more in the way of "new" announcements as it will get Disney fans excited and hopefully signal to Wall Street, the people this event is really about, that Disney will continue to make money going forward.

Disney's Shareholders Meeting gets under way with a sizzle reel showing many of the company's biggest hits on screen and in theme parks. Everything from Hoppers to Avatar and small pieces of stuff to come like Toy Story 5. Ill tell you, stuff like this makes it really exciting to be a Disney fan. They are so good at this.

Chairman of the Board James Gorman opens the meeting in a pre-recorded message. He was the man who led the CEO hunt. He calls out D'Amaro as the new CEO and Walden as President. He also thanks Bob Iger for his time as CEO.

We're now getting a second sizzle reel that is basically a thank you to Bob Iger, showing off all his achievements. And to be fair, there are a lot. He transformed Disney in a big way. The addition of Pixar, marvel, Lucasfilm, and Fox, changed entertainment.

We're getting a pre-recorded message from Iger saying goodbye. Clearly, we won't be seeing Bob again during this meeting, otherwise, they'd probably leave this goodbye for later. It's Josh D'Amaro's company now.

Iger says "leaders don't create the magic" and he thanks those he worked with for making it. He ays he "believes" in Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO. Calls Dana Walden's area "critical."

Goodbye Bob, thanks for everything.

And Josh D'Amaro was just "welcomed" as the Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. The new era has begun.

D'Amaro's main message is that Disney is in a class by itself in the industry. There's a lot of use of the word "one" already today. D'Amaro released a memo earlier where he referred to the different parts of the company as One Disney. Expect that to be a major branding concept going forward.

The first IP gets dropped when D'Amaro starts talking about Toy Story. We're getting a look at a scene where Jesse confronts Lilypad.

D'Amaro runs through the 2026 and 2027 movie slates. Then we got release dates for live-action Lilo & Stitch 2, May 26, 2028, and Incredibles 3, June 16, 2028. That's really fast work for Stitch.

On Experiences, D'Amaro calls out World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and the expansion of Avengers Campus. I was hoping for a bit of new theme park info, but it doesn't look like anybody is ready for that yet.

D'Amaro does announce the name of the ninth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Believe

That wraps D'Amaro's portion of the meeting, which means we're now shifting to the actual voting portion of the meeting. The 2028 release dates for Lilo & Stitch and Incredibles are certainly going to be important. Those are two blockbuster franchises that will almost guarantee that 2028 will be a solid year for Disney at the global box office.

The first three votes for the Shareholders meeting are standard: re-electing the board of directors, affirming the company's accountants, and confirming the executive compensation package. They will pass without issues.

The other three proposals are from shareholders. These are usually pet causes from individuals with an ax to grind. Shareholder proposals almost always fail, but not always. These proposals are about Disney's charitable giving policies, changing the method for board member elections, and reviewing Disney Parks' disability policies. This last one might succeed.

Unsurprisingly, the three proposals from Disney were approved, and the three shareholder proposals were not. We now shift to the Q&A

D'Amaro is on hand, and the first question is about changing out the Pixar films in the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. D'Amaro says there are "no plans to bring new shorts" to the theater, which was not at all the question. Something new needs to be done with that theater.

The second question is about the decision-making process behind making original movies versus sequels. D'Amaro talks about Disney's ability to build on stories between the different aspects of the company. D'Amaro says there will be more new and existing stories.

The next question is about where to find information about the backgrounds of the Board of Directors, which is a somewhat surprising question for this sort of meeting.

Question four is about how D'Amaro is incorporating the principles of Walt Disney into the company.

It's honestly amazing how often this sort of question is asked. Nobody asks David Zazlav how he incorporates the principles of Jack Warner at Warner Bros. D'Amaro focuses on Walt's embrace of technology and his ability to look to the future.

The next question is about Disney's use of AI. D'Amaro talks about the efficiency that AI can bring, but insists that AI will be used to "empower creativity, not replace it."

An Experiences question about balancing theme park revenue with making the experience great for everybody. D'Amaro says he looks at experience ratings and "intent to return" to be sure guests are having the great experience they want. D'Amaro mentions the kids' ticket offer at Disneyland as a way that the parks try to make it affordable.

D'Amaro says he's "looking at the landscape," but doesn't indicate any plans for new mergers.

A question about changing the disability access at Disney Parks. D'Amaro says the current approach was come to by working with experts and professionals. Doesn't indicate any plan to revisit.

A question about the amount of legacy content that Disney has access to, and how the company decides what to put on Disney+, since a lot of that content isn't there. D'Amaro doesn't really answer or indicate that any more legacy content will be going up anytime soon.

Question about the differences between Lighting Lane offerings at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. D'Amaro says that guest experience at each resort is very different, so Lighting Lane is handled differently to best match the way people use the parks.

The last question is about Figment. Could there be a movie or other Figment content? D'Amaro laughs and mentions the recent Disney+ animation short that included Figment. D'Amaro says there's nothing new to announce, but indicates that Disney is always exploring new ways to use characters. There is certainly a hint that there may be a future for Figment, who was voiced by Neil Patrick Harris in the short.

That ends the meeting. It was certainly interesting hearing Josh D'Amaro answer all the Q&A questions. It's a new voice and a pretty new approach. A couple of major release date updates was nice, but I was hoping for a little more. Still, with D23 coming up this summer, we'll get plenty of news on upcoming movies, series, and theme park attractions. The Josh D'Amaro era hasn't started with a bang, but it has begun. It will be exciting to see what happens next.

Going into last weekend, there was a fair bit of mystery surrounding Daniel Chong's Hoppers. It had been a minute since Pixar last had a sizable box office win on an opening weekend with an original title (the streaming debuts of Pete Docter's Soul, Anrico Casarosa's Luca and Domee Shi's Turning Red not doing the brand any favors in the last few years), and it was unclear if audiences would turn up for the new, super silly beaver movie. By Sunday, however, the film put up numbers that registered as the best start for a non-sequel from the animation studio since Lee Unkrich's Coco in 2017... and the good times are continuing to roll in its sophomore weekend.

In an age when a great number of notable releases end up having box office numbers that are super front-loaded (looking at you, Kevin Williamson's Scream 7), Hoppers is quickly turning into a big hit with potentially long legs – though what is good news for the new animated feature isn't particularly awesome news for Vanessa Caswill's Reminders Of Him (the new Colleen Hoover adaptation). Check out the full Top 10 below and join me after for analysis.

Hoppers Has A Minimal Weekend-To-Weekend Drop Following Its Stellar Debut

Writing this column every weekend, I like to keep an eye out for growing trends, and one that might be worth keeping track of in the coming year may be soft drops for popular animated features in their second week (a trend that pairs with the current popularity of animation movies in general on the big screen). Last month, Tyree Dillihay's GOAT made headlines when it demonstrated much more durability compared to Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights, as it went from having a $27.2 million domestic debut in second place to winning the box office in its second weekend with a $16.9 million haul – a tiny 38 percent drop.

This week, Hoppers pulled off the same trick, but it's an even better version. The Pixar film did much better than GOAT in its first Friday-to-Sunday, making $45.3 million in the United States and Canada, and it's now followed up that performance by adding $28.5 million to its coffers – just a 37 percent difference. It suggests that this is a movie that has people talking: the positive critical reaction got people interested, and now folks are going for a second viewing and/or telling their friends/family that they should make the trip to their local theater.

Thus far, the new 2026 movie has made $86.8 million domestically, which means that it already ranks as the third most successful new film of the year behind the aforementioned Scream 7 (which has now made $106.5 million domestically) and GOAT ($90.6 million). At the rate things are going, it should easily top both of those titles before we say goodbye to March.

Of course, being part of the incredibly successful Pixar legacy, the film has a while to go before it is considered one of the biggest titles the animation studios has put out – but it has already started climbing the ladder domestically. It has ascended out of the basement, as it has made more money than Dan Scanlon's Onward (which saw its time in theaters cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic), and it has already surpassed the earnings of Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina's Elio, which completed its unsuccessful big screen run making $73 million last summer.

Hoppers success at home continues to be matched by its performance in foreign markets as well. To date, according to Box Office Mojo, the new release has made $164.7 million worldwide. In that arena, the film has actually already eclipsed the ticket sales of GOAT (which has brought in $162.8 million globally). As far as Hollywood titles are concerned, it sits behind both Wuthering Heights ($226.4 million) and Scream 7 ($176.9 million) in the rankings for the year.

Reminders Of Him Follows Regretting You As The Second Colleen Hoover Adaptation Failing To Debut At #1

What's good news for Hoppers is not so great news for the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation. While one doesn't imagine that there is a crazy amount of crossover between the core demographics of the two releases, it certainly can be said that the former stopped the latter from getting better headlines and winning a box office crown.

Reminders Of Him had to settle for second place in its first weekend, with the film making $18.3 million domestically. Taking into account that the movie isn't a massive blockbuster and didn't have an outrageous production budget ($25 million, per Deadline), it's definitely not shaping up to be a big flop, but it's also not the success that was hoped for given the cache of the Colleen Hoover brand.

Remember: we are less than a couple years removed from the release of Justin Baldoni's It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively, which made $351.4 million worldwide before becoming the subject of headlines regarding behind the scenes drama. The industry was hopeful that the film would be the first of a string of hits featuring Hoover's name, but Josh Boone's Regretting You did nowhere near matching business when it arrived last fall (making $13.7 million domestically in its debut before ultimately grossing $90.5 million worldwide) and Reminders Of Him appears to be on a similar trajectory.

At present, there is an interesting blend of titles mixing it up on marquees around the world, and we should be seeing a big splash in a few days that mix things up even more, as Friday will see the arrival of Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come with Samara Weaving. The Top 10 should get a big shakeup, so be sure to return here to CinemaBlend next Sunday to see how everything plays out.

By now, you’re either somebody who has seen Pixar’s newest movie, Hoppers, and realized how great it is, or you’re somebody who has been told how great it is by somebody who has seen it. It's already being compared to the best Pixar movies ever and had one of Pixar's best box office openings in years. While the movie has only been in theaters for a week, I’ve already seen it twice, and I’m glad I did, or I would have missed my favorite detail in the film.

Mabel’s Broken Arm Is A Fantastic Piece Of Symbolism

The first time I watched Hoppers, I was oddly obsessed with Mabel’s broken arm. From the moment that we meet the 19-year-old version of the character, her left arm is in a cast. Mayor Jerry makes a brief reference to it, implying that he knows what happened, and it likely came from their ongoing clash over construction in the glade, but it’s only directly referenced the one time, and we never learn exactly what went down.

While I admit to being curious about what happened to Mabel’s arm, I also love the fact that Hoppers never tells us. It isn’t actually that important. Mabel’s broken arm is simply a symbol of her dedication to her cause. She will put her own body on the line if it means accomplishing her goals. She acts first and thinks later. It’s an important aspect of her character development, and something that has apparently been part of her for her entire life.

Mabel Hurts Her Arm As A Child, Too

After seeing Hoppers the first time, wearing my hat as a professional film critic, I decided the rest of my family would like it too, so we made plans to see it on opening weekend. It became my four-year-old's first experience in a movie theater, and neither the film's death scene nor its terrifying villain unmasking seemed to phase her. Everybody liked the movie, but having seen it before, I found myself noticing not only details I hadn’t previously, but one in particular I wouldn’t have noticed the first time I saw it.

Maybe it’s because I found Mabel’s broken arm an interesting piece of symbolism the first time around that I noticed that in the opening sequence of Hoppers, Mabel has a similar, though noticeably less severe injury on her left arm. In the same place where she has a cast as a young adult, she has a Band-Aid as a child.

It’s almost certainly an intentional reference to the cast that we see later in the story; it’s a little hint of what will come later, and something that shows Mabel’s particular commitment and willingness to risk herself. I admit it does make me more curious how she injured her arm (both times), as it indicates that she does something that tends to put that arm at risk regularly.

A Band-Aid is hardly the most impressive thing in Hoppers, but its existence shows a commitment to detail that Pixar has always had. Most people will never notice this, and it won’t matter that they don’t, but it’s there because it makes the story better.

Major spoilers for Hoppers lie ahead, so read on at your own discretion.

Pixar’s latest film, Hoppers, just recently debuted amidst the 2026 movie schedule, and it certainly seems to be striking a chord with audiences. The environmentalism-centric film is getting rave reviews from critics and, in its opening weekend, it notched the best box office debut for an original animated film since 2017’s Coco. During my own screening, I enjoyed this funny and heartwarming flick. What I really appreciate, though, is the fact that this movie manages to subvert a cliché involving POC characters that I’ve long noticed.

There’s A Long-Running Trope In Animated Body Swap Movies That Involves POC

Animated body swap films have become commonplace and see characters get transformed into beings like animals, spirits, etc. Many of them even include people of color (POC) as the main protagonists, signifying a bit of welcome representation. Prime examples would be The Princess and the Frog, Brother Bear, The Emperor’s New Groove, Spies in Disguise, Coco and Soul. While all of those titles have their charms, all fall into an unfortunate narrative-based trap.

Each of those films begin with their respective leads in human form and, by the end of the first act, they’re turned into something else. What’s more is that the heroes ultimately remain in those forms for the vast majority of the film and aren’t changed back until the last portion of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy The Princess and the Frog, which is one of the best Disney princess films, but it would’ve been wonderful for Tiana – a Black woman – to defeat Dr. Facilier as a human and not as an amphibian. Soul is also sweet and shows off facets of the Black experience, though it would’ve been great to see the bulk of that through the eyes of Joe (the main character) and not Soul 22, who ends up inhabiting his body while he himself is trapped as a soul.

While this trope doesn’t exactly make me angry, it does give me pause. So, I’m happy about how Hoppers handles it.

How Hoppers Manages To Sidestep The POC-Related Cliché

Mabel Tanaka – Hoppers’ lead character – spends the vast majority of the film swapped into the body of a robotic beaver, as she seeks to unite the local animals to save the forest glade she’s long cherished. However, the Daniel Chong-directed film is structured in such a way that by the end of the second act, she’s untethered from the beaver form. Because of that, during the third act, Mabel is human once more, and the story greatly benefits from it.

Ultimately, Mabel and her furry allies must stop the vengeful Animal Council – led by Insect King Titus – from using sound trees to damage the minds of humans attending a political rally in the glade. It’s incredibly satisfying to see Mabel (in her own skin) taking a stand against Titus and working in tandem with the animals to stop the mad leader. Due to Titus’ creepy robotic human body exploding, a wildfire also breaks out, forcing Mabel to navigate the flames to save her beaver friend, King George.

That rescue scene, as well as the subsequent scenes in which Mabel and the various animals dismantle their massive dam to extinguish the wildfire, wouldn’t hit as hard if the young woman were still in beaver form. That’s something I’d like to think Daniel Chong, screenwriter Jesse Andrews and co. were cognizant of. Overall, this subversion of the POC trope is both refreshing and impressive and is just one reason why Hoppers is one of the best Pixar films to date. Let’s hope other creatives take note moving forward.

Check out Hoppers, which is playing in theaters nationwide. Also, check out all of Pixar’s other movies by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription.

Like so many other people around the world, I dove straight into Hoppers and fell in love with the latest Pixar release as soon as it landed on the 2026 movie schedule. Easily one of the studio’s best movies in years, the darkly funny and incredibly heartfelt animated adventure about a college student transferring her consciousness into a robotic beaver to save a local ecosystem hit on so many levels.

While I would love to talk about those shockingly terrifying scenes, the absolutely wonderful voice cast, or why this animated adventure made me cry multiple times, there’s something bigger I want to discuss. So, what is it? Well, one Easter Egg near the end of the movie totally has me buying into one wild Pixar theory the internet has been debating for years. Let me explain…

Oh, major spoilers for Hoppers and some of the other 29 Pixar movies follow. You’ve been warned…

First, What Is The Pixar Shared Universe Theory?

There has never officially been a Pixar cinematic universe akin to what we have with the MCU or even Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse. There has long been speculation from fans that the 30 movies released by the studio are connected in some way. Back in 2013, Jon Negroni started using the name “The Pixar Theory,” also known as “The Grand Unifying Theory of Pixar Movies,” which suggested that everything is connected.

Characters, locations, companies, themes, narrative devices, they’re all included in this overarching theory that Brave, Toy Story, Wall-E, and Monsters Inc. movies (and many others) all take place on the same timeline. CinemaBlend previously covered this theory in great detail more than a decade ago, when we said it should be treated as a fun exploration rather than gospel. Still, Hoppers has me thinking about it in a different light.

And Why Does Hoppers Have Me Buying Into This After All These Years?

There have been countless Pixar Easter Eggs hidden throughout the studio’s library over the years, but the nod in the final moments of Hoppers really has me going. After Mabel is transformed back into a human and the Hoppers program is shut down by the university (for obvious reasons), Dr. Sam reveals the team’s latest invention: a collar that translates animals’ thoughts into human speech. Where have we seen that before? Oh yeah, Up!

Though things get kind of messy when you think about the Pixar timeline and where Up and Hoppers take place on it, this is honestly one of the strongest connections I’ve seen between two movies yet. Sure, the technology is more advanced in the 2026 movie than in the 2009 tear-jerking classic, but could it be seen as Dr. Sam and her team modernizing the dog collar tech, or as having some connection to those responsible for its use all those years ago?

The diagram on the chalkboard was so detailed, so much so that I’m having a hard time thinking it’s just a little Easter Egg meant for longtime fans and instead a bridge between the two.

Is the Up reference in Hoppers a sign that the shared Pixar universe is a thing, or is this just a clever Easter Egg to one of the best movies of the 2000s? I’ve had my doubts before, but I’m totally leaning towards the former now.

Hoppers is a wonderful case of a big idea utilized in a small scale story. In the new Pixar movie, a trio of scientists discover the ability to transfer their consciousness into robot animals (allowing them to communicate with animals as well), and while that is a massive breakthrough, the plot sees the technology used to preserve a local glade. A bit part of the film’s goofy charm can be found in this approach, and I love it even more knowing that the original pitch for the film was totally different and much larger in scope.

As featured in the video at the top of this article, I had the sat down with Hoppers director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Grindle late last month during the film’s Los Angeles press day, and in addition to discussing spoilerific subjects like a scene in the third act that was originally deemed too scary and the most shocking death in Pixar movie history, we also talked about the version of the movie we didn’t get to see. After Grindle revealed that a key part of the creative process was the filmmakers just getting together and spitballing ideas, Chong revealed the original vision for the feature and why it was changed. The director explained,

When the action is constantly flinging characters across the world, big plot machinations are required, and that can all be a disservice to the message that the filmmakers actually wanted to get across and the characters they wanted to develop. Chong continued,

Hoppers ultimately features a story that doesn’t leave the city limits of Beaverton, Oregon, but it does at the very least have some fun action. Specifically, there is a big car chase that plays out when Mabel (Piper Curda), King George (Bobby Moynihan) and their animal friends try to save/protect Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) – and it reaches maximum fun when their pursuers utilize an apex predator: a shark named Diane (Vanessa Bayer).

The action is delightful, but the filmmakers did lament one idea not making the final cut of the movie:

• Nicole Grindle: There was a scene with the animals in a helicopter, with an animal flying the helicopter. I kind of miss that.
• Daniel Chong: I was convinced the movie needed a helicopter 'cause almost every Mission: Impossible movie had one.
• CinemaBlend: And the helicopter exploded, right?
• Daniel Chong: Of course!
• Nicole Grindle: I think they jumped out.

While it lacks any helicopter action scenes, Hoppers is nonetheless an absolute must to see on the big screen – and many did this past weekend as it had the biggest opening weekend for an original Pixar movie since 2017's Coco. The small-scale animated blockbuster is now playing in theaters everywhere.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains mild spoilers for the new Pixar movie Hoppers. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

In the run-up to the theatrical release of Hoppers this past weekend, one of the most talked about aspects of the new movie was a certain multi-Oscar-winning member of the cast: Meryl Streep. When the first trailer for the movie was released last year, it prominently featured Streep’s character, the butterfly known as the Insect Queen, and it was suggested that the legendary actress was going to have an important role to play.

Fast forward to audiences actually seeing the film, and it turns out that the Insect Queen is killed in her very first scene – a death that is arguably the most shocking in Pixar history.

I was so taken aback by the development that I felt compelled to ask about it when I participated in the Los Angeles press day for Hoppers last month and spoke with director Daniel Chong, producer Nicole Grindle, and stars Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan (as captured in the video at the top of this article). Discussing the surprise twist with the character, Chong explained that it was always a planned part of the film, and he was worried that the small size of the part would turn Meryl Streep off when he pitched her the part. Said the filmmaker,

There’s an old adage among performers that “there are no small parts, only small actors,” and it would seem that Meryl Streep abides by that philosophy. Chong may have been concerned that the small size of her role would be a turn-off, but he actually got the opposite response. He continued,

In Hoppers, it really is a perfectly delivered surprise. Just when it seems like the Insect Queen is ready to become the movie’s principal antagonist and have animal kind rise up against humanity – a role worthy of the great Meryl Streep – she ends up getting squished between Mabel’s robot beaver paws. Nobody could see it coming, and it’s an amazing shock that opens the door for Dave Franco’s Titus to be the big bad (and become part of Pixar history with a scary moment that will haunt the nightmares of a generation).

In reflection, Daniel Chong was greatly impressed by Meryl Streep’s appreciation of the small but excellent part, and he thinks that her casting enhances the film is multiple ways:

I couldn’t agree more.

Hoppers is now playing in theaters everywhere.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains mild spoilers for the new Pixar movie Hoppers. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

The critically-acclaimed Hoppers features a number of moments that are memorable because of how funny and/or weird they are, but there is one particular moment that is extremely memorable because of how legitimately scary it is. In the third act, after Titus (Dave Franco) takes control of a robotic Mayor Jerry, and when the animals successfully tear his face off, the visage underneath is quite a horror. As it exists, it’s an image that will likely replay in more than a few nightmares, but as freaky as it is in the final cut, there was a different version that was actually way scarier and had to be changed.

When I went to see Hoppers late last month, the part in question here delivered vibes similar to the most notorious Judge Doom scenes from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and I opted to ask about it when I participated in the movie’s Los Angeles press day (as captured in the video up top). When I asked director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Grindle about the scene and how it was approached, the former explained that an earlier version was shown during test screenings and proved to be far too effective. Chong told me,

In the scene in question, Titus and the animals are plotting a mission to “squish” humans and reorder the hierarchy of the world, but Mabel (Piper Curda), King George (Bobby Moynihan) and their allies work to try and stop him at a political rally. One of the steps in accomplishing the goal is showing the gathered crowd that Jerry is a robot, hence tearing off his face – but in an early cut, the moment of face removal wasn’t only scary because of what was underneath.

As the director explained, what gave the scene a little extra terror juice were the screams that Dave Franco recorded for the moment. Chong continued,

I love how not only simple-yet-effective this fix is but also logical: Titus screaming in pain doesn’t really make sense given that he isn’t actually experiencing the physical sensation of having his face ripped off, so the scrambling language is both sillier and sensical.

The moment in the final cut is toned down, but make no mistake about Daniel Chong’s intentions: that scene is included because he wanted Hoppers to make that kind of special emotional impression (the same exact kind of emotional impression that Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit first made nearly 40 years ago. He concluded,

Hoppers is only making its scary impression presently on the big screen (it just won the box office in its opening weekend), but I imagine that it’s going to be seared in the minds of a whole generation.

While once seen as a major champion for fresh storytelling, Pixar's run with original movies in the last few years hasn't quite matched its legacy. The animation studio has produced hit sequels, including Pete Docter's Inside Out 2 and Josh Cooley's Toy Story 4, but Dan Scanlon's Onward, Enrico Casarosa's Luca, Domee Shi's Turning Red, and Docter's Soul all saw their releases hamstrung by the COVID-19 pandemic; Peter Sohn's Elemental needed an extended period to grow its box office numbers; and Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina's Elio straight-up underperformed. Because of this recent history, there were a lot of question marks surrounding the release of Daniel Chong's Hoppers – but the audience has responded with exclamation marks.

The new animal-centric animated feature dominated the box office this past weekend with a strong debut – though what's good for Hoppers turned out to be not so great for Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! and Kevin Williamson's Scream 7. You can scope out the full domestic Top 10 for the weekend below, and join me after for analysis.

Hoppers Arrives As Pixar's Best Original Movie At The Box Office Since 2017

In 2024, Pixar had one of the biggest box office successes of the year with the release of Inside Out 2, and the animation studio has now stuck gold in the early months of 2026 with Hoppers.

According to Box Office Mojo, the new movie made $46 million in its debut domestically, and while that's not exactly "all-time" money when discussing Pixar on the big screen, it's definitely a big win as an original title. In fact, one needs to go back all the way to 2017 and the arrival of Lee Unkrich's Coco to find the last non-franchise title from the studio that made that much money in its first three days of domestic release.

The success comes after the film managed to get some extremely positive buzz in the days before release (critics really liked to use the word "best" in writing about Hoppers), and the picture gets even rosier when one factors in the performance abroad. The movie made $42 million overseas to go along with the ticket sales in the United States and Canada, which brings its total gross to date up to $88 million.

This success comes at a time when things are going well for animation on the big screen: Byron Howard and Jared Bush's Zootopia 2 successfully managed to claim the title of biggest film of 2025 domestically last month, and Tyree Dillihay's GOAT has made $146.3 million so far worldwide after arriving in theaters in the middle of February. Audiences of all ages are clearly digging the material that animation studios are putting out these days, and the positive word of mouth should only help Hoppers in the weeks to come.

To go along with all of the raves from professional movie writers, the new Pixar movie has gotten an extremely warm welcome from audiences as well, as illustrated by the "A" grade returned from CinemaScore surveys. Looking at the 2026 movie release schedule, the film also doesn't seem to have any titles targeting its core demographic until Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic's The Super Mario Galaxy Movie arrives in early April, so I expect there's a good chance it stays in at least the Top 3 through the end of the month.

The Bride! Stumbles Out Of The Gate With A Tough Third Place Finish In Its Opening Weekend

Unfortunately, while things are going very well for Hoppers at the box office, things did not go as swimmingly for The Bride! In the words of Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal was given the freedom to take a big swing with her take on the Bride of Frankenstein story, but audiences, it seems, weren't quite ready for her vision. The movie got word-of-mouth full of extremes going into its wide release (a mix of five star and zero star reactions), and it only managed to take third place in its debut.

Featuring current Oscar-nominee Jessie Buckley in the titular role, The Bride! managed to only bring in $7.3 million over the last three days, and it made slightly less than that abroad – leading to a global total of just $13.6 million in its opening weekend. Considering this is a title with a reported budget in the range of $90 million, according to Variety, it's definitely not the start that anyone was hoping for.

Based on reactions so far, it doesn't look like the movie is going to be growing legs in the weeks ahead either, which means it appears as though we will end up looking at the audacious horror/crime feature as an early 2026 bomb.

Scream 7 Suffers A Massive Fall After Its Record Breaking Start

In last week’s box office column, I noted that I would be keeping an eye on the legs shown by Scream 7. The film had a massive opening (one that registered as the biggest in the history of the franchise), but I wondered if the movie potentially had some troubled waters ahead due to both critical and audience reception: the sequel earned the worst reviews of any title in the series and the lowest CinemaScore grade (tied with Wes Craven’s Scream 4). I wondered if the lacking positive word of mouth would end up hurting its ticket sales in its second week… and it turns out I was right to prep for a massive drop.

While Scream 2 was able to still land in second place and make $17.1 million, that figure is a shocking 72 percent fall weekend-to-weekend (to provide context for those who don’t regularly track box office, “bad” is usually a figure in the high 50s, so this is particularly rough). To date, the movie has now made $93.4 million domestically, which is enough for fourth place in the history of the franchise in the market (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Scream VI holds the top spot having made $108.4 million).

So what happened here? It’s not particularly difficult to decipher. The people who decided that they were going to see Scream 7 no matter what flocked to their local theaters last week when the movie first arrived in theaters – and because this is a major horror franchise, that was a considerable crowd. Unfortunately, those folks were evidently not too impressed with what they witnessed, and didn’t make a point of telling their friends and family that they should check it out. Simultaneously, those who were on the fence about purchasing a ticket ultimately decided against it. The end result is a serious and immediate decrease in ticket sales, and crowds are only going to get thinner and thinner as we get deeper into March 2026.

Despite this major drop, one expects that Scream 7’s performance overall should mean that this will not be the end of the long-running meta horror franchise. Globally, the film has made $149.5 million, which is plenty when one compares it to the production’s $45 million budget (per Deadline).

Looking ahead on the movie release schedule, next week will feature some new competition for the current Top 10 with fresh titles including Vanessa Caswill's Reminders Of Him (a new Colleen Hoover adaptation), Ian Tuason's sound-driven horror feature undertone, and Amy Wang's Mean Girls-meets-The Substance body horror comedy Slanted. Be sure to head back here to CinemaBlend next Sunday to see how things shake out for the weekend.

When new Pixar movies arrive, audiences usually expect the studio’s signature mix of heart, humor, and themes that resonate with viewers of all ages. But the creative process behind those polished final films can sometimes be far more complicated than it appears on screen. That seems to be the case with Elio, the studio’s sci-fi adventure released last year, which reportedly went through several story revisions during development. According to reports, those changes included removing an LGBTQ+ storyline. Now, we have a brutally honest explanation for that decision, according to Pete Docter.

Docter, the chief creative officer of Pixar, addressed the reasoning behind some of the creative decisions made during Elio’s production. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he explained that the studio was mindful of how certain themes might land with families and younger viewers. As he put it:

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, around the time of the movie's release, Pixar removed LGBTQ+ representation from the movie during development after the project allegedly struggled during test screenings. The animated film follows an 11-year-old boy who is accidentally mistaken for Earth’s official ambassador and transported to an intergalactic organization known as the Communiverse. While the premise remained intact, several character details reportedly changed significantly before the film reached theaters.

Trouble for the film’s original direction reportedly began during a 2023 test screening in Arizona. Per reports, audience members were asked at the end of the screening whether they would pay to see the film in theaters. The response, or lack of one, raised concerns among studio executives about how the movie was landing with viewers.

Following additional internal screenings, Pixar leadership began making adjustments to the project. At the time, Adrian Molina, who originally directed the film and had previously co-directed Coco, was leading the creative vision. Molina, who is openly gay, was reportedly given the option to continue co-directing after the studio expanded the leadership team. Eventually, however, Molina chose to step away from the project as the film began to move in a different creative direction.

New directors were brought in to guide the film forward, including Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, the filmmaker behind Turning Red. Some of the adjustments reportedly included removing visual details that hinted at Elio’s identity and personality in earlier versions of the film. For example, scenes that showed the character wearing a pink tank top made from beach litter and images in his bedroom suggesting a male crush were cut from the final version.

According to people who worked on the project, executives also pushed for changes to make the central character feel more traditionally “masculine.” Those creative shifts reportedly caused tension within the studio, and some members of the production team chose to leave the project after the film’s direction changed. The film also saw changes in its voice cast and character structure. America Ferrera was originally attached to voice Elio’s mother, but after Molina’s departure, the character was rewritten as the boy’s aunt and ultimately voiced by Zoe Saldaña.

Despite the behind-the-scenes changes, Elio ultimately reached theaters with a solid critical reception, holding an 83% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even more impressive 89% audience score. However, its theatrical debut proved challenging, with the film posting one of Pixar’s lowest domestic openings.

It’s been a while since the animation studio enjoyed the kind of dominant run it had in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when hit after hit defined the brand. In discussing the studio’s approach, Docter has emphasized that Pixar’s primary goal is to tell stories that resonate with the widest possible audience. That philosophy may help explain some of the creative decisions made during Elio’s development.

You can currently stream Elio, along with the rest of Pixar’s catalog, with a Disney+ subscription. Meanwhile, the studio’s latest theatrical release, Hoppers, just hit theaters amid the 2026 movie schedule, so check your local listings if you’re planning a trip to the theater. Early critical response to Hoppers has been overwhelmingly positive, and the film is already approaching a milestone the studio hasn’t reached since 2017’s Coco.