A year after Disney CEO Bob Iger said “Toy Story 5” was in the works, he announced when it would be coming to theaters.
During a recent quarterly earnings call, Iger said the film will be released in 2026, according to Screen Rant.
The “Toy Story” films have grossed more than $3.3 billion at the box office.
While the cast members of the fifth installment have yet to be revealed, Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz Lightyear, has said that he expects to return to the franchise along with Tom Hanks, the voice of Woody.
“See ya soon Woody,” Allen posted online last February following Iger’s announcement of the upcoming flick. “And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond!”
See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond! pic.twitter.com/bwRzE487Vi
— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) February 9, 2023
During a November appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Allen confirmed that Disney has “reached out to Tom and I to reprise the roles,” adding that “they’re not saying anything about it.”
“The writer that’s doing it … said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it,’ so it could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it,” Allen said.
Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Disney’s Pixar, has also insisted that Buzz and Woody will return, telling Variety last summer, “We have another ‘Toy Story,’ so Woody and Buzz are back.”
Last February, Docter tossed out some hints about what might be in store for the characters after “Toy Story 4” appeared to conclude the series with the toys going their separate ways.
“I think it’ll be surprising,” he said of “Toy Story 5,” according to The Wrap. “It’s got some really cool stuff that you haven’t seen before.”
CBR offered some speculation about the plot.
“There are a few directions the latest installment could go in. The popular fan theory is that it will focus on Andy’s kids, with the original protagonist reunited with his toys all these years on,” the entertainment website reported.
“Toy Story 5” will be released over 30 years after the original “Toy Story,” which came out in 1995 as the debut feature from Pixar Animation Studios and the first computer-animated feature film.
It received a Special Achievement Academy Award in 1996, as there was no Best Animated Feature category at the time.
The “Toy Story” franchise has since won two animated film Oscars, for “Toy Story 3” in 2011 and “Toy Story 4” in 2020.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.