Tim Allen Confirms Those Toy Story 5 Cast Rumors Are True

"Toy Story 5" is in the works and your favorite characters are coming back.

Back in 2019, Pixar made the bold decision to debut "Toy Story 4," which operated as a heartfelt epilogue for the characters after the events of "Toy Story 3." In the fourth flick, Woody leaves Bonnie's toys behind to start a new life with Bo Peep. For a brief moment, it feels like the fourth "Toy Story" would be the end of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang's journey. But after a billion-dollar haul at the box office and stellar fan reception, it seemed all but certain that our favorite toys would grace the silver screen once again. 

During Disney's Q1 2023 earnings call, CEO Bob Iger confirmed that "Toy Story" was just one of many animated properties slated to receive a sequel. Now, Buzz Lightyear voice actor Tim Allen has confirmed that Buzz and Woody will be returning for the upcoming fifth outing. "They have reached out to Tom [Hanks] and I to reprise the roles," Allen revealed during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon. While Allen and Hanks are slated to return for the umpteenth time as some of Hollywood's most prominent animated characters, don't bother asking them any details about the sequel. "They're not saying anything about it," Allen said. 

Details on "Toy Story 5" are slim, but Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter previously described the upcoming pic as "surprising" to TheWrap, saying "It's got some really cool stuff that [audiences] haven't seen before."

Following the events of "Toy Story 3," it seemed genuinely certain that Pixar was done with the franchise. In that film, a grown-up Andy gifts his beloved toys to Bonnie, wrapping up a decade-plus saga. 2019's "Toy Story 4" featured the toys adjusting to Bonnie's life and routine, only for their lives to go awry after the return of Bo Peep. The film wrapped up with Woody and Buzz going their separate ways after being together for decades. With "Toy Story 5," it's anyone's guess where the story will go, but with this casting confirmation, it seems that a reunion between the cowboy and space ranger is on the way.

While it'll no doubt be great to revisit everyone's favorite action figures, does the world really need a "Toy Story 5"? The threequel perfectly wrapped up the franchise, and "Toy Story 4" was a great "one last adventure," but is it possible that Pixar is pushing their luck with a fifth installment? Continuing his chat with Jimmy Fallon, Tim Allen opened up about how one of the film's creatives is extremely confident in the project's vision. "You wonder if four was too many. Is five going to be too much?" he ruminated. "According to the scuttlebutt, the writer that's doing it wrote one of the better ones, he said, 'If I didn't get this right I wouldn't do it." It's unclear who Allen is referring to as over half a dozen writers have been a part of the franchise's writing team. 

For now, audiences will just have to wait and see if "Toy Story 5" will be worth it.