Toy Story 5: Tim Allen Reveals Plot Details And Backs Quentin Tarantino’s Hot Take
Tim Allen teases where Toy Story 5 is headed and backs Quentin Tarantino’s hot take, confirming his return as Buzz Lightyear for Disney and Pixar’s next chapter. Chris Evans recently voiced the character in Lightyear; now Allen is once again piloting the space ranger.
Tim Allen went on Jimmy Kimmel Live and actually dropped real Toy Story 5 plot details. Yes, plural. The headline: Jessie is running the show this time, and there is a wildly meta gag about a whole island full of Buzz Lightyears. Also, Allen cosigned Quentin Tarantino calling Toy Story 3 one of the best movies ever made and gently side-eyed Toy Story 4. Let’s break it down.
Jessie is the lead now
Allen confirmed that Joan Cusack’s Jessie is front and center in Toy Story 5. The setup is simple and very Toy Story: Jessie’s in trouble, and she needs the old crew back together to fix it. Allen even used the word 'reboot' to describe the shift. To be clear, this is still the fifth film, not a continuity wipe. Think of it as a fresh hand on the wheel.
'It’s all about Jessie, which is really cool. She’s in trouble, and she needs help. We’re all over, so she has to gather everybody.'
Allen will once again voice Buzz Lightyear, the role he’s had since 1995. And just so there’s no confusion: Chris Evans voiced a different version of the character in Pixar’s 2022 spinoff Lightyear.
The 'hundred Buzzes on an island' scene
Allen is particularly hyped about a sequence that plays like a parody of Cast Away (yes, the Tom Hanks one), where a plane goes down and a shipment of Buzz Lightyear dolls gets stranded on an island. Imagine a hundred Buzzes trying to regroup. He said he has a bunch of ad-libs for it and hopes it makes the final cut. It’s also hilariously meta, given Hanks is Woody.
Allen agrees with Tarantino: Toy Story 3 rules
Quentin Tarantino once called Toy Story 3 one of the best films he’s ever seen. Allen’s with him on that. He called 3 top-tier and admitted 4 stretched things a bit. Honestly, that tracks: 3 was an emotional sledgehammer; 4 took bold swings that didn’t land for everyone.
Who is back and who is new
- Tom Hanks as Woody
- Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
- Joan Cusack as Jessie
- Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl
- Tony Hale as Forky
- Conan O'Brien as Smarty Pants
- Anna Faris as Lilypad
Behind the camera, Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) is directing from his own screenplay. Last we saw these characters together in 2019’s Toy Story 4, Woody chose to stay with Bo Peep rather than head back to Bonnie, which is a pretty big emotional bookmark for whatever Jessie’s rescue mission ends up being.
Toy Story 5 is set to hit theaters on June 19, 2026.