Pete Docter promises fans will be "surprised" with Toy Story 5

While most fans thought that the franchise was over, Pixar is soon set to return with Toy Story 5, another installment in one of the most famous animated franchises of all time. The fifth movie is set to release in 2026 and will follow the iconic characters that we have seen on screen for three decades now.

But as indicated by Pixar co-chief creative officer Pete Docter, the new film will have plenty of new things as well, which will perhaps add a whole new dimension to the already successful franchise. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Docter hinted at how Toy Story 5 would be different, and a little bit about how fans can expect to be "surprised."

Docter said that this will primarily be because of the pacing of the film. He claimed that Andrew Stanton has done a great job of letting the movie "breathe" in the most unexpected of places while also keeping pace with the natural rhythm of the contemporary world.

Many details about Toy Story 5, however, still remain under wraps. The movie is scheduled for June 19, 2026.

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What did Pete Docter say about Toy Story 5?

Pete Docter unraveled some of the things that fans can expect from the upcoming installment in the Toy Story franchise in his latest interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The chief referred to the development of the franchise itself to give an idea about how the movie will evolve.

He told THR:

"If you go back and look at Bambi — I’m picking an extreme that’s kind of intentionally slow because it is about nature and watching the changes seasons and things — I think films have definitely sped up. Even Toy Story one to Toy Story 4, the level of visual sophistication, including the pacing, we’re just trying to keep in touch with the rhythms of the world and it’s definitely faster."

He further talked about the great work that Andrew Stanton, who wrote and directed the movie, has done, and how it will surprise fans. Docter added:

"So I will say Toy Story 5, I think [writer and director] Andrew’s done a really great job of letting moments breathe in unexpected ways. Things that you’re like, wait, is this a Toy Story movie? Just some of his choices, which I think we need at this point. We’ve had four of ’em already. We got to keep people surprised, so it’s going to be fun....Which was important to us at the time when Toy Story came out, there wasn’t a lot of films that did that."

This does sound like exciting news for the ones waiting for Toy Story 5. Interestingly Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are set to reprise their respective roles of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Anna Farris is also set to join the cast, but her role has not been disclosed yet.

More details about Toy Story 5 are expected to arrive soon. Stay tuned for updates.