Tim Allen Talks Toy Story 5, Lightyear

Movies

Tim Allen recently spoke with The Daily Mail about Toy Story 5, his involvement with the sequel, and Pixar’s Lightyear. Check out an excerpt here:

“Toy Story five had been kind of laid down quite a while ago, but we just couldn’t get into it. Then Disney announced it about two months ago. So I’ve made friends with all of the people in Toy Story, especially Tom Hanks. So for that, I’m blessed to have these friends in my life. I love that character. I love that story. So I always wait to see the script. They came up with that. I think it’s getting close and I said unless it could have been done really well I know that the crew didn’t want to do it. So none of us could mention any of this. Even when all the ancillary Buzz or Lightyear movie was coming out, this was all in play. So it was kind of peculiar. That’s all.”

I’m not surprised to hear that the actors and crew knew another movie might be on the table, and we already knew Allen wasn’t happy with Lightyear. It is unclear whether he was frustrated with the movie’s content or just not being cast, or maybe both. It’s ridiculous that a fourth film was ever on the table, let alone a fifth. This series has been on a downward spiral since the second movie, and in retrospect, I wish it had ended there. 

Regardless, I agree with him that it’s weird to release a spin-off like this when you’re planning a sequel. Lightyear was highly publicized as the movie the toy was based on, but I do wonder if kids were confused nonetheless. It’s also a slow burn that depends on sci-fi elements those young audience members may not understand. Honestly, I assumed that Disney was displeased with Lightyear’s underperformance and that Toy Story 5 was a consolation prize/backup plan. I only find this reveal unsurprising because Hanks and Allen always seem eager to do more, and Disney only cares about money, not what’s good for a story. Despite its lack of justification, I went into Toy Story 4 with cautious optimism, but now I’ve finally learned. This movie shouldn’t be made, and I’ll be expecting nothing but frustration. On a brighter note, it’s nice to hear Allen talking about his Toy Story family with warmth and appreciation. I’m used to hearing about him only when he surfaces to play the victim, bemoaning being recast (which is a mischaracterization) or “canceled” for being a Republican (which is just untrue). It’s cathartic to hear some gratitude from these people every now and then. 

But what do you think? Are you excited for Toy Story 5, did you like Lightyear, or do you wish they’d just leave the Toy Story franchise alone? Sound off in the comments!