Disney Suffers Crushing Blow in “Using” ‘Toy Story’

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Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) sadly pushing a button on his spacesuit

Credit: Pixar

The Walt Disney Company has seen historic lows in animation in the last few years, and now it’s using Toy Story in the latest developments.

For those who haven’t kept up, Disney animation has been at an impasse for the last several years. Though Disney Pixar’s Elemental (2023) ended up grossing $496.4 million after being in theaters for a couple of months last year– proving to be a “sleeper” hit– that has not been the norm for Pixar or Walt Disney Animation.

Woody laughing at Buzz Lightyear on a cowboy bed
Credit: Pixar

Pixar’s first theatrical release since the pandemic was Lightyear (2022), a spinoff of the Toy Story franchise that showed the story behind the “real-life man” who inspired the toy Buzz Lightyear. Unfortunately for Disney, the movie lost a whopping $106 million and stands as one of the biggest Disney flops of all time. What followed didn’t help. Disney’s Strange World (2022) and Wish (2023) both proved to fall short at the box office, as well, with Strange World being considered the biggest bust of all time in Disney animation history.

Now, for a second straight year, Disney finds itself at the losing end of the Oscars. Even with Elemental’s sleeper success at the box office, the movie fell short of winning the Oscars Award for Best Animated Feature. The Boy and the Heron, which was produced by Studio Ghibli, won the award. Pixar’s Turning Red was up for the award in 2022 but fell short. According to reports from ScreenRant, a losing streak like that hasn’t happened since 2006 for the House of Mouse.

Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) traveling at lightspeed in the 'Lightyear' trailer
Credit: Disney Pixar

As a result of the failures Disney is seeing in animation, it should come as no surprise that the company is reviving several key franchises— including Toy Story, Frozen, Zootopia, and Moana— in an attempt to go “big” at the box office and re-establish itself as the unquestioned leader in the industry.

Though Pixar’s Inside Out 2— which releases this year– will have a chance to end the streak, it may very well be another year– when Toy Story 5 is released– before we see Disney break the losing streak and supplant much of its competition.

As for Toy Story 5, we don’t have a lot of information on the film as of yet. Both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are set to reprise their roles, but no storyline or trailer has been released. The film is slated for either a 2025 or 2026 release, most likely leaning toward 2026.

Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) looking shocked in 'Toy Story 4'
Credit: Disney / Pixar

The Toy Story franchise, launched by Pixar Animation Studios in 1995, has become a beloved cornerstone of modern animation. With its imaginative premise of toys coming to life when humans aren’t around, the series captures the essence of childhood wonder and friendship. Led by the charismatic duo of Woody, the loyal cowboy doll voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger action figure brought to life by Tim Allen, the films explore themes of loyalty, identity, and acceptance across multiple generations.

Over the course of four films (Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019)), the franchise has evolved both technically and narratively, yet consistently delivers heartwarming stories that resonate with audiences of all ages.

What do you think of Disney’s plan to use Toy Story? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!

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