Toy Story 5 trailer: Woody and Buzz take backseat, Jessie leads a new adventure

Toy Story 5 puts Jessie at the heart of a new adventure as the beloved cowgirl takes the lead. The film, releasing in India on June 19, 2026, explores playtime in an increasingly digital world.

In Short

• Toy Story 5 focuses on Jessie as the main character
• Film releasing in India on June 19, 2026, in English and Hindi
• Story explores Jessie's emotional past and new tech challenges

After four films led largely by Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story 5 is handing the reins to a different fan favourite. This time, Jessie takes centre stage, with director and writer Andrew Stanton revealing that the beloved cowgirl was the driving force behind the film's story.

Set to release in theatres across India on June 19, 2026, in English and Hindi, the latest chapter in Disney and Pixar's iconic franchise will place Jessie at the heart of the narrative.

The new instalment reunites Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang for what Disney and Pixar describe as a "Toy meets Tech" adventure. Their world is shaken up by the arrival of Lilypad, a tablet device with her own ideas about what is best for Bonnie, raising questions about the future of playtime in an increasingly digital world.

Toy Story 5 is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton, known for WALL-E, Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. The film is co-directed by McKenna Harris and produced by Lindsey Collins. Academy Award-winning composer Randy Newman also returns to score his fifth Toy Story feature.

Watch the trailer here:

Speaking in a recent interview, Stanton explained that finding a fresh direction for the series led him straight to Jessie.

“That was the only reason I wanted to do it,” he said. “I wanted to write whatever I wanted Toy Story 5 to be and see where I wanted to explore. And right away I was like, I want to explore Jessie. I want to put her in the main driver's seat.”

Co-director and co-writer McKenna Harris agreed, saying the character's time in the spotlight has been a long time coming.

“I think a lot of us felt it was kind of overdue,” Harris said. “Jessie is just a great character and she deserves the spotlight. It's why she got the badge in Toy Story 4.”

Producer Lindsey Collins pointed to Jessie's rich emotional history as one of the reasons she felt like the natural choice for the film's central role.

Introduced in Toy Story 2, Jessie quickly became one of the franchise's most memorable characters, thanks in part to her poignant story of being abandoned by her former owner. According to the filmmakers, Toy Story 5 will delve deeper into that emotional foundation.

The film will release exclusively in theatres in India on June 19, 2026.

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