Conan O’Brien hosts the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy; Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Preview:

• Conan O’Brien has landed a voice role in ‘Toy Story 5.’
• He’ll bring the character of Smarty Pants to life.
• The new movie will see our heroes challenged by new technology.

The ‘Toy Story’ movies have never exactly been short on star power, starting at the top with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen playing iconic duo Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

For the fifth entry –– yes, Pixar, while still putting out original movies is still also happy to lean on its veteran franchises when the right idea strikes –– some new blood has been recruited.

Not Yet RatedJun 19th, 2026

Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with an all-new threat to playtime: tech. Read the Plot

Well, we say new… It’s perhaps a little tough to use that designator since Conan O’Brien (for it is he) has been working since the 1980s and has made a career largely as a comedy writer but also as a TV host for late night and a variety of other projects, including returning to host next year’s Academy Awards after a successful first time this past March.

For ‘Toy Story 5,’ O’Brien will voice the role of a new character called Smarty Pants, who we can imagine will be a witty but probably troublesome type for our regulars to run up against.

Disney announced O’Brien’s casting as part of the Consumer Products section of its Licensing Expo presentation on Monday. And the performer talked about landing the role on Instagram, joking that he’d hoped to play either Buzz or Woody, but is now convinced that Smarty Pants is the best role he could have won:

 

Andrew Stanton, the Pixar veteran who has been behind several of the studio’s biggest hits, is back to write and direct this new outing.

Related Article: Ernie Hudson to Take Over as the Voice of Combat Carl for ‘Toy Story 5’

 

What’s the story of ‘Toy Story 5’?

(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’

In case you forgot (since it was released back in 2019), ‘Toy Story 4’ ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways when the former joined Bo Peep (Annie Potts) to live a life as a “lost toy,” free from the constraints of being owned by a child.

Throughout the film, Woody struggled to find his place with Bonnie, as she no longer needed him as much as Andy did. Buzz, understanding Woody’s choice, assured him that Bonnie would be okay without him and supported Woody’s decision to start a new chapter.

Meanwhile, Buzz stayed with Bonnie, continuing to live with Jessie, Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and other toys, including the new addition of Forky (Tony Hale).

Stanton revealed at the last D23 that the central conflict of the latest film will involve the toys grappling with staying relevant in the age of technology.

The concept art revealed at the same event shows the toys looking sadly at their owner engrossed in a tablet, hinting at the emotional and humorous struggles they will face as they try to reclaim the child’s attention.

And Tim Allen has also been talking about the new movie.

This is what he told Collider:

“It’s a very, very clever story. I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it. It’s really clever. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It’s gonna be fun. I think we’re a year out. I’ve gotten up to the third act. We’ll do the third act. And then, we’ll go back and clean it. And then, I’ll do it about five more times. It’s a really good story, guys. It’s really good.”

Here’s what what he told news channel WIVB 4:

“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie,” he said. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”

Who else is working on ‘Toy Story 5’?

Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.

Few other details have been revealed about the new movie for either side of the camera.

We do know that McKenna Harris, who has worked on several other Pixar titles in various capabilities, is co-directing the movie with Stanton, and the latter worked on the script.

Beyond Allen and more recently Ernie Hudson (who inherits the role of Combat Carl from Carl Weathers), there has been no confirmation on the cast, but Hanks will naturally return and word on Jessie surely points to Joan Cusack already having recorded some material.

We’d be shocked if most of the main voice cast –– at least those whose characters feature prominently –– wouldn’t be back.

And there are reports of Anna Faris in an undisclosed role.

When will ‘Toy Story 5’ be in theaters?

Disney and Pixar’s latest entry in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise will be on screens on June 19th, 2026.

‘Toy Story 5’. Photo: Disney.

List of Movies in the ‘Toy Story’ Franchise:

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