‘Toy Story’ 5 Gets a Disney+ Release Date, and It’s Bringing a Taylor Swift Surprise with It
Pixar’s fifth installment in its flagship franchise had already made history well before its theatrical run wrapped, and now the studio is giving fans a clear timeline for when they can revisit that record-breaking success from home. Few franchises carry the same built-in anticipation for a streaming debut, and this one is no exception.
‘Toy Story 5‘ opened in theaters on June 19 to a massive $160,000,000 domestic weekend, the second-best opening ever for an animated film in the United States behind only Pixar’s own ‘Incredibles 2.’ The film has since crossed $1,130,000,000 worldwide, becoming the third ‘Toy Story’ movie to reach the billion-dollar mark following 2010’s ‘Toy Story 3.’
That box office success now has an official landing date for home viewing. Disney confirmed ‘Toy Story 5’ will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ on September 23, just one day after the film arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 22.
The film follows Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the gang as their sense of purpose is challenged by the arrival of Lilypad, a new tablet device that brings its own disruptive ideas about what’s best for their kid, Bonnie. That toy-versus-tech premise has resonated strongly with both critics and audiences throughout the film’s theatrical run, helping push the franchise’s cumulative worldwide gross past $3,300,000,000 across all five films.
Alongside the streaming announcement, Disney also revealed a new piano version of Taylor Swift’s original song for the film, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” now available to stream on Disney+, Spotify, and Apple Music complete with footage from the movie. The track, written and produced by Swift alongside Jack Antonoff, became a chart-topping hit following the film’s June release, and its official soundtrack will land on CD and vinyl on September 25, two days after the movie’s streaming debut.
‘Toy Story 5’ continues the franchise’s rare tradition of retaining much of its original voice cast across three decades, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack all returning to their roles. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris, with Stanton also credited for the story that Harris helped bring to the screenplay.
Once it lands on the platform, ‘Toy Story 5’ will join Disney+’s existing ‘Toy Story’ Collection, a franchise that already stands as the most-watched film series on the service, having racked up more than 2,000,000,000 hours streamed to date. Given the strength of the film’s theatrical performance, that number is likely to climb even further once the new installment becomes available.
The timing also works in the film’s favor competitively, arriving with minimal direct competition from other major animated streaming releases in the weeks surrounding its debut. That should give ‘Toy Story 5’ plenty of room to dominate Disney+’s daily charts as it settles into its new home.
For a franchise built on nostalgia and heart in equal measure, ‘Toy Story 5’s’ streaming arrival feels like the natural next chapter in a run that’s already proven the toys still have plenty of life left in them.
Will you be watching Toy Story 5 when it arrives on Disney+?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
