"[It's] about to happen..."
Tom Hanks had quite an exciting behind-the-scenes update to share with his fans this week.
On April 21, the 68-year-old iconic actor took to Instagram to post a photo of him holding his five fingers up to a microphone inside of a recording studio.
“First day of work on a certain Story,” Hanks wrote in the caption. “Number 5! Need a hint? Disney. Studio B.”
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Though he doesn’t explicitly say, it’s safe to assume that Hanks is talking about the upcoming movie “Toy Story 5,” which is set to be released next year.
Hanks, of course, has been the voice of Woody since the film’s first installment, “Toy Story,” in 1995.
His five-finger announcement comes nearly a year after “Toy Story 5” was confirmed at Disney's D23 Expo in August 2024.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published March 24, Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter talked about what fans can expect from the new film.
“I will say Toy Story 5, I think [writer and director] Andrew’s done a really great job of letting moments breathe in unexpected ways,” Docter explained.
“We’ve had four of ’em already. We got to keep people surprised, so it’s going to be fun,” he added.
Docter went on to say his goal was to “bring animation into something that we as 20-, 30-year olds can enjoy” — using Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones” and George Lucas’ “Star Wars” as blueprints.
What does Hanks’ update tell us about ‘Toy Story 5?’
Many fans thought they had said goodbye to Woody at the end of “Toy Story 4,” released in 2019, when he decided to start a new life with Bo Peep as a lost toy.
But Hanks’ latest update has fans reeling with excitement — and skepticism.
“Tom Hanks as Woody again? You already know our hearts aren’t safe in 2026,” one fan wrote on X, adding, “Woody’s back and my childhood heart is wide open,” in a separate post.
“Yeah 2026 gonna be a fantastic year now,” another fan wrote on X.
Though we won’t know exactly what Woody’s return looks like for another year, many fans are hoping that the fifth installment reunites Woody with his best friend Buzz Lightyear, who chose to remain with Bonnie.
Yet, some fans are skeptical.
“What if it turns out Hanks is recording the lines for when Woody appears in the final scenes,” one fan wrote on X. “That the Toy Story movie focuses on Jessie and Buzz until Woody arrives? Just a thought.”
“So that heartfelt hug and goodbye with Tim Allen BTS with the last line recording together was merely just for 6/7 years then?” another fan wrote — referring to Tim Allen, the voice actor for Buzz Lightyear.
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“Toy Story 5” is set to be released in theatres on June 19, 2026.
