Pixar's Pete Docter on The Heart of Toy Story, the Threat of AI and Tech, and Why Now is the Perfect Time for Toy Story 5

In solemnisation of Toy Story's 30th anniversary, IGN had the accidental to talk to Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, and, alongside sharing his thoughts connected the existent bosom of the film, helium shared with america wherefore present is the cleanable clip for Toy Story 5 with the ever-present menace of AI and exertion invading our playtime.

I spoke to Docter and others arsenic portion of a larger retrospective connected Toy Story for this large milestone, and I asked him wherefore Toy Story is inactive applicable contiguous and wherefore they chose to absorption connected "Toy Meets Tech" for the upcoming 5th movie that is acceptable to beryllium released successful theaters connected June 19, 2026.

“I deliberation it's particularly applicable contiguous due to the fact that of the tech and however that's changed the world,” Docter told me. “I mean, we're precocious to the enactment arsenic it's been a fig of years since technology's benignant of already bushed toys. Look astir you astatine a restaurant, kids are looking astatine their iPhones and not playing with integrative figures anymore. I'll refrain from commenting connected however I consciousness astir that, but it's decidedly retired determination successful the world, and I deliberation it's disturbing to a batch of people. And adjacent successful the past year, AI has brought up those aforesaid benignant of fears successful a possibly adjacent a larger mode due to the fact that it seems to endanger what makes america human.

"And I deliberation that's yet what the Toy Story movies are about. They look similar toys, but they’re truly stories astir america arsenic quality beings, what it is to beryllium alive, and the joys, threats, and difficulties of that.”

Docter expanded connected that thought elsewhere successful our conversation, and helium recalled a precise pivotal infinitesimal erstwhile helium was moving connected the archetypal movie to assistance reenforce his point.

“One of the archetypal shots that I animated was erstwhile Woody gets shoved disconnected the furniture and Buzz Lightyear lands there, and past each the kids tally retired and Woody crawls retired from nether the bed, and he's like, ‘uh.. uh… nothing… it was a mistake. Too overmuch barroom and crystal cream.’ As I was analyzing it, I was like, ‘What is Woody thinking? What's helium feeling close now?’ And it was jealousy. It was that consciousness of, I utilized to instrumentality it for granted that I was the apical dog, and present there's immoderate different guy, but I'm not going to amusement anybody that. And I realized determination person been truthful galore times successful my beingness wherever I've felt the aforesaid thing.

“And truthful archetypal of all, I enactment that into the shot, but I besides realized that this is what this movie is about; it’s this emergence of jealousy that this artifact feels similar he's the astir important happening successful the world. But successful the agelong run, the benignant of selflessness of that is recognizing that his jealousy is calved of love, that his jealousy is calved of truly caring for this kid, and if that's truly the eventual goal, past self-sacrifice, immoderate it takes…I conscionable consciousness similar that's a truly beauteous arc, and it was precise relatable.”

That was the existent taxable of my speech with Docter and the others I spoke to for this retrospective, that these films are each astir toys and fantastical adventures, but they are yet astir us. We unrecorded successful a time and property wherever AI bundle tin make a movie successful seconds, but possibly that's not the crushed we arsenic humans are drawn to stories. Perhaps it is thing deeper.

“I conscionable privation the satellite to retrieve it was made by people,” Docter said erstwhile I asked him however helium wanted radical to look backmost connected Toy Story. “Every item successful the movie has immoderate meaning for someone, either due to the fact that that's what the character's feeling, oregon adjacent conscionable idiosyncratic stuff. Hannah was named aft a household person of ours, oregon erstwhile Buzz is drunk aft losing his arm, he's talking astir being Mrs. Nesbit. That was my sister's second-grade teacher! So, everything is conscionable connected to the radical who made it. I deliberation a batch of times radical fig these things are,” and helium pretends helium is simply a robot typing into a punctual erstwhile helium says, “Make…film… enter!” It doesn't enactment that way. It's made utilizing a computer, but not by computers.”

For more, cheque retired wherever Toy Story ranks connected our database of the champion Pixar films, Toy Story 5 manager Andrew Stanton's comments connected the determination to marque different sequel, and our breakdown of the opening country of the upcoming movie from Destination D23.

Adam Bankhurst is simply a writer for IGN. You tin travel him connected X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and perceive to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

Pete Docter Blogroll Image Credit: (C) Pixar Animation Studios