Toy Story 5 wins rave first reactions after world premiere

The first wave of reactions to Toy Story 5 suggested Pixar may still know how to turn nostalgia into a summer event, and the reaction was loud enough to sharpen the bigger question hanging over Disney’s legacy brands. At the world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 9, early viewers described the film as an emotional crowd-pleaser that “will hit you right in the feels,” with some calling it one of Pixar’s strongest franchise entries in years.

The new film leans directly into a modern worry that fits the series’ long-running emotional pitch. Pixar’s synopsis frames the story as “Toy meets Tech,” with Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang facing a threat to playtime when kids become obsessed with electronics. Andrew Stanton directed the film, Kenna Harris co-directed, and Lindsey Collins produced it, a lineup that points to Pixar betting on both continuity and a fresh angle for a property that first became a phenomenon decades ago.

The praise coming out of the premiere was especially strong around Jessie, who was singled out in multiple reactions as the film’s emotional center. Early responses called the movie “deeply profound” and “moving,” while others said it ranked “right alongside” the original and was an “absolute home run.” That kind of language matters for Disney, because Toy Story 5 is not just another sequel, it is a test of whether a beloved franchise can still overcome sequel fatigue and feel necessary to families who have seen these characters grow up with them.

The franchise’s core cast returned as well, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack back in the lineup. Hanks said at the premiere that Taylor Swift’s contribution had been kept “top secret” until shortly before its release, adding another layer of spectacle to a night already built around a decades-old brand trying to feel newly urgent.

Swift wrote and produced the original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” with Jack Antonoff for the film, and Disney said it was released on June 5 and would appear on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack when the movie reaches theaters on June 19. Swift later performed the song at the premiere, turning a franchise launch into a broader pop-culture moment. For Disney, that mix of inherited affection, celebrity reach and carefully managed emotional payoff remains the playbook. The early response suggests that, for now, it still works.