The latest installment in the Disney & Pixar animated film series "Toy Story," "Toy Story 5" (directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris), opened in Japan on July 3rd, recording a box office revenue of 484,459,420 yen and an attendance of 320,705 people on its opening day. This broke the records of "Frozen 2" (2019), which earned 326,740,000 yen on its opening day, the previous film in the series, "Toy Story 4" (2019), which earned 329,810,000 yen on its opening day, and "Sutopia 2" (2025), which earned 414,080,000 yen on its opening day, setting a new record for the highest-grossing opening day for a foreign animated film of all time, and the highest-grossing opening day for any Disney & Pixar animated film. We explored the Pixar production methods behind the "Toy Story" series, which has captured the hearts of people all over the world, through the words of those involved.
◇The opinions of members who are raising children were very helpful.
"Toy Story" was Disney & Pixar's first feature film, with the first installment produced in 1995 and released in Japan in 1996. The story of a boy named Andy whose toys come to life and go on adventures when humans aren't looking, and the full CGI that brought toys like Woody and Buzz Lightyear to life, became a worldwide hit. The second installment was released in 1999 (2000 in Japan), the third in 2010, and the fourth in 2019.
Since the first "Toy Story" film was released in 1995, based on the idea of "what if toys could move and talk," the series has depicted exciting adventures and touching stories centered on the bonds between humans and toys, and the bonds between toys themselves. The production process incorporates the voices of Pixar employees from diverse backgrounds, proving that it is precisely because the opinions of people from various positions are reflected that masterpieces that resonate with people are created.
Co-director Kenna Harris said, "We have a diverse group of members from different generations and with different perspectives, like myself and Andrew (Stanton), and we incorporate their critical opinions into the work," describing the series' unique production method of bringing together staff from diverse backgrounds, from young talents to veterans, and incorporating their opinions into the creation process.
At Pixar, they conduct numerous test screenings within the studio during the production process, gathering feedback from both veterans and younger staff members to refine the film and bring it to completion. These screenings bring together Pixar employees of different ages, nationalities, and diverse experiences and backgrounds, and it is by incorporating their opinions that the films are created, resulting in stories that resonate with a wide range of generations, from children to adults, and with people all over the world.
In this film, Bonnie, a girl who loves playing with toys, struggles to make friends because she doesn't get along with the other children around her, and her worried parents give her a state-of-the-art tablet. The film carefully depicts the feelings of a child who is struggling with something, and the feelings of worried parents. Regarding the creation of this portrayal, Harris said, "It was very helpful to hear the 'actual worries and opinions' about children from the 'members who are raising children' on the production team after they saw the preview. When I listened to their worries as if I were a counselor, a lot of stories came up about 'I'm having trouble with this' and 'I'm worried about that,' and I thought about things like 'Should I reflect this in the film?' and 'Should I include this?' I think the parents involved in the production of this film gave us the most essential opinions when making the film."
◇The story alone took two years, and production took four years to complete.
Director Stanton also commented on Pixar's unique approach of incorporating diverse values and opinions from both young and veteran staff members, saying, "The opinions of colleagues who are in a different position from the production team and have an objective perspective are very encouraging. The process of incorporating opinions is like shopping for groceries, exploring the finished dish as you go. There are failures as you experiment with the ingredients in the kitchen. But it's very fun to discover things like what ingredients are needed here, or what goes well together." This film, which was created through this trial and error and many twists and turns, took two years just for the story and four years to produce, resulting in the best story in the series.
In "Toy Story 5," Bonnie, an imaginative and shy girl, tries to keep up with the other children by suppressing her love of playing with toys and becoming engrossed in a tablet like everyone else. Woody, Buzz, and Jessie become worried when they see Bonnie's smile disappear during playtime, and they step up to help her. But can the toys bring back Bonnie's smile? And what is the true role that toys can play for children in today's digital age...?
I definitely want to experience this story, which is sure to resonate with everyone, in theaters, showcasing Pixar's unique style and the passion of the production team.
In the Japanese version, actor Toshiaki Karasawa voices Woody throughout the series, while entertainer George Tokoro voices Buzz Lightyear. Yumi Kusaka voices Jessie, Alice Alice Hirose voices the new character LilyPad (the latest tablet), Hayato Sano of "M!LK" voices Smarty Pants, and Ryo Ryusei voices Forky.
The film premiered in the US on June 19th local time, and its box office revenue in the first three days exceeded $160 million (approximately 25.76 billion yen, calculated at 1 dollar = 161 yen). On the US film critic site Rotten Tomatoes, it achieved an astonishing audience score of 95%, the highest in the history of the "Toy Story" series (as of 10am on July 4th). As of July 3rd, its worldwide box office revenue had exceeded $623.14 million, or 100.32693 billion yen (according to Box Office Mojo on July 4th), and its momentum is accelerating.
