Toy Story (franchise)

Toy Story is a computer animated comedy-fantasy movie series and Disney media franchise^[1] that started in 1995 with the animated movie of the same name. The movies are produced from Pixar Animation Studios and the distributor is Walt Disney Pictures. The franchise is based on the anthropomorphic concept that all toys, unknown to humans, are secretly alive, and the movies focus on a diverse group of toys, most notably a cowboy doll named Sheriff Woody and a modern spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen (Chris Evans in Lightyear), respectively. The group unexpectedly embark on adventures that challenge and change them.

The first two movies of the franchise were directed by John Lasseter. The third movie was directed by Lee Unkrich. Unkrich co-directed the second movie, together with Lasseter and Ash Brannon. The fourth movie was directed by Josh Cooley. The first three movies, produced on a total budget of $320 million, have grossed more than $1.9 billion worldwide. Each movie set box office records, with the third included in the top 50 of all-time worldwide movies. All four movies have received generally positive reviews.

The franchise consists of five animated movies: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019), and the spin-off Lightyear (2022). Toy Story was one of the first movies to be made entirely using computer-generated imagery. The movies were produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

In Rotten Tomatoes, all 4 movies have received very positive reviews. The first and second movies score 100%, while the third and fourth score 98%. The third movie in the series is the fourth highest-grossing animated movie and the 28th highest-grossing movie of all time. It also became the third animated movie in history to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, after Beauty and the Beast and Up. The series also has television series which include Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Toy Story Toons, Forky Asks a Question.

A fifth movie, Toy Story 5, is planned to be released on June 19, 2026.^[2]