"It's a great blessing to be Buzz Lightyear" – Tim Allen has already started working on Toy Story 5 and promises a clever story

The 2022 Lightyear film didn't make as big of an impact as the previous Toy Story films, and in the spinoff, Tim Allen didn’t voice the main character. Instead, Chris Evans voiced the space ranger who inspired the toy character. However, Toy Story 5 is set to release in 2026, and Tim Allen will return as Buzz. He revealed that he began working on the voiceover sessions at the end of this year and, although he couldn’t reveal specifics about the story just yet, he believes it will be another smart continuation.

In an interview with Collider about his new sitcom Shifting Gear, which stars Allen and Kat Dennings, he was asked about the Toy Story franchise. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. But yes, just last week I did my first 5-hour voice recording session as Buzz. It’s very strange to return. I can’t say anything. The story is very, very clever. Do I think they should make five? I don’t really think they’re doing it for the money. They definitely want it to be successful, but that’s not why they’re doing it,” Allen began.

According to Buzz’s voice actor, if the filmmakers hadn’t been able to write a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have started Toy Story 5 or approached him and Tom Hanks (who voices Woody). As for the process, Allen said it was a bit challenging to get back into character after half a decade, but it only took about two hours to find Buzz’s voice again. He still has plenty of work left to do on the film, but he’s enjoying it.

“I honestly say it’s a great blessing to be Buzz Lightyear. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I think it’s coming out in a year. I’ve made it through the third act. We’re picking up from there. Then we’ll go back to the beginning to clear things up. Then I’ll say it about five more times. But the story is really good, guys. Really good,” the actor said.

Toy Story 5 is set for release in June 2026. The film is being written and directed by Andrew Stanton, who has previously directed films such as A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, and WALL-E.