Imaginations aren't stirred by anything we see on a screen

FEW animated characters have captured the hearts of both children and adults quite like the heroes of Toy Story.

- LYNN RUSK

The Pixar franchise, which follows the adventures of a group of toys, has delighted audiences for more than three decades since the release of the first film in 1995.

Now, Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, and the rest of the gang are set to return in Toy Story 5, where they will face their biggest challenge yet: electronic devices.

Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, the film sees the toys come face-to-face with Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their child, Bonnie.

Tom, 69, describes the Toy Story franchise as one continuous story.

“It's almost too bad you have to put a number on it. It’s like a steady-state Toy Story, it has its own speed of light,” says the two-time Oscar winner.

Speaking about the experience of working on a Pixar film, he adds: “There is no slump. You really have to deliver all of your heart and effort into it because, I’m sorry, it’s ridiculously special.”

Tom also praised the filmmakers for tackling a subject that’s currently on the minds of many parents.

“I was knocked out when I saw the dilemma that the movie was about,” he says. “And I thought, you guys are so timely. You are so absolutely spot on.”