Conan O’Brien will be joining the cast of the newest addition to the “Toy Story” franchise.
“Toy Story 5” is set to release June 19, 2026, according to Variety. O’Brien’s character, Smarty Pants, is a new character to the animated series.
O’Brien said in a video Instagram message that he asked to play the role of Woody but was turned down due to it being promised to Tom Hanks, per Deadline.
“And I was like, ‘Uh, you kinda been there and done that. You know? You’re in a bit of a rut, don’t you think?’ And they said, ‘No, Tom Hanks, it’s his role,’” the article reported.
He continued to joke after the rejection of Woody, his next choice was Buzz Lightyear, and was told Lightyear is to be played by Tim Allen.
“And I went, ‘Guys, you gotta think outside the box,’” said O’Brien.
He finally accepted the role of Smarty Pants when he learned more about the character.
“It’s the best character of them all. I far prefer this character. I don’t even wanna play Woody or Buzz anymore, even if they beg me. I’m Smarty Pants; I love this!” O’Brien said, according to Deadline.
What we know about ‘Toy Story 5′
“Toy Story 5″ is set to feature Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the toys, including the newest character, Smarty Pants. The toys are faced with a new challenge of kids who are bored with toys and more interested with their electronics, per Deadline.
Allen also said “Toy Story 5″ will focus on Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack and that Buzz and Woody realign, reported Variety. He continued to tease an exciting opening scene with Buzz.
Tim Allen told Collider that the new film is, "a very, very clever story. Do you wanna do five of these? I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it and they wouldn’t have called me and Tom (Hanks). It’s really clever.”
“Toy Story 5″ is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton, co-directed by McKenna Harris and produced by Jessica Choi, per Variety.
The first “Toy Story” was released in 1995 with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. “Toy Story 4″ was released in theaters in 2019 and made more than $1 billion at the global box office and won the Oscar for best animated feature, per the Hollywood Reporter.