Where Toy Story 5’s Next Pixar Movie Easter Eggs Are Revealed By Directors & Producer

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Pixar have kept their future-teasing Easter egg tradition alive in Toy Story 5, and the team have confirmed new details about them.

This latest Toy Story movie brings the focus back to the original characters after the mixed reception to Lightyear. Now eight years old, Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet from her parents, and her toys – including Jessie and Buzz – worry they’ll be replaced. Afraid of being forgotten and given away, Jessie asks Woody for help, leading to a conflict between the classic toys and Bonnie’s newer ones.

Ahead of the premiere of Toy Story 5, Ash Crossan from ScreenRant spoke with Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris, and Lindsey Collins about the movie. They revealed that, continuing a Pixar tradition, Toy Story 5 will include hidden references – or Easter eggs – to their upcoming film, Gatto.

As a huge cinema fan, I was really intrigued by what Collins and Harris hinted about Easter eggs from their upcoming 2027 film! They basically told us to pay close attention to everything you see on the screens in the movie. But director Stanton quickly added that those aren’t the only places they hid them – which is awesome! Apparently, at least one nod to ‘Gatto’ will be visible on screen, but another reference is hidden somewhere within Blaze’s room, played by Mykal-Michelle Harris. It sounds like a fun treasure hunt for dedicated viewers!

Kenna Harris: There are so many Easter eggs in these films that we actually don’t know about them.

Lindsey Collins: They don’t tell us.

Andrew Stanton: Half the time the crew doesn’t tell us. [Laughs]

Lindsey Collins: And then we’re like, “Wait, what?” [Laughs]

Kenna Harris asked if someone knew about something inside the item. The other person replied they hadn’t been informed. Kenna confirmed they had added it, and then laughed.

Pixar has a long-standing tradition of secretly including sneak peeks, or ‘Easter eggs,’ of upcoming movies in their films. This started with 2001’s Monsters, Inc., where the character Boo played with a stuffed Nemo fish. Over the past 25 years, they’ve continued this practice, hiding things like The Incredibles comic books in other movies, using props from older films – like WALL-E finding Carl Fredericksen’s walker from Up – and even referencing a movie, The Good Dinosaur, multiple times when its release date changed.

Although Toy Story 5 was already announced, the first hint about it appeared in this year’s Hoppers, a sci-fi comedy that many fans considered a return to Pixar’s best work. During a scene in Piper Curda’s character’s room, viewers briefly saw Atlas, the talking GPS hippo toy (voiced by Craig Robinson), sitting on a shelf.

The new tech in Toy Story 5, like screens and tablets, opens up possibilities for more than just hidden references to Gatto. Because Lilypad can access the internet, the movie could include subtle nods to things like Al’s Toy Barn from Toy Story 2 or even clips from Lightyear. This would help connect the Lightyear spinoff to the main Toy Story series, establishing it as a film that exists within the same universe, and potentially feature art of other beloved characters from past movies.

Pixar has been secretive about what will happen in Toy Story 5, but fans are now wondering if hidden details in the trailer will offer more clues about the 2027 film. This month, Pixar released a first look at the movie, featuring Mark Ruffalo (known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). The trailer shows a new 2D, hand-painted animation style and introduces Ruffalo’s character, Nero, alongside Laurence Fishburne’s Rocco and several other cats.

Since Gatto is a brand new story idea for Pixar, not a continuation of an existing series, Toy Story 5 could cleverly introduce characters – both feline and human – who might appear in the 2027 film. Plus, Pixar is already working on several other projects, including Incredibles 3, Coco 2, a new story called Ono Ghost Market, and a musical from the director of Turning Red. This means Mark Ruffalo’s movie isn’t the only one that could get a mention in Woody and the gang’s next adventure.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Toy Story 5-related coverage with:

  • Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris & Thomas Jordan explaining Woody’s shocking design change and the viral response to it
  • Harris, Collins & Tom Hanks talking Toy Story 5‘s original plan without Woody and reversing the decision
  • Stanton offering an update on Toy Story 6‘s chances
  • Stanton addressing the chances of future Toy Story spinoffs after Lightyear‘s box office bombing

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2026-06-18 00:39