The latest installment in the Disney & Pixar animated film series "Toy Story," "Toy Story 5" (directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris), will be released in Japan on July 3rd. An emotional special video packed with the highlights of the film, set to the new song "I Knew It, I Knew You" written by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, was released on July 1st. The video shows Jessie and the other toys in Bonnie's room rising up to try and bring back the smile that is fading from the shy girl Bonnie due to the arrival of the cutting-edge tablet, the LilyPad.
◇Buzz's lines questioning the role of toys resonate deeply.
The newly released footage begins with Bonnie, who loves playing with toys, playing with Jessie, Buzz, and Forky. Bonnie still wants to play with toys, but the other children are engrossed in tablets, and she is troubled because she can't connect with them and can't make friends... Then one day, Bonnie receives a state-of-the-art tablet, the LilyPad, as a gift from her worried parents! Like the other children, Bonnie becomes engrossed in the world on the screen, but gradually her smile starts to fade.
Worried about Bonnie, Jessie returns to ask for help, and Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other familiar toys reunite. The video features Buzz's poignant line questioning the role of toys: "Our mission on this planet is to make children happy."
As director Stanton stated, "It was decided from the beginning that the story would revolve around Jessie," and in this film, Jessie's past, as depicted in "Toy Story 2," holds the key to the narrative. Jessie was once the favorite toy of her former owner, Emily, but as Emily grew older, she stopped playing with her, and eventually, she was donated—a sad past. Because Jessie knows the happiness of being loved, she fears being abandoned again, but what answer will Jessie find regarding the bond between a child and a toy...?
Swift is said to be a huge fan of the "Toy Story" series, having grown up watching it since childhood. At the world premiere held in Japan recently, she was seen on the red carpet getting autographs from the voice actors, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, on her personal "Toy Story" VHS tapes.
After watching the latest film, "Toy Story 5," Swift told American media, "I was completely captivated. It's my favorite 'Toy Story' film," and was seen tearing up. She also said, "This film tells a story about Jessie that hasn't been told before, and from it she has a certain realization. Seeing that, I knew exactly what kind of song I wanted to write for Jessie," revealing the reason for her strong feelings, which led her to complete the song the same day she watched an early version of the film.
He further explained, "In life, there are many memories of meeting friends and building irreplaceable bonds with people, but sometimes we go our separate ways... Even so, sometimes when you reunite with someone and think, 'It's been a long time,' you realize that no matter how much time passes, that person hasn't changed, and they're still the same person we were when we shared those memories. I wanted to cherish and depict that feeling in this song," expressing his thoughts on the song about Jesse confronting the sad memory of parting ways with Emily.
◇It has already surpassed the worldwide box office revenue of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2".
"Toy Story" was Disney & Pixar's first feature film, with the first installment produced in 1995 and released in Japan in 1996. The story of a boy named Andy's toys coming to life and going on adventures when humans aren't looking, and the full CGI that brought toys like Woody and Buzz Lightyear to life, became a worldwide hit. The second installment was released in 1999 (2000 in Japan), the third in 2010, and the fourth in 2019. Throughout the series, actor Toshiaki Karasawa voices Woody in the Japanese version, and entertainer George Tokoro voices Buzz Lightyear.
In the latest installment, "Toy Story 5," Jessie, a cowgirl doll who has taken over as "sheriff" from Woody and is now the leader of the toys in Bonnie's room, has watched over the growth of the imaginative and shy girl, Bonnie. When Bonnie's parents, worried that she is struggling to make friends because the other kids are moving on from toys and are engrossed in tablets, her life changes drastically when they give her a state-of-the-art tablet, the "LilyPad." Worried that Bonnie's radiant smile, which used to shine when she played, is fading as she becomes absorbed in the screen, Jessie asks Woody for help. Teaming up again with Woody and Buzz, Jessie rises to the challenge of winning back Bonnie's spirit...
In the Japanese version, actor Toshiaki Karasawa voices Woody throughout the series, while entertainer George Tokoro voices Buzz Lightyear. Yumi Kusaka voices Jessie, Alice Hirose voices the new character LilyPad (the latest tablet), Alice Hirose Hayato Sano of "M!LK" voices Smarty Pants, and Ryo Ryusei voices Forky.
The film premiered in the United States on June 19th local time, and in its first three days, it grossed over $160 million (approximately 25.76 billion yen, calculated at 1 dollar = 161 yen). It has also been released in countries around the world, including the UK, Spain, Mexico, South Korea, and China, and as of June 30th, in its second week of release, its worldwide box office revenue has surpassed $585 million, or 94.185 billion yen (according to Box Office Mojo as of June 30th), exceeding the final worldwide box office revenue of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," and its momentum continues to grow.
