In what may well be a preview of things to come this awards season, Toy Story 5, the latest installment in Disney/Pixar’s beloved 31-year-old animated film franchise, was the toast of Hollywood on Tuesday night at the Dolby Theatre, the home of the Oscars.
A-listers ranging from the Duffer brothers to Teyana Taylor to Jimmy Kimmel (and their kids) convened for the world premiere of what proved to be a smart, funny and moving film about screens displacing toys in the lives of young children. And attendees of all ages were ecstatic when the film was followed by a surprise live performance, by Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star on the planet, of its end-credits original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” (which Swift co-wrote with Jack Antonoff), and then a Swift and Randy Newman duet of Newman’s classic tune from the first Toy Story, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
At the premiere’s after-party outside of the Dolby on a closed-down, festively-decorated Hollywood Blvd., industry insiders — including Academy members — gushed to me about both the film and the song, and remarked upon the clear commitment by all involved to give the film a big push, both into theatrical release nationwide on June 19 and into the awards season. “They really pulled out all the stops for this,” remarked one.
