Tom Hanks is back as Woody in “Top Story 5,” which set a franchise record with its massive $312 million worldwide opening. Given the enduring popularity of the 31-year-old franchise, people are already wondering if “Toy Story 6” is an inevitability. But would two-time Oscar winner Hanks return as Woody in a sixth movie?
“If you’re gonna do another ‘Toy Story,’ it better be worthwhile,” Hanks told Entertainment Weekly. “It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title. I mean, it is a huge corporate business without a doubt, I’m not gonna discount that. But unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”
However, Hanks is also aware that Disney probably doesn’t even need him to return as Woody if it wants to make “Toy Story 6.” The studio has access to so much recorded dialogue of Hanks as Woody over the last 31 years that AI could easily string words together into new sentences in order to bring Woody back for “Toy Story 6” without Hanks’ physical participation.
“Time is undefeated,” Hanks said. “The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in ‘Toy Story’ is on digital media somewhere, so they could put together anything they would want.”
