‘Toy Story 5’ Takes on More Violent Adult Themes, Industry Experts Say
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has signaled that Toy Story 5 (2026) is venturing into territory the franchise has never explored before, receiving its first-ever PG rating.
What the PG Rating Means
The MPA published its rating for Toy Story 5 (2026) on April 27, assigning the upcoming Pixar sequel a PG: Parental Guidance Suggested. It’s a designation the mainline Toy Story series has never carried. The original Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019) all received G ratings. The only prior PG in the franchise’s history belongs to Lightyear (2022), the spinoff film about the real-life astronaut who inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy.
The MPA’s published criteria for PG content state:
“Generally, violence is mild in nature. May include pushing and shoving, fist fights or brawls. Violence may be cartoonish, comedic or slapstick, or fantasy-like. If weapons are used, they are usually unrealistic (i.e. laser guns, glowing swords, magical powers etc.). If guns are present, they are used infrequently and, generally, bullet impacts to characters will not be observed on screen. Usually, there are no real details of lasting harm observed on-screen (i.e. no blood, visible wounds, characters dying onscreen).”
Pixar’s Shift Toward PG
The rating reflects a broader pattern at Pixar. The majority of the Disney-owned studio’s output over the past two decades has earned PG ratings, including: Up (2009), The Incredibles (2004), Incredibles 2 (2018), Brave (2012), Inside Out (2015), Coco (2017), Soul (2020), Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), Elemental (2023), Inside Out 2 (2024), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Elio (2025), and Hoppers (2026). Toy Story 5 now joins that list, marking a departure from the G-rated roots of the series that launched Pixar’s dominance three decades ago.
Toy Story 4 is the studio’s most recent G-rated release.
Coming Soon: Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5 brings back Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), and Jessie (Joan Cusack) for a new story pitting the classic toys against “what kids are obsessed with today….electronics!” New additions to the cast include Greta Lee as Lilypad and Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants. The film opens in theaters on June 19, 2026.
Which Toy Story film is your favorite? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
