{"id":2208,"date":"2026-06-15T21:08:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2208"},"modified":"2026-06-15T21:08:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:08:57","slug":"toy-story-5-tom-hanks-and-tim-allen-marvel-at-working-together-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2208","title":{"rendered":"‘Toy Story 5’: Tom Hanks and Tim Allen marvel at working together again"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As a boy, Tom Hanks would sometimes peek out at night from the window of his family\u2019s Oakland residence, and he\u2019d become utterly captivated by a flashy sight of a neon billboard sign.<\/p>\n

Read more State-of-the-art $1 billion hospital planned for Los Gatos<\/a><\/p>\n

It served as a beacon, enticing him to venture out on his own version of the yellow brick road \u2014 in this case, the Bay Bridge \u2014 to the magical destination of San Francisco.<\/p>\n

The two-time Oscar winner, who was born in Concord and grew up in the East Bay, associates that sign with some of his favorite Bay Area childhood memories. And his East Bay roots are coming up a lot these days as Hanks, 69, talks about starring in \u201cToy Story 5,\u201d marking his return to what is arguably Emeryville-based Pixar\u2019s most cherished film franchise.<\/p>\n

Hanks once again stars as Woody, the helpful do-gooding cowboy who\u2019s the leader of a group of toys that come to life when left alone and who manage to get into all kinds of mischief and adventures. Woody and action figure Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) are the star players of a film franchise that over 31 years has explored the special nature of childhood memories while creating more than a few of its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cToy Story 5,\u201d Pixar\u2019s 31st feature, was directed by \u201cToy Story\u201d regular Andrew Stanton of Tiburon, and co-written by Stanton and Kenna Harris of Berkeley, a new addition to the franchise. It opens June 19.<\/p>\n

Hanks, who is also an author, screenwriter, director and producer, has enjoyed a storybook career as a successful and admired artist. But he still gets wistful when talking about his East Bay upbringing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I grew up in Oakland, the City beckoned to us from out our window,\u201d\u00a0 Hanks recalls during an interview in Emeryville alongside Allen. \u201cI remember there was a big billboard with neon fireworks \u2014 not real fireworks \u2014 for Admiral Television and as you were coming from Oakland and onto the suspension part of the Bay Bridge, (there it was) this lively vibrant billboard that was always exploding in stars.\u201d It was a spectacle to behold and, for Hanks, it also meant that he was merely a 75-cent bus ride away from the City.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I live close to that,\u201d Hanks added. \u201cThat\u2019s Paris, France. That\u2019s Baghdad By the Bay. That is a world-class city: Coit Tower, Sutro Tower, Ghirardelli Square, Golden Gate Park, Union Square and the American Conservatory Theater.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was Oz to me. And I didn\u2019t go there often because I didn\u2019t want to get used to it. It was always a special place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hank also recalls spending a lot of time playing in the East Bay and \u201cgoing all over Berkeley and Oakland like crazy.\u201d He holds a soft spot for Joaquin Miller Park, where he was quite taken with the redwoods.<\/p>\n

For Hanks and Allen, the \u201cToy Story\u201d series, which has generated more than $3 billion in box office revenue over the years, brings back similarly warm memories.\u00a0The duo collaborated for the first time on it in 1995 and continue to be in awe at how the studio comes up with clever, fresh ideas to move the story forward.<\/p>\n

But a fifth film? Both had doubts about that and admit they were wary about whether it could be pulled off since \u201cToy Story 4\u201d found Woody moseying onto a new homestead.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy initial thought was \u2018how\u2019 and \u2018why,’\u201d Hanks said. \u201c What are you going to say? You can\u2019t just bang one of these out.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they discovered the focus would shift to speak-her-mind cowgirl Jessie (voiced with twangy pluck by Joan Cusack) while she deals with abandonment issues once Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet (voice of Greta Lee) and then ditches her toy friends and goes overboard with screen time so she can be a part of a clique-y group of girls, they knew something special was in the works.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy in the world would they get back together again and it was because Bonnie was losing her sense of play to tech,\u201d Hanks said. \u201cAs soon as I heard that, I said you guys are genius.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThe fact that it was Jessie calling up all of the friends, gathering them together because one of them needed help, was beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n