With Toy Story 5 Set to hit the big screen on June 19, 2026, perhaps it’s no surprise that there are a whole bunch of toys – Jessie, Rex, Buzz, Woody and Slinky, among others – gearing up to hit retailer shelves.
There are also a few newcomers, including Lillypad – a child-safe training tablet that reminds me of LeapFrog or VTech – and SmartyPants, a toy designed to help with potty training, voiced by Conan O’Brien.
Now, while there will undoubtedly be dozens of Woody and Buzz figures, Mattel is the master licensee for Toy story and a key partner of Disney as a whole – they made Toy story toys since the second movie. And before the first wave launched and the film hit screens, I visited Mattel headquarters to take a peek behind the curtain.
Article continues below
Unsurprisingly, these toys all start with a sketch, much like an animated film. And he tasks Mattel designers with drawing sketch after sketch for product ideas – whether it’s a new game-scale figure of the main characters, a Woody who can run when you pull the string on the back, the awesome Ultimate Action series, or an adorable new miniseries. It all starts with sketches, whether in black and white or color, then moves to modeling using 3D printers using a range of polymers.
I had the opportunity to visit Mattel’s 3D lab, and they have 14 large-scale 3D printers there that can turn on and get to work at any time. One designer explained that it can take just a few hours after a design is completed before a preliminary 3D printed model is delivered. There is also the option to 3D print with metal, which can be handy for creating a metal mold to then insert other textures into, or for seeing potential shapes in different forms – I saw a metal model of Jessie’s head.
It was interesting to see how Mattel – a toy company with a heritage spanning over 80 years – used cutting-edge technology in its design process. There are also places to 3D scan people for action figures, although some of these can also be done digitally. I felt like designers were given tools that allowed them to excel at their craft, rather than being forced to use one just for the sake of using it.
Now the Toy Story 5 Mattel’s lineup has a lot of what you’d expect. So if you’re just looking for a Woody, Buzz, Jessie, or Forky figure, fear not, because the toy brand has you covered. And while I expected to see more technological toys, especially at the high end, there was a big surprise with the new 7-inch PlayScale Interactables figures of classic characters and newcomers.
Part of Mattel Toy Story 5 Assorted PlayScale Interactables, these are designed to bring new and great characters to life with sound – not only delivering iconic phrases to relive moments from the films, but also recognizing and speaking to each other.
At $21.99, they reach a more accessible price point while still integrating these interactive features. The voice boxes inside not only contain actual lines from the film’s actors – apart from Woody, since Tom Hanks gives that role to his brother, Jim Hanks – but also offer interactivity.
Each has 12 sentences – whether it’s Jessie explaining what a sheriff does (remember, Bonnie made him the sheriff), or Forky asking what it’s for – but the characters can also interact with each other. So I heard Jessie explain the role of a sheriff after Forky was placed next to her on a table and I asked what a sheriff did. It’s really nice and speaks to the value. Mattel is able to extend these experiences to its entry-level offerings, and it’s a real win for kids and toy fans. You get a more surprising and fun experience with a figurine.
I would also like to point out the careful details that Mattel’s design team incorporates here. You may remember that Woody’s voicemail was deleted Toy Story 4so the Woody figure here has a pull rope but has stitches on his back. He also doesn’t have the sheriff’s badge, as that is now on Jessie. It’s really the little details that show how well cared for the toys are.
The classic Toy story gang can even interact with newcomer Lillypad – here Mattel has created a smaller version of the learning tablet and, ironically, it doesn’t have a real screen. It has a speaker that allows him to chat with the press of a button or near another toy.
Another highlight of the range is a new Woody and Bullseye RC which, with a simple controller, allows you to move it forward or backward, or even engage in some sort of random dance. It slides pretty well.
There are, of course, other toys that Mattel is preparing, but the first wave also includes Hot Wheels themed cars and new mini collectibles. These arrive in a backpack that the main characters can carry – Jessie, Woody and Buzz included – and are stylized versions of the characters. They look really cute and are definitely Mattel x Toy story jump on the mini collectibles bandwagon.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
