While the Toy Story franchise is set to return with its highly anticipated fifth film, the wait for another spin-off could be much longer, as per Andrew Stanton. The franchise's beloved characters have rich personalities that could inspire several spin-offs. Pixar explored that possibility with Lightyear in 2022.

However, while the studio is not ruling out more future spin-offs, it is also not rushing into making one. Stanton recently opened up about the studio’s take on a spin-off.

Co-writer and director Andrew Stanton sat down with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan to discuss the upcoming Toy Story 5 and the future of potential spin-off films. Stanton acknowledged that the studio often discusses the possibility of expanding the franchise and has explored several spin-off ideas. However, nothing has been officially confirmed. He further explained that those conversations will only move forward when an idea is compelling enough for a spin-off.

“We'd like to think we've done enough time that we can smell when something might really hold for not only the outside world, but for four years of making it. So, we just talk all the time, and we say, "Maybe not now" or "no" many, many times. But when we can smell something, we keep digging there, but we still don't push it forward until we know it's ready,” he said.

 Andrew Stanton's statement comes after the disappointing box office performance of Lightyear, despite its star-studded cast led by Chris Evans. The film grossed $226.4 million worldwide against a production budget of nearly $200 million, making it one of Pixar's biggest theatrical disappointments. And the studio appears to be taking a more cautious approach before moving ahead with another spin-off. 

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Although Lightyear struggled in theaters, it found a more encouraging reception on streaming platforms, where it attracted a wider audience after its theatrical release.

Following its streaming debut, Lightyear quickly became the most-watched movie on Disney+ worldwide in August 2022. It garnered 1.3 billion minutes viewed during its first week on the platform, as per Deadline. It also performed well across several streaming rankings.

The film also earned a 74% Certified Fresh critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it an even stronger 84% approval rating. So, although Pixar continues to explore ideas for future Toy Story spin-offs, the reception to its current films could make an impact. Toy Story 5's success may influence whether the studio decides to move forward with one of its concepts for spin-offs.

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Do you want another Toy Story spin-off show or movie? Let us know in the comments.