Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.
Preview:
- Ernie Hudson will be the voice of Combat Carl in ‘Toy Story 5.’
- Carl Weathers previously played the role.
- The new ‘Toy Story’ is due out next year.
While ‘Elio’ is the next Pixar project to hit the big screen (June 20th, in case you were wondering), there is naturally a lot of attention on the company’s next dive into franchise territory, and one of its biggest hitters returning to theaters with ‘Toy Story 5’ due next year.
Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with an all-new threat to playtime: tech. Read the Plot
With Woody, Buzz and the gang back for more adventure, word arrives via TMZ of all places that there has been some necessary recasting among the voice ranks for the new movie.
Carl Weathers is Greef Karga in ‘The Mandalorian,’ season two, exclusively on Disney+
Following the sad death last year of Carl Weathers, the role of Combat Carl –– which Weathers performed in the 2013 TV special ‘Toy Story of Terror!’ and the most recent big screen outing, ‘Toy Story 4,’ genre stalwart Ernie Hudson will instead report for duty to provide the voice for the military man.
It’s not the first piece of re-casting in the ‘Toy Story’ world, since Blake Clark took over the role of Slinky Dog from the late Jim Varney a few years ago.
Related Article: Ernie Hudson Talks ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ and the Franchise’s Legacy
What’s the story of ‘Toy Story 5’?
(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’
In case you forgot (since it was released back in 2019), ‘Toy Story 4’ ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways when the former joined Bo Peep (Annie Potts) to live a life as a “lost toy,” free from the constraints of being owned by a child.
Throughout the film, Woody struggled to find his place with Bonnie, as she no longer needed him as much as Andy did. Buzz, understanding Woody’s choice, assured him that Bonnie would be okay without him and supported Woody’s decision to start a new chapter.
Meanwhile, Buzz stayed with Bonnie, continuing to live with Jessie, Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and other toys, including the new addition of Forky (Tony Hale).
Director Andrew Stanton, returning to the franchise for the first time in years, revealed at the last D23 that the central conflict of the latest film will involve the toys grappling with staying relevant in the age of technology.
The concept art revealed at the same event shows the toys looking sadly at their owner engrossed in a tablet, hinting at the emotional and humorous struggles they will face as they try to reclaim the child’s attention.
And Tim Allen has also been talking about the new movie.
This is what he told Collider:
“It’s a very, very clever story. I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it. It’s really clever. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It’s gonna be fun. I think we’re a year out. I’ve gotten up to the third act. We’ll do the third act. And then, we’ll go back and clean it. And then, I’ll do it about five more times. It’s a really good story, guys. It’s really good.”
Here’s what he told news channel WIVB 4:
“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie,” he said. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”
Who else is working on ‘Toy Story 5’?
(L-R) Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody from ‘Toy Story 3.’ ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Few other details have been revealed about the new movie for either side of the camera.
We do know that McKenna Harris, who has worked on several other Pixar titles in various capabilities, is co-directing the movie with Stanton, and the latter worked on the script.
Beyond Allen and now Hudson, there has been no confirmation on the cast, but Hanks will return and word on Jessie surely points to Joan Cusack already having recorded some material.
We’d be shocked if most of the main voice cast –– at least those whose characters feature prominently –– wouldn’t be back.
Where else have we seen Ernie Hudson?
(L to R) Winston (Ernie Hudson) and Peter (Bill Murray) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.’ Photo By Jaap Buitendijk. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hudson needs little introduction, though among his more famous genre credits are the likes of ‘Ghostbusters’ [1984], ‘The Crow’ [1994], ‘Miss Congeniality,’ ‘Congo,’ ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle,’ and ‘The Jazz Singer.’
On the small screen, he’s been seen in shows including the more recent take on ‘Quantum Leap,’ ‘Grace and Frankie’ and voiced a character in ‘Transformers Prime.’
When will ‘Toy Story 5’ be in theaters?
Disney and Pixar’s latest entry in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise will be on screens on June 19th, 2026.
‘Toy Story 5’. Photo: Disney.
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