• Tom Hanks’s documentary series World War II With Tom Hanks just dropped three new episodes
• The series airs on Sky History and follows his long history with WWII storytelling — from Saving Private Ryan to Band of Brothers to Masters of the Air
• Hanks says he has been “wrestling” with why he keeps returning to the war for “poetry, solace and enlightenment”
• His 2020 film Greyhound is also seeing a resurgence on Apple TV+

Tom Hanks has now made more WWII content than most history professors, and he’s apparently not done thinking about why.

Three new episodes of his documentary series World War II With Tom Hanks just dropped, adding to what has become one of the most personal projects of his career. The series airs on Sky History, and Collider called it a must-watch for anyone who’s followed his decades-long relationship with the subject.

“When I was a kid, every adult I knew shared one thing in common,” Hanks says at the top of the series — and from there it builds into exactly the kind of expansive, immersive documentary you’d expect from the man who produced Band of Brothers and Masters of the Air.

Why He Keeps Going Back

In a recent interview, Hanks reflected on his first WWII project — being cast in Saving Private Ryan in 1998 — and what’s kept him returning ever since. “I’ve been wrestling with this just recently,” he said, trying to articulate why the war continues to give him “poetry, solace and enlightenment.”

It’s a fair question. Between Saving Private Ryan, The Pacific, Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air, Greyhound, and now this documentary series, Hanks has spent more of his career exploring the Second World War than almost any other filmmaker or actor working today. The answer, he suggests, has something to do with how the war shaped the adults who shaped him — a generational through-line that he’s still tracing.

Meanwhile, Greyhound Is Having a Moment

Separately, his 2020 Apple TV+ film Greyhound — a lean, efficient naval thriller that got lost in the pandemic shuffle — is apparently back in heavy rotation on the platform. If you’ve never seen it, the new episodes of the documentary series are a good reminder to fix that.

The post Tom Hanks Can’t Stop Making WWII Content — and His New Series Just Got Better appeared first on Cream.

• Toy Story 5 had to cut an entire character backstory from the film, though Pixar says it may surface in another form later
• The film ventures into new animation territory with an imaginative playtime sequence unlike anything in the franchise before
• A classic Disney/Pixar character speaks on screen for the first time in Toy Story 5
• Tickets are now on sale ahead of the June 19 theatrical release
• Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack all return; Conan O’Brien joins as Smarty Pants

Pixar had more Toy Story 5 than could fit in Toy Story 5.

In a new exclusive with SlashFilm, the filmmakers revealed that one character’s full backstory had to be cut from the final film — though they were careful to add that it hasn’t disappeared entirely. “You’ll see some of it eventually,” they teased, suggesting the material may resurface in a short, a special, or a future project. No character was named.

The same creative team also spoke about a new animated playtime sequence in the film that pushes the franchise into visual territory it’s never explored before. Since 1995, each Toy Story film has found a way to stretch what Pixar’s animation can do — and by the sound of it, this one is no different.

A First for the Franchise

Perhaps the most intriguing detail: a classic Disney/Pixar character will speak on screen for the very first time in Toy Story 5. The franchise has always kept certain toys in the background — present but silent — and now, apparently, one of them finally has something to say. Casting for the role has been described as “perfect.”

Meanwhile, a beloved character is getting what ComicBook called a “weird update” — some kind of change or reveal that comes after three movies of consistency. Given that the film already features a visibly aged Woody with a bald spot and a red poncho, clearly nothing is off-limits.

What’s Coming June 19

The final trailer is out, advanced tickets are on sale, and the full cast is locked in: Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Joan Cusack as Jessie, and Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants — a toilet training tech toy, because of course. Toy Story 5 opens June 19.

The post Toy Story 5 Cut a Character’s Full Backstory — But Pixar Says You’ll See It Eventually appeared first on Cream.

• The final trailer for Toy Story 5 dropped this week ahead of the June 19 theatrical release
• Woody is visibly aged — including a bald spot under his hat — after years of retirement
• The villain is Lilypad, a frog-shaped smart tablet voiced by Greta Lee that threatens to replace toys entirely
• Director Andrew Stanton says the film tackles toys vs. technology because it’s a problem that “wasn’t going away”
• Conan O’Brien joins the voice cast as Smarty Pants, a toilet training tech toy

Woody has a bald spot. Let that sink in.

The final trailer for Toy Story 5 dropped this week, and along with all the expected warmth of seeing Buzz, Jessie, Rex, and Forky back together, it delivered one genuinely shocking visual: Woody takes off his hat and reveals he’s lost some plush up top. He’s also gained a little weight. He’s wearing a red poncho now. The cowboy is retired, and he looks it.

“He has a new purpose of not being devoted to one kid. He’s out in the field and not worrying,” director Andrew Stanton explained at a press preview in Anaheim after screening the first 30 minutes. “The bald spot symbolizes that he’s just worn out from not trying to take care of himself so much anymore — just doing whatever dirty work needed to be done to save a toy.”

Toys vs. Tablets

The central threat in Toy Story 5 isn’t another toy. It’s a frog-shaped smart tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, whose very existence threatens to make Bonnie stop caring about physical toys altogether. It’s the first time the franchise has pitted its characters against technology directly — and Stanton told Variety the team recognized this was a fight that “wasn’t going away” any time soon.

“By rooting it in the real-world shift of children moving away from traditional play, it addresses one of the biggest parental dilemmas in the digital age,” Stanton said. Toys aren’t just competing with other toys anymore. They’re competing with screens.

That said, Stanton was clear that Lilypad isn’t simply a villain. The film apparently treats the tablet as a character with her own perspective — a device doing what she’s designed to do, not an evil force.

The Cast

Tom Hanks returns as Woody. Tim Allen is back as Buzz Lightyear. Joan Cusack saddles up again as Jessie. Ernie Hudson takes over as Combat Carl from the late Carl Weathers. Blake Clark returns as Slinky Dog, the role he inherited from Jim Varney. And in the most unexpected addition, Conan O’Brien voices Smarty Pants — a toilet training tech toy.

Toy Story 5 opens June 19. The trailer makes one thing clear: even a balding cowboy with a poncho and a weight gain can still make you feel something.

The post Woody Is Balding and We’re Not OK: Inside Toy Story 5 appeared first on Cream.