A vintage home video. A red cowgirl hat. A girl who watched the first film at age five, now standing in the cast photo at the world premiere.
Image Source: Instagram
Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at the world premiere of ‘Toy Story 5’ in Los Angeles on June 9. She did not walk the step-and-repeat but joined the cast for a group photo at the Dolby Theatre festivities.
Swift announced an original song for the film titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” described by Disney as a return to country music. The track is tied to the franchise’s cowgirl character, Jessie. The song was co-written and co-produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, marking his return to working with her after last appearing on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.
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The song was released on June 5, 2026, through Walt Disney Records. It is available as a CD single through her web store, with acoustic and piano versions alongside the studio recording.
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Swift wrote on Instagram: “I’ve always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I’ve adored since I was a 5-year-old kid watching the first ‘Toy Story’ movie. I fell instantly in love with ‘Toy Story 5’ when I was lucky enough to see it in its early stages, and I wrote this song as soon as I got home from the screening.”
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When the song was released, Swift posted a message on social media that included a vintage home video of herself as a child, marching in a red cowgirl hat and a shirt embroidered with boots. She wrote: “Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time. Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once.”
She also credited the film’s director. “Thank you to the brilliant Andrew Stanton for imagining me for this, all those years ago when you wrote this newest film,” she wrote, also thanking composer Randy Newman for the sonic legacy he had built across the franchise over the years.
‘Toy Story 5’ is directed by Andrew Stanton and is set for release on June 19, 2026. The fifth film focuses more on Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack. Stanton has said the film tackles contemporary issues, particularly the impact of technology on childhood play.
A new character named Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien, features in the film, along with a new villain named Lilypad, a tablet in a frog-themed case, who goes up against the original group of analog toys.
The world premiere took place on June 9 in Los Angeles. Among those on the red carpet were Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, who have voiced Woody and Buzz Lightyear across the franchise for thirty years. Hanks dressed in a button-down shirt under a black vest, brown slacks, and leather boots. Allen wore a suit. Joan Cusack, who voices Jessie, wore an off-the-shoulder pantsuit and was joined by her husband Richard Burke and their children Dylan and Miles.
Returning cast members Wallace Shawn, who voices Rex, and John Ratzenberger, who voices Hamm, also attended. Newcomers Greta Lee, Kristen Schaal, and Craig Robinson were also present. Lee voices Lilypad, the film’s antagonist.
Lee had previously worked with Swift after the two met on ‘The Graham Norton Show’. Swift had the idea to include celebrities she appeared with on the show in a romantic comedy-style music video for “Opalite,” a track from her most recent album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’.
The song could be a contender for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the March 2027 ceremony. ‘Toy Story 5’ opens in theaters on June 19, 2026.
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