Toy Story 5’s New Curly Hair Technology Marks a Major Leap for Diversity in Animation

LOS ANGELES — Pixar is once again pushing its animation tools forward, this time with “Toy Story 5,” which is set to arrive in theaters on June 19.

The new film brings Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang into a familiar struggle with a modern twist: competing for the attention of 8-year-old Bonnie after she receives a smart tablet.

Alongside the returning favorites, “Toy Story 5” will introduce a new character named Blaze, a young Black girl with naturally curly hair. According to VFX supervisor Thomas Jordan, bringing that hairstyle to the screen marked an important milestone for the animation team.

“We have a character named Blaze with beautiful, long, tight, curly hair, which is something we have not been able to do before,” Jordan said. “And with very recent technological breakthroughs, we finally solved that.”

The filmmakers told On The Red Carpet that working on a sequel created more room to tackle technical challenges that had lingered for years. Because many of the characters and environments were already established, the team had more time to focus on problems they had not fully cracked in earlier films, including the animation of tight curls.

Jordan said that effort is tied to a broader goal at Pixar: making films that feel inclusive and authentic to the people watching them.

At the Toy Story 5 premiere, Mykal-Michelle Harris who voices the horse-loving Blaze was very excited to bring that kind of representation to the big screen.

“Seeing yourself in what you are trying to view or watch, it makes it so much better,” Harris told On The Red Carpet. “And so, I think that being able to, you know, be in a franchise that allows children – young children – to do that, it’s just amazing. I can’t stop saying the word amazing! It’s just so amazing!”