Kenna Harris discusses co-directing Pixar’s Toy Story 5

Kenna Harris, co-director of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 5’, shared insights into her creative journey and the film’s development at the View Conference in Turin. A lifelong fan of the franchise, Harris transitioned from drawing childhood fan art of the character Jessie to co-directing and co-writing the upcoming feature alongside director Andrew Stanton.

During production, the team implemented a two-week pause to overhaul the narrative after early versions failed to deliver an emotionally compelling story. Harris also advocated for specific character moments, such as a kiss between Jessie and Buzz during an action sequence, and helped shape the film’s ranch setting and new character, Blaze.

The film explores the tension between traditional toys and modern technology, specifically through the character of Lilypad, a tablet that challenges Bonnie’s attachment to physical toys. Harris noted that the story aims to acknowledge the difficulty of escaping technology’s influence rather than portraying the device as irredeemably evil.