Toy Story 4 star Tim Allen has suggested the franchise should emulate Star Wars and continue producing sequels.
The actor is reprising his role as Buzz Lightyear in the latest instalment of Disney’s beloved series of films, alongside Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody and new arrival Tony Hale as Forky.
After Toy Story 3 gave the original trilogy a fitting end, many fans were surprised to see a fourth film was in the works.
However Allen was not shocked about the return and believes Toy Story could follow in the footsteps of another hugely successful Disney franchise.
He told the Press Association: “I never thought (Toy Story) three was the end of it because it seemed like – there always was a little hint. And why would you ever end this? This is like Star Wars for me.
“The challenge with this is it stuttered. It got started then the script went dead for a while for a variety of reasons.
“It’s still the same story, it just got rebooted. I never thought it shouldn’t be done so it wasn’t a big surprise.”
And discussing the prospect of a Toy Story 5, Allen, 66, said of 4’s ending: “I don’t want to give it away, but it does suggest a transition into a different movie.
“It was very emotional to do it and it was very emotional for me to watch it.”
Toy Story 4 was announced in November 2014 with original Toy Story filmmaker John Lasseter set to direct.
However, he left revered animation studio Pixar amid allegations of misconduct, later admitting to “missteps” in his behaviour towards employees.
Toy Story 4 had been set to be a rom-com centred on Woody and Bo Peep, voiced by Annie Potts, before new director Josh Cooley took charge of the project.
Allen admitted he had doubts the film would ever get made.
He said: “We started this then I think there was a two-year delay and all the contracts and all the business side was done and you’re waiting around and it went quiet for a while.”
Allen said he believes he had already been paid before starting work on the project, adding: “If they don’t make it what happens?
“I don’t like that personally, I like to do the work then get compensated for it”.
Allen, also known for his stand-up comedy work as well as TV sitcoms Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, first voiced Buzz for the original Toy Story in 1995.
He joked after nearly 25 years in the spacesuit, he feels emboldened to tell the writers what Buzz would and would not say.
He said: “He’s a very strange guy, Buzz. What’s happening lately is I’ve got to the point because it’s always new people, it’s not the original John Lasseter crew.
“I feel like I’ve got a little bit more position. So sometimes I will say ‘Buzz doesn’t say stuff like this’.
“He doesn’t get real excited. Sometimes they have me doing stuff like he’s over the top. He doesn’t get that excited about stuff. So sometimes I’m very proprietary about what Buzz says.”
Toy Story 4 will be released in the UK on June 21.