Tom Hanks' AI Nightmare: Woody's Voice in 'Toy Story 6' Could Be Replicated by Disney Without Him!
Following 'Toy Story 5's record-breaking debut, Tom Hanks weighs in on the possibility of 'Toy Story 6,' stressing the necessity of a 'worthwhile' and 'fresh' theme for his return as Woody. He also highlights the potential for AI to digitally recreate his character using archival dialogue, a concept he finds both 'scary' and indicative of broader artistic and legal challenges for actors' careers.
“Toy Story 5” has made a monumental impact, achieving a franchise record with an astonishing $312 million worldwide opening. This success has inevitably led to speculation regarding a potential “Toy Story 6,” given the enduring popularity of the 31-year-old franchise. However, two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, the voice of Woody, has expressed specific conditions for his return to a sixth installment.
Hanks articulated his stance to Entertainment Weekly, stating, “If you’re gonna do another ‘Toy Story,’ it better be worthwhile. It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title.” He acknowledged the significant corporate business aspect but firmly believes that “unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”
Furthermore, Hanks is acutely aware of Disney’s technological capabilities, suggesting that the studio might not even require his physical participation for a future “Toy Story” film. With 31 years of recorded dialogue, Disney possesses an extensive digital archive of Hanks’ voice as Woody. This data could potentially be leveraged by artificial intelligence (AI) to construct new sentences and bring Woody back for “Toy Story 6” without Hanks’ direct involvement. “Time is undefeated,” Hanks reflected. “The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in ‘Toy Story’ is on digital media somewhere, so they could put together anything they would want.” This notion, described as “a scary thought” by both Hanks and his longtime co-star Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), underscores a broader industry shift.
Hanks delved deeper into the implications of AI and deepfake technology on actors’ careers during an interview on “The Adam Buxton Podcast” in 2023. He recalled observing the emergence of this technology during the production of Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 Christmas movie, “The Polar Express,” where significant personal data, including his likeness, was stored digitally. He noted, “We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character. That has only grown a billion-fold since then and we see it everywhere.”
He elaborated on the profound impact of AI, explaining that it now allows him to conceptualize projects where he could appear as his 32-year-old self. Hanks posited, “Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on.” He highlighted that without a fundamental understanding of AI and deepfake technology, audiences may be unable to distinguish digitally generated performances from genuine ones, acknowledging both the “artistic challenge” and the significant “legal one” that this presents. As these discussions unfold, “Toy Story 5” continues its run in theaters nationwide.