Pixar is breaking with tradition. “Toy Story 5” has been rated PG, marking the first time in the franchise’s history that an instalment has received anything other than a G. From “Toy Story” through “Toy Story 4,” every film carried a G rating—the brand has long stood as one of the most family-friendly IPs in modern animation.
The shift to PG could open the door to darker, more complex storytelling—or at least one can hope. Perhaps more intense moments, although given the furnace climax in “Toy Story 3,” it’s actually surprising that film somehow managed to retain a G rating.
I’ll admit I’ve heard very positive things about this sequel, which is set to release on June 19 and will no doubt flirt with the billion-dollar mark. Even Puck’s Matt Belloni has mentioned, on multiple occasions, that he’s heard the film is great. Here’s hoping it’s an improvement over the last instalment, which felt like business as usual—in the worst sense of the term.