Did Disney think we wouldn't notice these rehashed Toy Story Apple Watch animations?

Disney's 2024 D23 conference has bought us a handful of new film and series announcements featuring many of the usual suspects – a selection of recycled live-action remakes and a plague of nostalgia-bait film sequels. Among the ranks was a short teaser trailer for the upcoming Toy Story 5, but fans noticed a strange detail which suggests the new film isn't quite as fresh as Disney is letting on.

From its character design to its foolproof 12 principles of animation, Disney/Pixar has established itself as a pioneer in animated entertainment. That's perhaps why it comes as such a surprise that the studio would recycle old animated assets to promote the upcoming sequel for one of its most beloved film franchises.

Stealing the idea for this from a friend but yeah these are literally just the animations from the watchOS 4 Toy Story Apple Watch face 💀They even look like they've had a back background edited out https://t.co/aGlrI7YgV1 pic.twitter.com/cvk63GuJdSAugust 10, 2024

The short teaser shows iconic characters Woody, Jessie and Buzz standing statically in front of the Toy Story 5 logo. As the nostalgic instrumental of Randy Newman's 'You've Got a Friend in Me' plays in the background, each character pops up to greet us, animated in a style that feels distinctly 'retro' – a bizarre change from the polished ultra-smooth style of the studios more recent animated films.

If you're thinking that they seem familiar, you'd be correct. It turns out the clips are actually recycled Apple Watch face animations. A side-by-side comparison compiled by software developer @DylanMcD8 on X, reveals that the 'new' teaser is a direct rehash of the animated Toy Story watch faces created back in 2017 for the watchOS 4. Am I mad that Disney repurposed old assets? Not particularly. Do I find it odd that Disney didn't feed fans any new Toy Story content? Most definitely. Hey, at least they're being resourceful – at best it does the job.

When is Toy Story 5 coming out?

Toy Story 5 is set to release in summer 2026, but an official release date is yet to be announced. Hopefully, this will give the studio plenty of time to animate some fresh content – if this recycling continues I'll certainly have some strong opinions, but for now, I remain pleasantly bemused by this cheeky little workaround. Remember Disney, the internet never forgets.

For more Disney news, check out these mind-blowing Disney animation secrets that reveal the studio has been reusing its animations since the early days. If you're after more film news, check out the fan response to the Moana 2 poster which proves that Disney fanatics are getting sick of sequels.

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Natalie is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. A recent English Literature graduate, Natalie enjoys covering the lighter side of the news and brings a fresh and fun take to her articles. Outside of work (if she’s not glued to her phone), she loves all things music and enjoys singing sweet folky tunes.