Now that Toy Story 5 is in theaters, details about what almost was are starting to emerge, and one scrapped ending in particular is already fueling fan conversation.
The Original Ending Revealed
According to SlashFilm, the film’s original ending featured a deeply emotional moment that would have brought the story full circle for Jessie: Emily, Jessie’s original owner from Toy Story 2, was set to return as a grandmother, introducing her childhood doll to her own grandbaby. The reveal comes from co-director and co-writer Kenna Harris in The Art of Toy Story 5 book, where Harris shared her own concept sketch of the reunion. “Emily was now a grandmother and introduced her beloved childhood doll to her grandbaby in a touching climactic sequence,” Harris wrote. “Though the film ultimately went in a different direction, we always knew that Jessie’s special connection to Emily would be key to Toy Story 5.”
Why It Would Have Meant So Much
For longtime fans, that concept carries enormous emotional weight. Jessie’s backstory in Toy Story 2, told through the iconic “When She Loved Me” sequence, is widely considered one of the most heartbreaking moments in Pixar history. Emily grew up and left Jessie behind, and the doll eventually found her way into Woody’s world. The idea of Emily returning decades later as a grandmother, passing Jessie on to a new generation, would have bookended that arc in a profound way.
Why Pixar Changed Direction
Director Andrew Stanton and his team are known for extensive story development and revision, and it is not unusual for Pixar films to go through multiple endings before landing on the final version. The finished film still honors the Jessie and Emily bond, resolving it in a different, keepsake-driven way that has left audiences in tears without putting an older Emily on screen. What made the cut is clearly working: Toy Story 5 earned an A on CinemaScore and holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fan Reaction
The revelation adds an interesting layer to the conversation around the film’s storytelling choices. Whether the Emily ending would have landed better or worse than what is in theaters is a matter of debate, but the fact that Pixar was exploring it suggests just how seriously they took Jessie’s emotional arc in this installment. For more on the film, check out our coverage of Andrew Stanton’s plans for Toy Story 6.
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