‘Toy Story 5’ Almost Had An Even More Emotional Ending For Jessie, And Fans Are Torn

‘Toy Story 5’ has been one of the year’s biggest cinematic events, bringing back Jessie, Woody, and Buzz for an emotional new chapter that critics and audiences alike have embraced. The film follows Jessie as she confronts old wounds tied to her original owner, Emily, while helping Bonnie navigate friendship in a tech driven world.

Joan Cusack reprises her role as Jessie, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning as Woody and Buzz, alongside newcomers Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze and Greta Lee as the tablet character Lilypad. The film centers on Jessie ending up in the possession of Blaze, a young girl who happens to live in the same house where Jessie’s original owner, Emily, once resided, stirring up painful memories of being left behind.

Now a new detail about the film’s development has fans buzzing. According to a post from the verified account DiscussingFilm, the original ending of ‘Toy Story 5’ had Emily return as a grandmother and introduce her childhood doll Jessie to her grandbaby, with the account citing SlashFilm as its source. Co-writer and director Kenna Harris confirmed that ‘Toy Story 5’ originally had Jessie crossing paths with Emily entirely by chance.

Harris elaborated on the scrapped sequence, explaining that Emily was now a grandmother and introduced her beloved childhood doll to her grandbaby in a touching climactic sequence. The filmmaker added that they personally sketched the moment while developing the idea, calling it a special and nostalgia filled scene worth exploring before it was ultimately cut.

Despite how moving that version might have been, the creative team chose a different route for Jessie’s resolution. Harris noted that though the film ultimately went in a different direction, the team always knew Jessie’s special connection to Emily would be key to the story. Instead, the final cut has Jessie discovering a buried lunchbox time capsule near the old tire swing, revealing that Emily named her first born daughter Jessie as a quiet tribute to her childhood best friend.

That revelation lands as one of the most talked about moments in the franchise, with audience members reportedly wiping away tears in theaters over the emotional gut punch. The choice to forgo a literal reunion in favor of a symbolic one has sparked plenty of discussion among longtime fans of the series, many of whom are debating which version would have hit harder emotionally.

The film’s box office and critical reception have only added fuel to the conversation. ‘Toy Story 5’ is earning a 93% critics score and a 95% audience score, numbers that suggest Pixar struck the right emotional chord even without the grandmother reunion scene. As for whether Emily could ever make a proper on screen comeback, the door has not been fully closed on future installments.

Would you have preferred seeing Emily return as a grandmother to personally hand Jessie down to her grandbaby, or does the lunchbox reveal hit harder as Jessie’s true moment of closure?