| Toys To Life 3 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise |
| Produced by | Christopher Woodrow |
| Screenplay by | Robert L. Baird |
| Story by | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts Linda Woolverton |
| Starring | Owen Laramore Ella Anderson Dove Cameron Will Arnett Idina Menzel Catherine O'Hara Drew Barrymore James Corden Bill Hader Doug Jones Zachery Ty Bryan Austin St. John Taylor Swift |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Edited by | David Ian Salter |
| Production company |
Dice Animation Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date | March 6, 2026 (United States and United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75 million |
| Box office | $550 million |
Toys To Life 3 is a 2026 American computer-animated comedy drama film produced by Dice Animation Cartoons and released by Paramount Pictures. The sequel to 2023's Toys To Life 2 and the third film in the Toys To Life franchise, it was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird. Owen Laramore, Ella Anderson, Dove Cameron, Will Arnett, Idina Menzel, Catherine O'Hara, Drew Barrymore, and James Corden reprise their roles from the previous films with new additions including Bill Hader, Doug Jones, Zachery Ty Bryan, Austin St. John, and Taylor Swift.
Toys To Life 3 was released theatrically in the United States and the United Kingdom on March 6, 2026, as the last installment in the Toys To Life franchise to have the involvement of Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $550 million worldwide against its $75 million budget. A sequel, Toys To Life 4, was released on March 17, 2029.
Plot
One year after the events of the second film, King John Playskool and Queen Claire X. Venable have gotten married and are expecting a baby. John's daughter, Rebecca begins to feel neglected by her family. One day, John meets a Spring Launchers bouncy ball hair toy named Springall and welcomes him into the family. However, Springall has teratophobia due to being pursued by his longtime enemy, an intergalactic warrior named Bot Mayhem. Bot arrives later, proving he does exist, and kidnaps Springall along with Rebecca, Claire, Ian the lion, Tina the train, Ouch the pillow penguin, Ribbit the frog, and Robone the robotic dog.
John sets out to save Claire, Rebecca, Springall, and the troopers. He almost collides with an asteroid, but is saved in time by an astronaut named Mr. Ranger. John and Mr. Ranger approach Mr. Ranger's headquarters. Mr. Ranger agrees to help John. Rebecca, Claire, Springall, and the troopers are taken to the X-Star System, a place ruled by Bot's boss, a shapeshifter named Garlin Goodman. Garlin Goodman attempts to convince Claire and the troopers to join him, but they refuse. Outraged, Garlin Goodman tries to cage them, but they escape and reunite with John, and the headquarters is wrecked in the process. Zen, a female leopard and Garlin Goodman's lieutenant, joins John, Rebecca, Claire, Mr. Ranger, Springall, Ian, Tina, Ouch, Ribbit, and Robone after she is left for dead by Garlin Goodman and Bot, who are plotting to get revenge.
The ship approaches a planet where it suddenly runs out of fuel, and they crash. While trying to get back to Garlin Goodman, Zen is chased by Ian, which leads to the group discovering they landed in Turnaround Dwarf Planet, which they can use to return to Toytown. John coordinates a plan to steal Bot's airplane and the toys are able to create a diversion. Upon finding out that Zen has not killed the toys, Garlin Goodman berates her as being a disappointment and allows Bot to replace her, betraying her. As the toys steal the bad guys' plane, Ian successfully convinces Zen to leave the X-Star system and join them so she can live a better life. Zen slows Garlin Goodman down so the toys can escape. Garlin Goodman swears revenge, and the bad guys cage Zen and fly to Toytown on another plane.
During their travel home, the baby is born, and John and Claire name her "100". After escaping a pack of sea monsters, the toys make it to Toytown, only to find out that Garlin Goodman and Bot have gotten there first and taken other toys hostage. In exchange for his friends' freedom, John makes an agreement with Garlin Goodman to turn himself in to him. However, Garlin Goodman reneges on the deal, but Springall distracts him long enough for John, Rebbeca, Claire, and his troopers to free their friends. An angered Garlin Goodman attempts to kill John, but John defeats Garlin Goodman and Bot in a final duet. Springall finally accepts Toytown as his new home, having conquered his teratophobia. Zen joins the family and becomes a couple with Ian. Mr. Ranger returns to his headquarters, and 100 is welcomed to Toytown.
Cast
- Owen Laramore as John Playskool, a blue snowboarder action figure who is a tour guide at the Toytown Museum, the king of Toytown, and Claire's husband.
- Dove Cameron as Claire X. Venable, a former Jungle Girl character who is the queen of Toytown and John's wife.
- Will Arnett as Ian, a lion and one of John's troopers.
- Idina Menzel as Tina, a train and one of John's troopers.
- Catherine O'Hara as Ouch, a pillow-sized penguin and one of John;s troopers.
- Drew Barrymore as Ribbit, a frog and one of John's troopers.
- James Corden as Robone, a robotic dog and one of John's troopers.
- Bill Hader as Springall, a Spring Launchers bouncy ball hair toy who suffers from an existential crisis as he is being pursued by the X-Star System.
- Doug Jones as Garlin Goodman, a shapeshifter and the ruler of the X-Star System.
- Zachery Ty Bryan as Bot Mayhem, an intergalactic warrior who is on the hunt for Springall under Garlin Goodman's orders.
- Austin St. John as Mr. Ranger, a galactic galaxy defender who John befriends on his quest.
- Taylor Swift as Zen, a leopard who serves as Garlin Goodman's lieutenant until John and his friends rescue her.
- Brooklynn Prince and Ana Ortiz as Little Spence and Mamo, two Tonka trucks who are mother and daughter.
- Sarah Vowell as Mousey, a elephant plush and Little Spence's best friend who is the size of a mouse.
- Warwick Davis as Ken, a colorful worm made out of snap beads who is an inventor.
- The Red Monkeys:
- Joesph Gordon-Levitt as Ronald
- Jim Cummings as Krasinski
- Benedict Wong as Brad
- Frank Welker as Creeko
- Jodie Whittaker as Anji, a Christmas ornament who is a teacher.
Reception
Box office
Toys To Life 3 premiered on March 6, 2026, and was projected to gross anywhere around $35 million in its opening weekend. It has grossed over $244 million in North America and $306 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $550 million. Produced on a $75 million budget, the film grossed more than its predecessors.
Critical response
Toys To Life 3 received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 43% approval rating based on 210 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Toys To Life 3 improves over its predecessor with more funny moments of charm and slapstick, but its story feels like it came off the intergalactic course". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 49 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.