The filmmakers behind Toy Story 5 have explained how Taylor Swift came to write an original song for the Pixar sequel. Co-director Kenna Harris and producer Lindsey Collins say the collaboration required patience, after they had initially written off the possibility entirely.
The fifth installment centers on Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), who helps her owner Bonnie manage new friendship challenges after Bonnie receives a tablet device called Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee). The cast also includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and newcomer Conan O’Brien.
Jessie at the center of Toy Story 5
The decision to make Jessie the lead came early. Harris was direct: “Jessie is the head of the room. It’s got to be a story about her.” Producer Andrew Stanton backed that direction from the beginning, and Collins agreed about the emotional territory the character could cover.
Jessie first appeared in Toy Story 2, where the Emily flashback, set to Sarah McLachlan‘s “When She Loved Me”, became one of the most affecting sequences in the franchise. In the three films since, she remained a supporting figure. Giving her a full film means that emotional history becomes the story’s foundation, rather than one scene within a larger narrative.
The Emily storyline that threads through Toy Story 5 came together later in development. Harris said the team worked through different approaches to Jessie’s arc before finding the version that felt right for the character.
Why Taylor Swift almost didn’t join Toy Story 5
When Taylor Swift’s name came up during development, the filmmakers dismissed it quickly. Swift’s Eras Tour was consuming her schedule, and the team saw no realistic path to bringing her on board.
Collins described the thinking that changed their approach: “Alright, what if we just wait and just hold and see?”
They held. When Swift eventually screened an early cut of the film, she agreed to join the project immediately. Collins said Swift arrived with a clear sense of what the song needed to do for Jessie’s character. The lyrics she wrote drew on specific story moments from earlier films in the series, rather than offering a generic ballad about friendship or growing up.
The resulting song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” takes an unusual angle on the story. Swift described the point of view as “a toy running through the blades of grass”, grounding the track in Jessie’s physical experience rather than a broadly emotional ballad.
What the song tells us about the Taylor Swift and Toy Story 5 collaboration
Filmmakers generally have little control over how much an artist engages with source material. Collins’ comments about Swift’s lyrical specificity suggest a closer creative partnership than is typical for a soundtrack contribution.
No previews have confirmed the tone of the finished track, but the framing around Jessie’s past and identity suggests a similar emotional register to “When She Loved Me”.
Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19, 2026.