Toy Story 5 Producer Lays Out Why Film Is The First In The Series To Be Rated 'PG'

The fifth instalment in the Toy Story series is currently the biggest film in the world, winning widespread praise from critics, pulling in big money at the box office and starting topical conversations about young people’s use of tech.

But what you might not have realised is that Toy Story 5 is the first in the saga to receive a “PG” rating on both sides of the Atlantic.

Past iterations of Toy Story have been rated “U” (for universal) in the UK and “G” (for general audiences) in the US, meaning they’re suitable for audiences of any age.

Toy Story 5, however, has been given a “PG” label, meaning – according to the British Board Of Film Classification – that it should “generally not unsettle a child aged around eight, although parents and caregivers should be aware that some scenes may be unsuitable for more sensitive children”.

At the movie’s premiere, producer Lindsey Collins was asked by ABC’s On The Red Carpet why Toy Story 5 had been given a slightly more severe classification than its predecessors.

“I think it’s because the stakes are very human,” she offered. “And I think that’s a first for Toy Story, that the stakes are human.”

According to the BBFC’s website, Toy Story 5’s PG rating is due to “mild bad language” and “rude humour”.

This is most likely down to the introduction of a new character, Smarty Pants, a potty training device voiced by US comedian Conan O’Brien.

Because of the nature of Smarty Pants’ character, he often communicates using differing forms of toilet humour, which will have also contributed to Toy Story 5’s PG rating.

As for its more “human” stakes, voice actor Tom Hanks previously shared that the fifth movie featured “one of the most heartbreaking scenes” he’d “ever seen” in a Toy Story film, exploring themes of cyberbullying.

Toy Story 5 is in cinemas now.