Billionaire pop star Taylor Swift will release an original song for “Toy Story 5,” the forthcoming installment in the multi-billion dollar grossing movie franchise, confirming weeks of rumors and hints with what could be a contender for songwriting awards during Oscars season, if history is any indication.
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Key Facts
- Swift will release “I Knew It, I Knew You,” on Friday, the singer announced on social media Monday afternoon.
- Swift said on Instagram she penned the song for “Toy Story 5,” which opens in theaters on June 19, after watching an early screening, saying she “fell instantly in love” with the movie.
- The song is performed by Swift and written and produced by herself and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff.
Could This Be Taylor Swift’s Oscars Breakthrough?
In addition to being major box office winners, the “Toy Story” movies are perennial nominees at the Academy Awards, and each of the four “Toy Story” films have notched a nomination for the Oscar for Best Original Song—a category Swift could be eligible for in the coming awards season. An Oscar is one award that has so far eluded Swift, already a 14-time Grammy Award winner and an Emmy Award winner, who has already penned songs for movies including “Eyes Open” for “The Hunger Games” (2012) and “Carolina” for “Where The Crawdads Sing” (2022), but has never been nominated. Swift’s last major bid for an Oscar was in 2022, when “Carolina” made the cut for the Oscars shortlist but was not nominated, and her short film for her song “All Too Well” failed to make the shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Swift is no stranger to the Oscars campaign trail—while promoting “All Too Well,” she held screenings at the Toronto and Tribeca film festivals and appeared on Variety’s “Directors on Directors” series in conversation with Martin McDonagh, who that year directed the Oscar-nominated “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
Crucial Quote
A news release from Disney on Monday afternoon said Swift’s song is inspired by the cowgirl character Jessie, and it “marks a return to Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.”
Key Background
Fans had speculated for weeks that Swift may be involved in “Toy Story 5.” In April, a 48-hour countdown clock briefly appeared on her website in front of a blue sky and clouds some fans said resembled the art style of “Toy Story.” The countdown quickly disappeared from her website, and neither Swift nor her team ever acknowledged what the countdown was for. Rumors intensified last week when billboards bearing clouds and the letters “TS”—the same initials as both Taylor Swift and “Toy Story”—appeared in cities nationwide.
Forbes Valuation
Swift is worth $2 billion, according to Forbes estimates. Swift became a billionaire in October 2023 in the midst of her record-shattering “Eras Tour,” becoming the first person to make the billionaire ranks based solely on the value of her songs and performances. Swift’s net worth is composed of about $1 billion in wealth amassed from royalties and touring, a music catalog worth $900 million and about $100 million in real estate.
Tangent
Adding to the star power in “Toy Story 5,” Pixar announced last week Bad Bunny will appear in the film as the character “Pizza with Sunglasses.”
Big Number
$150 million. That’s how much Deadline projected “Toy Story 5” will gross from North American theaters in its opening weekend, which would be a franchise-best and the biggest opening weekend of 2026 so far. The four “Toy Story” movies and 2022 spinoff “Lightyear” have grossed more than $3.2 billion worldwide.
This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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