The South African Grammy winner fulfills a years-long Disney dream, joining Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny as global stars contributing to the franchise
Tyla is heading to the toy box. Disney Africa has announced that the South African Grammy-winning singer will voice a new character called Inflatable Flamingo in the Sub-Saharan African edition of Toy Story 5, which hits cinemas June 19. The localized version will be seen in select African countries including Tyla’s home country of South Africa.
The casting is the fulfillment of something Tyla put into the universe herself. In 2023 she posted on X, “Disney, hmu when you free,” adding that she wanted to be a princess. She did not get a princess, but an inflatable pool toy joining the Toy Story gang might be the next best thing. The Inflatable Flamingo is a playful pool toy who befriends Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the crew as they navigate a world where technology increasingly rivals traditional toys.
The film itself centers on a threat the toys have never faced before. When Bonnie receives a frog-shaped tablet called Lilypad as a gift and becomes obsessed, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang find their very purpose challenged. Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, is not a villain in the traditional sense. She is genuinely engaging, endlessly patient, and always available in a way that analog toys simply cannot compete with, forcing the gang to figure out not just how to survive but whether survival on those terms is even worth it.
The returning cast includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Annie Potts as Bo Peep, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Tony Hale as Forky, Blake Clark as Slinky Dog, Bonnie Hunt as Dolly, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom. Among the new additions, Ernie Hudson steps into the role of Combat Carl following the death of Carl Weathers, Krys Marshall voices a parent navigating her child’s obsession with the film’s central tech threat, Conan O’Brien voices a toilet-training tech toy named Smarty Pants, Bad Bunny voices Pizza with Sunglasses.
Tyla joins a star-studded list of global artists contributing to the franchise. Taylor Swift recorded the soundtrack single “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which she performed at the film’s U.S. premiere. The role also marks Tyla’s second animation project, following her 2025 contribution to the Smurfs soundtrack alongside Rihanna and Cardi B.
Toy Story 5 is directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by McKenna Harris, with an original score by Randy Newman. It opens in cinemas June 19.