Nearly thirty years after the original Toy Story first introduced audiences to Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the generation who grew up with the franchise are now parents themselves, and with Toy Story 5 now playing in cinemas across the UK, ODEON is inviting families to pass the Toy Story magic on. This weekend (27 and 28 June), ODEON Cinemas is launching “Play Them Forward” a nationwide toy donation initiative fronted by Jim Hanks, Tom Hanks’ brother and the man who has voiced Woody on pull-string toys, games and merchandise since 1994. New research reveals nearly half a billion unused toys are sitting in UK homes right now. “Play Them Forward” gives families the moment and the place to do something about it.
The campaign runs this weekend across 32 participating ODEON locations. Families are invited to drop a pre-loved toy in good condition at a clearly marked collection point in the cinema foyer. All toys are collected, assessed and given a new home through a network of approved delivery partners (including Toys4Life, Help for Kids, Make Do and Grow, Daisy Chain Project, The Toy Library, East Belfast Mission) who are helping to facilitate our toy drive across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Fronting the toy collection initiative is Jim Hanks, Tom Hanks’ brother and the man who has been the voice inside every Woody pull-string toy, game and piece of merchandise since 1994. The role was recommended to him personally by Tom, and Jim has been doing it ever since.
Jim comments: “The very first thing I ever voiced as Woody was a pull-string toy – ‘You’re my favourite deputy,’ ‘There’s a snake in my boot.’ A lot of parents have told me about their kids carrying Woody everywhere. A big part of Toy Story has been about what happens when something once treasured gets left behind, and I believe well-loved toys deserve to be passed on to another kid who will love it. Play Them Forward gives the loved toys somewhere to go that actually means something. I’m exceedingly proud to be part of it.”
The initiative was inspired by new research from ODEON exploring the UK’s relationship with its toys, including attitudes towards passing toys on and giving them a second life. The Forgotten Toy Study reveals nearly half a billion unused toys are currently sitting in homes across the country – equivalent to nine toys per household.
Furthermore:
- More than half (51%) say they would be likely to donate a toy on a cinema trip
- A third (33%) say the toys their children have outgrown hold memories too precious to let go
- Almost half (45%) of UK adults still own a toy from their own childhood
- 87% agree that donating toys is better for the environment than throwing them away
- 51% of UK adults say they would be likely to donate a toy as part of a family activity such as a cinema trip; rising to 72% among Millennials
- 28% have thrown toys away because donating felt too inconvenient – Play Them Forward removes that barrier
“Toy Story has always been about love, imagination and what happens when something once treasured gets left behind. But our research shows that millions of toys are sitting unused in homes across the UK. With this in mind, the aim of the Play Them Forward campaign was to turn that emotional connection into something meaningful for families across the UK. This campaign is about nostalgia, community and giving toys a new story to be part of,” said Suzie Welch, Managing Director of ODEON UKI.
ODEON hopes the campaign will not only create a meaningful impact, but also reinforce the role cinemas can play in bringing communities together beyond the screen. Play Them Forward is part of a wider pan-European campaign running across ODEON Cinemas Group markets including Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Norway throughout summer and autumn 2026. Collection points are live in participating cinema foyers this weekend only.
For more information about Play Them Forward, visit www.ODEON.co.uk/Play-Them-Forward
