The team behind Toy Story 5 took extra steps to keep a major music surprise from reaching the public too early.
At a recent industry event, a member of the film’s production team said an original Taylor Swift song was protected through an unusual screening strategy. Early versions of the movie shown to select audiences reportedly used a decoy cut that did not include the track.
The song, titled I Knew It, I Knew You, was created after Swift received an early look at the film. Only a small group of people involved in the project knew about the collaboration, which helped keep the news contained until the official reveal.
The track is connected to Jessie, one of the franchise’s familiar characters, and adds a new music moment to the animated series. Toy Story 5 brings back well-known figures from the earlier films while introducing new elements to the story.
The secrecy around the song shows how carefully major entertainment projects manage high-profile collaborations before release.