As a long-time admirer of Pixar’s magical storytelling and groundbreaking animation, I find myself utterly captivated by the fascinating journey of Toy Story – from its humble beginnings as a short film idea to becoming one of the most beloved franchises in cinema history. The tales of Woody, Buzz, and their toy pals serve not only as an ode to childhood nostalgia but also as a testament to the relentless spirit, creativity, and determination that drive the brilliant minds behind Pixar.
Nearly 30 years later, fans still have a friend in Sheriff Woody.
Indeed, the timeless animated film titled “Toy Story” was first shown on November 22, 1995. This groundbreaking movie introduced audiences to a band of toys, with the iconic cowboy character voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, the advanced space ranger character brought to life by Tim Allen‘s voice.
Initially, nobody anticipated that the Pixar movie, pioneering as it was with complete computer-generated visuals, would achieve such a tremendous success. However, it ended up being the second highest-earning film of the year, raking in an impressive $373 million globally.
Four years after its release, Toy Story 2 amassed a global box office revenue of $500 million, followed by Toy Story 3 in 2010 and Toy Story 4 in 2019, each surpassing the billion-dollar mark globally. Interestingly, the third installment in the series received Oscars for Best Animated Film, Best Original Screenplay, and was even nominated for Best Picture – a significant achievement rarely seen in animated films.
Following the launch of the “Lightyear” spin-off in 2022, featuring Chris Evans lending his voice to the astronaut character, Disney is demonstrating that there’s plenty of life left in these playthings by confirming that a fifth installment of “Toy Story” is on its way, scheduled for release in June 2026.
Moreover, it’s been established that Woody and Buzz can carry the franchise with numerous sequels, but Hanks and Allen believe that the most moving scene so far was found in Toy Story 3.
According to Hanks, as everyone was getting closer to an imminent fiery demise in the movie’s finale, they didn’t shrink back in fear – instead, they reached out to one another. It was as if even the toys, symbolizing love, were extending a hand to the people they cared about, whispering, “I’m here with you, and you matter to me.
Speaking from a place of empathy and wisdom, I find myself echoing Allen’s sentiments: “Just like Forky teaches us in the film, remember that you are not discardable waste; you hold value for someone. The tale it tells is truly heartwarming.
Just as there’s always more than meets the eye with Andy’s toys, let these intriguing facts about the Toy Story universe whisk you away on a journey that knows no bounds!
The movie, Toy Story, originally drew inspiration from the Academy Award-winning short film, Tin Toy. In this story, a toy named Tinny found himself in a situation where he hesitantly allowed a baby to interact with him so that the baby wouldn’t cry.
2. Initially intended to be the main character, Tinny was considered too outdated by the filmmakers. As a result, they transformed him into a military action figure, and later introduced the astronaut aspect as well.
Initially, the character’s name changed from Tinny to Lunar Larry, then Tempus From Morph, before eventually becoming Buzz Lightyear. This transformation was influenced by the renowned astronaut Buzz Aldrin, as detailed in the 2008 book “The Pixar Touch” by David A. Price.
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3. It may surprise you, but in the original storyline, Woody the doll was not the hero we know today; instead, he was portrayed as a cruel ventriloquist dummy who mistreated other toys. Screenwriter Joss Whedon described him as “a real jerk” to Entertainment Weekly.
4. Tom Hanks was undeniably the top pick to lend his voice to the character, Woody. Interestingly enough, his brother, Jim Hanks, provided the voice for Woody in video games and related merchandise.
5. Initially, the movie creators envisioned Billy Crystal as Buzz Lightyear, but the popular comedian declined the role. This choice, which he admitted later as his sole professional regret, was one he chose not to take.
After Crystal stepped down, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Jim Carrey were among those considered before Tim Allen, famous for his hit TV series “Home Improvement,” eventually landed the role. This was partially because Chase was one of Allen’s inspirations.)
7. Since neither Hanks nor Allen had experience with voice acting before, they decided to record the scenes for Woody and Buzz simultaneously.
8. To enhance a lackluster script, The Avengers director Whedon contributed crucial elements, such as inventing Rex and transforming Buzz’s character entirely. This change made the once aware and jovial toy completely unaware that he was merely a toy.
9. Renowned for his powerful female characters (he indeed created ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’), Whedon attempted to include Barbie as a savior in the movie alongside the two male lead toys, but Mattel declined this request, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
10. Interestingly, Pixar contemplated turning the animated film into a musical. However, as the author pointed out, “A musical wouldn’t have worked well because it’s a buddy movie.” The characters in this story are reluctant to express their feelings, let alone burst into song. Characters like Woody can’t perform an ‘I want’ number. He’s cynical and self-centered, struggling with self-discovery. Buddy movies revolve around suppressing emotions, expressing anger through physical means like fist bumps, “I hate you” moments. They’re not about openly displaying feelings.
11. At first, when the studio considered making a sequel to Toy Story 2, they initially thought it would be a direct-to-video release since most animators were busy with A Bug’s Life at that time. However, it eventually received a remarkable 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
12. While creating the sequel, disaster struck in 1998 when a team member unintentionally deleted all the project files. Just as it seemed all was lost, another colleague spotted the issue at the last moment. However, 90% of the film was already erased and the original back-ups were missing. Fortunately, Galyn Susman, the supervising technical director, had saved backup files at her home since she’d been working from home more frequently due to a recent childbirth.
13. In my expertise, the creation of Toy Story 2 was an incredibly intense process, particularly due to a last-minute revamp of nearly the entire film. This intensity took a toll on many animators, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome, strains, and unfortunately, by the time the film was finished, a full third of the team had developed some form of repetitive stress injury, as revealed by Ed Catmull, President of Pixar, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
14. Prior to Disney purchasing Pixar, a different animation studio named Circle 7 had devised a unique plot for Toy Story 3. In this version, when Buzz started malfunctioning, Andy’s mother intended to return the toy to Taiwan for repairs as part of a recall. Woody and the other toys then embarked on a journey to Taiwan to rescue Buzz, who was interacting with other recalled toys from various parts of the world. However, after Disney took over Pixar in 2006 and dissolved Circle 7, the movie’s storyline underwent significant changes.
15. Jim Varney passed away not long after Toy Story 2 was released, causing Blake Clark to step in as the voice actor for Slinky Dog in Toy Story 3. Producers expressed their enthusiasm when they discovered that the two actors were actually good friends.
In a statement, director Lee Unkrich shared that the performer, Blake, has been acquainted with him for a long time. He mentioned that during recording sessions, Blake seems to embody the essence of his friend, Jim Varney, and has done an outstanding job preserving that unique character.
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2024-11-22 11:18