Gaddily bob howdy: Toy Story 4 confirmed

Thought Toy Story 3 was the perfect end to a rare trilogy where all three films were excellent quality? Well, like it or not, but Pixar actually is pushing ahead with a fourth film, set for a 2017 release date.

Disney-Pixar’s official twitter broke the news today. As the Disney Insider blog reports, the idea for this film was thought up by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich. The concept proved irresistible to Lasseter, director of Toy Story and Toy Story 2, who insisted that he direct. This will be his first helmed feature for the studio since 2011’s Cars 2.

Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) and Will McCormack have been tapped to write the script. The two previously collaborated on Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012).

Knowing that Lasseter, Docter, Stanton, and Unkrich are behind the project should let us rest assured that it’s in more than capable hands. This is the team that crafted Toy Story in 1995, the first CG animated film, and the ones who saved Toy Story 2 from executive meddling four years later.

Still, there is a lot of skepticism surrounding Toy Story 4. Many feel that the third film ended with the perfect amount of closure and that a fourth film is simply overdoing it. Each of the Toy Story shorts and specials have done an excellent job of expanding the adventures of Andy’s toys since they’ve been passed down to Bonnie. "Toy Story of Terror" introduced us to endearing and memorable characters like Combat Carl and gave Jessie more time in the spotlight, even earning praise for depicting her anxiety in a sensitive and respectful manner. The upcoming "Toy Story that Time Forgot" is sure to make us fall in love with the Battlesaur dinosaur toys.

Rebecca Keegan of The LA Times sat down with Lasseter where more details emerged.

Lasseter told The Times that "Toy Story 4" will be a love story and will
pick up where "Toy Story 3" left off, when Woody, Buzz Lightyear and
the rest of the series’ toy chest of characters were handed down to a
little girl named Bonnie.

The love story angle certainly is enough to pique interest since we don’t know which characters will be involved. Lasseter also made a point to emphasize that Pixar’s sequels, like all of their films, are a result of passion, not money. Many will prefer to sneer at this statement no doubt, but considering Lasseter’s genuineness is often vouched for, it might be better to assume that he’s driven by art and not profit.

Time will only tell if Toy Story 4 can surpass expectations. Will you be there to see it on June 16, 2017?