If you predicted that the adventures of Woody and Buzz were over after 2010’s Best Picture Oscar nominee “Toy Story 3”, you are surely regretting it now. The announcement that John Lasseter will return to direct “Toy Story 4” (due out in June 2017) stunned many, and delighted even more. The screenplay, co-written by “Parks and Recreation”‘s Rashida Jones, is reportedly a love story.
Fans seem to be split on the news. Many are thrilled they’ll get to see more of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex, Hamm, Bonnie and the rest of the gang. But others, including those who thought “Toy Story 3” ended perfectly, and those fed-up with Pixar’s “obsession” with sequels and prequels, believe this decision is a complete mistake.
This week on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, Tim Allen talked a little about “TS4”. But his main focus was on the challenges in dealing with Tom Hanks voicing Woody. Allen stated that most of his lines as Buzz Lightyear are basically “Watch out, Woody!” He joked that, because of his two Academy Awards, Hawks gets all the great monologues. However, Allen takes pride in the fact that Buzz outsells Woody in the action figure world.
Good news: we don’t have to wait 2 1/2 years for a new “Toy Story” story. Following the success of last year’s Halloween treat, “Toy Story of Terror”, a post-Christmas-themed “Toy Story That Time Forgot” premieres this Tuesday, December 2nd at 8pm on ABC. The plot sounds a little confusing, and the TV promos don’t give away much. Let’s hope this special lives-up to the very high standards of the franchise. Not one of the feature films, shorts or TV specials has disappointed us yet.