The Walt Disney Company is absolutely on a roll. On the eve of 2015’s forthcoming 20th anniversary of Pixar Animation Studios’ groundbreaking TOY STORY, production on Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 4 has been announced. Original TOY STORY director John Lasseter (now head of Disney’s Animation operations) will be back at the helm (he also did the first sequel) of the film, “which opens a new chapter in the lives of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the TOY STORY gang,” and is being prepped for release on June 16, 2017.
TOY STORY 4 was was dreamt up by Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich. Writing team Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (who recently penned CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER, in which Jones also starred) have joined the project, and Pixar vet Galyn Susman (ABC’s Toy Story OF TERROR! and TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT) is producing.
“We love these characters so much; they are like family to us. We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before. TOY STORY 3 ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another TOY STORY movie. But when Andrew, Pete, Lee and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.”
– John Lasseter –
Stay tuned for more on TOY STORY 4 in the months and years ahead, right here on THE ROCK FATHER…
Pictured Top: Director John Lasseter works with members of his story team on Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 4. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
