As the last act of Toy Story 3 played on the big screen, many of us thought we were at the end of the saga that introduced us to memorable toys like Woody, Jessie, Buzz, among (many, many) others. We cried, not only because we thought it could be the last time we may be seeing these lovable characters, but also because that ending hit us like a ton of bricks. Well, I hope you’re stocked up well on tissues, because it sounds like the next film has more where that came from.
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In Toy Story 4, there are a number of additional characters added into the adventure. Bonnie creates a toy out of a spork, names his Forky, and develops a strong attachment to him. Forky, on the other hand, who has just come to life, is confused about his existence. One of the other main storylines involves Bo Peep, who we finally catch up with after we last saw her in Toy Story 2. We learn what she has been up to as she and Woody explore their relationship, which was only teased in earlier films. We will also have plenty of time to spend with the toys we have seen over the last few decades.
Somewhere within this story, especially if you think about the last two Toy Story films, it will get real emotional. We could have assumed that. Still, Tom Hanks, the voice of Woody, has added an exclamation point to that in a recent interview on The Ellen Show. In describing Toy Story 4, Hanks says to Ellen Degeneres1:
“This is the end of the series…”
Later on he adds:
“We’re saying goodbye to Woody and Buzz and Bonnie’s room and Andy and everybody.”
Watch a snippet from the interview below:
It is tough to know whether Hanks is assuming that the story of these toys is coming to an end by looking at the script itself, or whether he has had discussions about this very thing with the Pixar creatives (or both). There were a lot of assumptions about Toy Story 3 being an end, especially because it seemed like an organic end to the storyline and it was the third film, with third films often being viewed as the end of trilogies. Then, another film was made – Toy Story 4. Will this truly be the last feature film with these characters? It is difficult to predict that at this point. Even if the Pixar Brain Trust insisted, at this time, that they would not do another Toy Story film, could they potentially change their minds? Absolutely. I think the more important point here is that, like Toy Story 3, it sounds like this upcoming film will be an emotional one with an ending that may very well destroy you.
As Hanks discussed in the interview, he was texted by Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz Lightyear, about whether he had read the last few pages of the script. Allen warned Hanks about those pages, saying “tough one.” Hanks certainly sounds like he agrees with him, saying, “It was emotional,” referring to his last recording sessions. I am excited, yet I am weary of whether my heart can take another heartbreaking last act. Who am I kidding? I can’t wait to see how much Pixar makes me bawl. I’m crying at the thought already.
- Degeneres, as you know, is the voice of Dory, another memorable Pixar character. It is fascinating to watch two of the biggest Pixar voices interact. ↩
