Toy Story is the film that made Pixar a household name. The studio had worked on projects for years before the film was released, with most of its work concentrated on creating shorts and commercials. It has been quite some time since the film was available to watch on the big screen, but you will have another chance soon as a marathon of all four films will play the night before the film’s official release date.
About a decade ago, when 3D was hitting its stride, a decision was made to release Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D as a double feature. It was also a way to remind audiences of why the franchise was so special, as Toy Story 3 would be arriving in theaters less than a year later. Now, on the eve of the release of Toy Story 4, we will once again be revisiting these popular films to capture the excitement of the iconic characters headed back to the big screen. Except this time, you won’t have to wait months between films – you can watch them all, back to back, to back, to back.
Disney announced that, in addition to the usual “preview screenings” that occur the night before the scheduled release date1, you can catch a Toy Story marathon in select theaters. It looks like a few theater chains will be showing the marathon, including AMC, Regal, and Century. Although tickets have officially gone on sale, it looks like all of the theaters that will be playing the marathon have not yet released tickets.
We already know that the first three Toy Story films are incredible. Together, they easily comprise one of the greatest trilogies of all time. The franchise has a good track record, so we have high hopes that this next film will be following in its predecessors’ footsteps. If Toy Story 4 does, indeed, turn out to be as wonderful as the previous films, the marathon could be one of the best “8-ish” hours ever spent in a theater. And if it doesn’t, well, you will still be getting a rare opportunity to see amazing classics grace the big screen once more. Who knows the next time that you will get that chance again?
For those attending the marathon, there will be some extra goodies in store. Here is the description of the perks, as provided by Disney:
“Toy Story 4” Movie Marathons take moviegoers on a “Toy Story” extravaganza on Thursday, June 20, showing all four “Toy Story” films back to back. In addition to seeing Buzz, Woody and all their Toy Story friends on the big screen, fans will receive an exclusive Woody pin, a set of collectible character cards and get a special event-only concession offer.
While we don’t have an idea of what the character cards will look like at this time, we do have a peek of the “exclusive Woody pin,” as it was tweeted out by AMC:
We’re getting the crew back together! Join us for the @toystory Movie Marathon (at select locations) on June 20. Watch them all and get an oversized collectible card set, a Woody pin and $5 cameo combo.
Get Tickets: https://t.co/TXTl5vSpWc. pic.twitter.com/hJaM5O0SSD
— AMC Theatres (@AMCTheatres) May 28, 2019
For those of you who may not have the stamina to sit through a third of your day at the movie theater, there will be special “fan events,” with just Toy Story 4 screening an hour prior to “regular preview screenings:
Opening Night Fan Events will invite fans to be among the first to experience the movie on Thursday, June 20. In addition to watching the film early, attendees will receive a set of “Toy Story 4” collectible character cards and be a special event-only concession offer.
Be one of the first to see @toystory 4 at our opening night fan event on June 20. Attendees will receive an oversized collectible card set and enjoy a $5 cameo combo. Get your tickets today!
Tickets: https://t.co/4iK1TA3kE6. pic.twitter.com/uK2AFJZDs1
— AMC Theatres (@AMCTheatres) May 28, 2019
It sounds like the only difference in the perks between these two types of screenings is that the Woody pin will be solely for those who watch the marathon. Watch three (maybe four) instantly iconic films and get some swag along the way? That will no doubt appeal to enthusiasts! If you find available tickets, you may not want to wait too long, especially for the marathon – there will be a limited number of showings and tickets have a decent chance at selling out.
Keep checking Fandango for more information on screenings near you.
- This has become normal practice, with studios getting a few precious extra screenings when calculating their opening weekend box office. For big franchises, like Marvel films or Star Wars, these preview nights equal big bucks. ↩
