![]() ![]() Not because they won't watch another one, but because they will. The studio's next two releases will be originals: Onward next March and Docter's own Soul, in June 2020.Īnd given Pixar's unique stature as one of Hollywood's few remaining factories of fresh storytelling capable of reaching mass audiences (its last original, Coco, grossed more than $800 million), some are rooting for Toy Story 4 to – really this time – be Woody's last go-around. Inside Out and Up director Pete Docter, who has a story credit and is an executive producer on Toy Story 4, last year took over as Pixar's chief creative officer. In 2017, Rashida Jones departed Toy Story 4, which she was helping to write, and said then that the company had "a culture where women and people of colour do not have an equal creative voice." Former Pixar chief John Lasseter, who directed the first two Toy Story films, exited the company last year after acknowledging "missteps" in his behaviour with female staff members. Lately, things have been changing at Pixar, and not just because of a recent preponderance of sequels including Finding Dory, Cars 3 and Incredibles 2. In his 2014 book Creativity, Inc., Pixar co- founder Ed Catmull called quality "the best business plan" and suggested sequels can lead to "creative bankruptcy". Since its groundbreaking first feature, 1995's Toy Story (the first full-length computer generated animated movie), Pixar has, for much of its existence, eschewed repetition for originality. Sequels have always been a somewhat touchy subject for Pixar. "It really should be called Toy Story: Forky," said Tom Hanks. Pixar, at least, hasn't shied away from where this Toy Story fits in, even if its lead actor would have gone a different direction. The Fast and the Furious series understandably chose to title its upcoming instalment Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbes and Shaw over its almost shocking actual numerical value: Fast & Furious 9. It's become standard business for franchises to slowly abandon the numbers that might too bluntly remind fans of their lengthy runs. Things have been changing at Pixar, and not just because of a recent preponderance of sequels. When Forky goes missing on a family road trip, the resulting adventure forces Woody to confront the possibility of not only post-Andy life, but post-kid life. She names him Forky, a neurotic character voiced by Tony Hale. But Woody slips into another existential crisis of self-worth when Bonnie favours other toys, especially one she quickly crafted herself out of a spork and some kindergarten trash. Though many reviewers have questioned its necessity, the film rates 99 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.ĭirected by veteran Pixar animator and first-time feature filmmaker Josh Cooley, Toy Story 4 finds Woody and the gang now settled in with Bonnie. ![]() Quality control is too high at Pixar to give us a Toy Story sequel on par with, say, Jaws: The Revenge, or something that we collectively pretend never existed, like Godfather 3. It would be an unfair Buzz kill to call Toy Story 4 simply a blatant cash grab. We're at a point where three is no longer the magic number. "It's very reflective of where we are today with sequels and continuing sagas. "Audiences might not actually need Toy Story 4 but theatres desperately need it," said Bock. The box office has recently slumped about 7 per cent below last year, partly due to a string of disappointing returns for badly reviewed (or just plain bad) sequels: Dark Phoenix, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Men in Black: International.Īs Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations notes, it's difficult for any studio, even Disney, to leave $1 billion on the table. The Walt Disney release will break a spell of underperforming sequels. Toy Story 4, which opens this week, is widely expected to make about $150 million over the weekend and gross close to $1 billion over its worldwide run, just like Toy Story 3 did.Īnd, for some, Woody is again coming to rescue. ![]() ![]() It's probably a fool's errand to wish for prudence from a corporate-made, multi-billion dollar property that was, from the outset, designed to sell as many toys as it jerked tears. It's probably a fool's errand to wish for prudence from a corporate-made, multi-billion dollar property. ![]()
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