We got to see so many things on our visit to Pixar Studios and the “set” of Toy Story 4. The guides took us through the making of the Toy Story 4 with the animators, and creators. We also go a look at the history of the Toy Story franchise. Director Josh Cooley was among several guest speakers, and we saw the first 20 minutes of the new film! There were so many new things to talk about, so we decided to put the most interesting facts in a list. Here is a quick rundown of the 20 fun facts we learned from the Toy Story 4 set visit.
- The Pixar team started working on the first Toy Story movie is 1995. That’s 24 years ago.
- There have been 9 movies created between Toy Story 3 in 2010, and Toy Story 4 in 2019. Can you name them all? (Prove it in the comments section.)
- The original idea for Buzz Lightyear was a little man named Lunar Larry. He had a black and red suit and was a short guy with a huge head. The original Woody was also different from the one we know. He was an actual ventriloquist’s dummy in the original mockups.
AND BEYOND – Buzz Lightyear is back on the big screen in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” joining Woody and the whole gang on an eye-opening road trip that takes them to unexpected places, including a carnival. Featuring Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - There were several rejected titles for the first Toy Story movie. One of those titles was Toys in the Hood. (We are so happy someone shut that title down.)
- The new character Forky is a spork stuck in clay with googly eyes, pipe cleaner arms, wax mouth, and popsicle stick feet. He is from the trash, but Bonnie makes him a toy. So, Woody and the gang must convince the little guy that he is NOT trash, but a toy that is loved.
THREE-IN-ONE – He’s not a fork. He’s not a spoon. And most of all, Forky is not a toy! At least that’s what he thinks. Bonnie created him from an assortment of supplies Woody’s retrieved from the kindergarten trash can. So, it’s no wonder Forky feels strongly that he’s trash and not a toy. Featuring Tony Hale as the voice of Forky, Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - The new villain is another old toy. (What is it about Woody and older toys?) Gabby Gabby and her creepy partner Benson are dolls from circa 1950. They totally have that Boomer generation attitude, which is why Gabby Gabby has her eyes set on Woody — for parts!
ANIMATION – To create a sequence in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” the animation team works with the suggested layout and recorded dialogue to create the physical and emotional character performances. This sequence shows just how ominous Gabby Gabby and Benson are when Woody meets them for the first time. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - Uma Thurman’s character in Kill Bill was an inspiration for Bo Peep’s new look.
- In the Toy Story world, it has been 9 years since Woody has seen Bo.
- This film will have more aesthetic details than any other Toy Story. An example is the animated scenes of a tarnished, dusty antique store that is Gabby Gabby’s lair. The place actually looks like it’s a live action set in this film. The carnival scenes are another example of the places where animators created imperfections for detail and authenticity.
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS – Artists created detailed sets in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” because their main characters are toys—details are important as they showcase the small size of the toys and their unique world perspective. In these images set in a carnival game booth, artists and technicians were able to illustrate the mobile nature of carnival booths, adding details like slight bends and welding detail in the metal grid near Buzz Lightyear. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - A lot of Easter eggs were planted throughout this film. Look for a Dogs Playing Poker picture that contains the pups from Up. A record player in the antique mall has an album from Chalupa Records by El Son de La Cruz. These details are from the film Coco. There are so many more so be on the lookout when you see the film.
- The teams went to great lengths to ensure that they had realistic details for the film. Graphic Art Director Craig Foster and his team created a full manual for Gabby Gabby. It may not appear in the film but served as a part of the graphics created for the film.
FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES — In Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” the toys find themselves in the dusty shadows of Second Chance Antiques—a massive set that had to be stocked with thousands of objects, creating nooks and crannies that serve as the toys’ secret corridors. Featuring Annie Potts, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jordan Peele, and Keegan-Michael Key as the voices of Bo Peep, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bunny and Ducky, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - Jordan Peele and Michael Keegan Key play two stuffed animals in a carnival scene. They are new toys that we hope will join the team. Duke Caboom, voiced by Keanu Reeves is another hilarious addition to the series.
- Bo Peep rides around in a remote-control car that is covered in a skunk pelt (probably of the stuffed toy variety). She travels with her sheep and new toy Giggles McDimples, a Polly Pocket policewoman voiced by Ally Maki.
- It took a team of 30 people to build and animate the carnival scenes where we meet Key and Peele.
TOY STORY 4 – Concept art of Giggles McDimples by Celine You. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - Pixar animators created a special program to make webs for the various spaces in this film. They created their own coding “spiders” that spun the animated webs.
- Rosy Cole, a Pixar set modeler, drew from personal experience in creating the antique mall where Woody encounters Gabby Gabby. Cole’s family owned an antique store when she was growing up. She used memories of that store in creating the set. It’s another reason the mall feels so authentic.
- Disney Pixar has an archive that is hidden on the property and secured by cameras and big doors. You can’t bring in things like extra bags or pens that might ruin the art. The place holds everything created by and used by the Pixar teams since the first Toy Story.
Toy Story 4 (Pictured): Pixar Archives tour with Juliet Roth (Senior Historian) on April 3, 2019. Photo by Marc Flores. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - The archives were started when someone ventured to ask, should we be saving this stuff, as they worked on the first Toy Story film. They started collecting drafts and models, saving them in a room. Soon the archives were created and expanded to a climate controlled building.
- Inside the archives, there are the original contraption animators used to figure out the movements for the green army men. The men’s feet are attached to a plastic board. To mimic that, so animators glued sneakers to a board and took turns walking in them to get a feel for the movement. Fortunately, someone saved it and it’s now in the archives.
Toy Story 4 (Pictured): Pixar Archives tour with Juliet Roth (Senior Historian) on April 3, 2019. Photo by Marc Flores. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. - Other discarded titles for the original Toy Story film include: Hand-Me-Down Heroes, Has Been Hero, and I’m No Dummy. We are so happy they landed on Toy Story.
Check out Toy Story 4 in theaters everywhere June 21, 2019.
