Today, Pixar announced that Toy Story 4 will hit theatres in June, 2019. Presumably, the movie will follow the continuing adventures of Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the rest of the gang. But will it negate the perfect ending to Toy Story 3 in the process? We have our concerns…
Parents; start saving for overpriced popcorn. Today, Pixar announced the premiere of Toy Story 4 to the world via the following Facebook message:
“Reach for the calendar! Toy Story 4 soars to theatres on June 21, 2019.”
We guess it was only a matter of time before Pixar returned to the Toy Story well. It remains one of the company’s biggest cash cows and is basically a licence to print money. Plus, Toy Story 2 and 3 are arguably more beloved than the original so where’s the harm in having another punt?
For some reason, Pixar sequels just seem to work, both critically and commercially. Indeed, this year’s sequel to Finding Nemo — Finding Dory — is the most financially successful animated movie of all time. A return to old themes and characters does not necessarily translate to a dip in quality.
With that said, the Toy Story franchise feels a bit different to us. The third entry tied everything up in a definitive bittersweet bow — Andy grew up, the toys said their final goodbyes and the adults in the audience wiped back tears to the eternal embarrassment of their children. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy.
But now, the gang is being dusted off for another merry jaunt outside their toy box. We can’t help but feel that the overarching story is being compromised just to make more money. “Well, duh,” you might say. “It’s a commercial property that exists solely to generate profit.”
This is true to an extent. But the entertainment industry is filled with artists who elect to bring stories to their natural conclusion instead of wringing them for every dollar they’re worth.
George Lucas waited over 15 years to make another Star Wars movie. (Most would argue he should have waited longer.) J. K. Rowling refrained from further Potter adventures which would have netted her untold millions. Jerry Seinfeld ended his show when it was at the top of its game. We used to think the creatives at Pixar were cut from the same cloth. Tch.
I’m curious to hear what the rest of you think. Is Toy Story 4 a terrible idea and a betrayal of that perfect ending? Or are you willing to give Pixar the benefit of the doubt? Cast your vote in the poll below.
See also: Has Pixar Still Got It? | Toughen Up Your Kids With These Horrific ‘Family Viewing’ Scenes
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Comments
3 responses to “Why Toy Story 4 Is A Terrible Idea”
“Pixar just announced it is working on Toy Story 4”. If by “just” you mean almost two years ago, sure.
I’ve had two years to adjust to the idea. Toy Story 3 capped off the series perfectly, and it’s a shame they’re squeezing out more after doing so, but meh, every film so far has been pretty damn good, so I can’t be too disappointed in seeing more.
Baah, has star wars taught you NOTHING?
Just do a prequel. That way you can completely milk the franchise for every dollar it’s got; without affecting the original ending.
Besides, the ending wasn’t that neat and final – all it takes is for Andy to come visit that little girl, or to focus on life at the little girl’s house and don’t include Andy in the story (he was only ever a minor character anyway) and you’ve got a story. The toys weren’t split up or anything, there’s no reason you can’t do a story with the next generation of owner.
Hell, by following the toys through generations of owners, this franchise can last as long as Star Wars or James Bond.
They may have just announced the release date but it’s no secret that it was being developed. Tom Hanks has been talking about it for most of this year.