Disney has released the first teaser trailer for Toy Story 4, offering fans a glimpse of what the much-anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed third instalment will look like. After the events of the third film, the beloved toys will embark on an adventure in new owner Bonnie’s room, which involves a new character named Forky.
He’s a spork who has been made into a makeshift toy and now faces an existential crisis. The character will be voiced by Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep). Watch the teaser below:
The sequel has been in development for a while, despite the franchise seemingly going out on the highest of notes with 2010’s Toy Story 3. But the lure of mega-profits was too much, and a fourth film was commissioned in 2014, with then-studio head John Lasseter set to direct from a screenplay penned by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, based on an idea by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton.
However, Jones and McCormack eventually left the project over philosophical differences, and Lasseter exited the director’s chair for a number of well-publicised reasons. This led to the film being delayed from both its 2017 and then 2018 release dates, with Incredibles 2 having to be pushed up a year to fill the void.
The finished version has Inside Out co-writer Josh Cooley making his directorial debut from a screenplay written by Stephany Folsom (Star Wars Resistance). Cooley insisted in a press release that the idea for a fourth film came about organically:
“Like most people, I assumed that ‘Toy Story 3’ was the end of the story. And it was the end of Woody’s story with Andy. But just like in life, every ending is a new beginning. Woody now being in a new room, with new toys, and a new kid, was something we have never seen before. The questions of what that would be like became the beginning of an entertaining story worth exploring”.
He also mentioned the addition of Forky, hinting towards the film’s larger themes:
“The world of ‘Toy Story’ is built upon the idea that everything in the world has a purpose. A toy’s purpose is to be there for its child. But what about toys that are made out of other objects? Forky is a toy that Bonnie made out of a disposable spork, so he’s facing a crisis. He wants to fullfill his purpose as a spork, but now has a new toy purpose thrust upon him”.
We’ll likely soon learn more about Toy Story 4 as we head into 2019. The classic cast all return for the fourth instalment, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack, and the film will hit cinemas (and likely break multiple box office records) on June 21, 2019.
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