Global Disney Pinvestigation: Pinvestigation: The Toy Story Trilogy

Released on November 24, 1999, Toy Story 2, is the sequel to the popular 1995 hit movie, Toy Story. Toy Story 2 was not originally intended for release in theaters. Disney asked Pixar to make a direct-to-video sequel for the original Toy Story with a 60 minute running time. When Disney executives saw how impressive the in-work imagery for the sequel was, they decided to create a theatrical movie, and the plot was reworked to be more epic and cinematic in scope and the duration of the movie was extended to just over 90 minutes. Some animators got repetitive stress injuries rushing to complete the film, which taught the Pixar managers to arrange breaks between each project from then on.

Pixar and Disney had a five-film co-production deal and Pixar felt that with its change in status, Toy Story 2 should count as one of the pictures in the deal. Disney felt that since the production of Toy Story 2 was negotiated outside of the five-picture deal, it should not count. This issue became a particularly sore spot for Pixar, leading to a falling out between Pixar CEO Steve Jobs and Disney CEO Michael Eisner, concluding in Pixar's 2004 announcement that it would not extend its deal with Disney and would instead seek other distribution partners. However, with Eisner's departure and Pixar's ultimate purchase by Disney by 2006, as well as Jobs now holding a seat within Disney's board of directors, these problems have been overcome.

In this film:

Woody prepares to go to summer camp with Andy for the weekend, but Andy accidentally rips his arm while playing with his toys before leaving, forcing him to be placed on a shelf and stay behind. There he discovers that Andy's mother is having a yard sale, to where she takes a fellow shelved toy, an old rubber penguin with a broken squeaker named Wheezy, to be sold. Woody sneaks down to the yard sale with the help of Andy's pet dog Buster and saves Wheezy, but is accidentally left outside and found by an enthusiastic toy collector, who ends up stealing him when Andy's mother refuses to sell him. Buzz chases after the collector's car as he drives away, but quickly loses him. Judging from the collector's appearance, as well as the car's license plate reading "LZTYBRN" and a giant white feather that fell from the trunk, Buzz and the other toys determine that the thief is Al McWhiggin, owner of Al's Toy Barn. Buzz recruits Slinky Dog, Mr. Potato Head, Rex and Hamm to go out and save Woody before Andy returns.

In Al's apartment, Woody discovers that he is a valuable collectible based on Woody's Roundup, a popular children's TV show from the 1950s, and meets three other toys from the franchise: Jessie, his yodeling cowgirl sidekick; Bullseye, his trusted horse companion; and Stinky Pete the Prospector, who is in mint condition inside his unopened box. With Woody's inclusion and his collection complete, Al plans to sell his Woody's Roundup merchandise to a toy museum in Tokyo, Japan. The three other toys are excited about the trip, but Woody, still being Andy's toy, wishes to return home, though putting himself at odds with Jessie, who fears going back into storage. Woody's arm is then fixed by a repairman, and he makes plans to escape and return to Andy once again. Stinky Pete asks Woody to talk to Jessie, who reveals that she too was once owned and loved by a child, a girl named Emily, until she was forgotten and given away as Emily grew up. Realizing he cannot stop Andy from one day doing the same to him, Woody warms up to the idea of going to the museum and decides to stay.

Meanwhile, Buzz and the other toys reach the Al's Toy Barn store across the street from Al's apartment. Shortly after splitting up with the other toys, Buzz encounters a newer Buzz Lightyear action figure who believes himself to be a real space ranger, much like Buzz had before. The two Buzzes fight, but the new Buzz overpowers Andy's Buzz and ends up being mistakenly taken by the others in their search for Woody. Andy's Buzz chases after the team, inadvertently letting loose an action figure of Emperor Zurg, Buzz's arch-nemesis, who sets out to destroy him. Buzz catches up with the others as they find Woody and attempt to take him back home, but Woody refuses to go. Buzz vehemently reminds him that he is a toy, as Woody once told Buzz, and that toys are meant to be played with by children. Woody soon returns to his senses and convinces Jessie and Bullseye to come with him to become Andy's toys, but Stinky Pete, seeing the museum trip as his only chance to be remembered since he was never sold, breaks out of his box and separates Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye from the others.

Al packs up Woody with the rest of the merchandise and drives off to the airport to ship them. While trying to catch up to Woody and Al, Buzz and the team encounter Emperor Zurg, who fights with the newer Buzz and is defeated by Rex. Buzz and the team then carjack a Pizza Planet delivery truck and chase Al to the airport while the newer Buzz remains behind to keep Zurg occupied. In the baggage-handling area of the airport, Stinky Pete fights Buzz and Woody, tearing Woody's arm again, but is defeated and stuffed in the backpack of a little girl who scribbles on the faces of her toys. Jessie ends up being boarded on the airplane for Japan, but Woody, Buzz, and Bullseye manage to save her just before the plane lifts off. The toys return home just before Andy comes back from camp and await his return. Andy takes in Jessie and Bullseye as his new toys and fixes Woody's arm with extra stuffing the following morning. The toys also learn that Al's business and mood have sharply declined due to his failure to sell and deliver the merchandise to the museum. As the new toys become accustomed to having a new owner, Woody and Buzz accept the fact that Andy will eventually grow up, but they will still have each other.

Let’s begin with various Movie Posters for the film, these first couple not only introduce two new characters, Jessie and Bullseye, but also kind of give a glimpse at the story where Woody is a ‘television star’ and the posters are like ‘head shots’.

These next movie posters are a couple international posters for the opening of the film, featuring Rex, Hamm, and Mr. Potato Head.

Here are some storyboard concepts of various scenes from Pixar.

For this film story creators had to make a backstory, and not just a small one, but a big and extensive backstory for Woody, the story was that Woody used to star in a big TV star with his cast members, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. With his stardom came many pieces of merchandise.