I remember… a long time ago when Disney’s Hollywood Studios was still named Disney-MGM Studios, when Disney-MGM Studios still had the animators in the Magic Of Disney Animation, when the Animation Tour was just that, an Animation Tour, not a Mushu show then interactive play area and character meet and greets. This was all in the late 1990s/early 2000s. You might be asking yourself, why are we blogging about a memory? Well here’s the answer, THAT is how long today’s feature, Toy Story 3, has been in planning. I remember when the Animation Tour was still the Animation Tour, and we sat in the room to watch an animator draw a character (now where the Upcoming Movie Preview area is), and he told us that Toy Story 3 was green lit and coming soon (at the time early 2000s). Now it is Summer 2010 and it is FINALLY coming out. So you might be asking, “Why so long??”. We have the answer!
According to the terms of Pixar's revised deal with Disney, all characters created by Pixar for their films were owned by Disney. Furthermore, Disney retains the rights to make sequels to any Pixar film, though Pixar retained the right of first refusal to work on these sequels. But in 2004, when the contentious negotiations between the two companies made a split appear likely, Disney Chairman at the time Michael Eisner put in motion plans to produce Toy Story 3 at a new Disney studio, Circle 7 Animation. Tim Allen indicated a willingness to return even if Pixar was not on board.
Jim Herzfeld wrote a script for Circle 7's version of the film. It focused on the other toys shipping a malfunctioning Buzz to Taiwan, where he was built, believing that he will be fixed there. While searching on the Internet, they find out that many more Buzz Lightyear toys are malfunctioning around the world and the company has issued a massive recall. Fearing Buzz's destruction, a group of Andy's toys (Woody, Rex, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Jessie, and Bullseye) venture to rescue Buzz. At the same time Buzz meets other toys from around the world that were once loved but have now been recalled.
In January 2006, Disney bought Pixar in a deal that put Pixar chiefs Edwin Catmull and John Lasseter in charge of all Disney Animation. Shortly thereafter, Circle 7 Animation was shut down and its version of Toy Story 3 was shelved. The following month, Disney CEO Robert Iger confirmed that Disney was in the process of transferring the production to Pixar. John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Lee Unkrich visited the house where they first pitched Toy Story and came up with the story for the film over a weekend. Stanton then wrote a treatment. On February 8, 2007, Catmull announced Toy Story 2's co-director, Lee Unkrich, as the sole director of the film instead of John Lasseter, and Michael Arndt as Screenwriter. The release date was moved to 2010.
Instead of sending Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and John Ratzenberger scripts for their consideration in reprising their roles, a complete story reel of the film was shown to the actors in a theater. The reel was made up of moving storyboards with pre-recorded voices, sound effects, and music. At the conclusion of the preview, the actors signed on to the film.
The film's first teaser trailer was released with the Disney Digital 3-D version of the film Up on May 29, 2009. On October 2, 2009 Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were re-released as a double feature in Disney Digital 3-D. The first full-length trailer was attached as an exclusive sneak peek and a first footage to the Toy Story double feature, on October 12, 2009. A second teaser was released on February 10, 2010, followed by a second full-length trailer on February 11 and appeared in 3D showings of Alice in Wonderland. On March 23, 2010, Toy Story was released on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack which included a small feature of "The Story of Toy Story 3". Also, Toy Story 2 was released on that day in the same format which had a small feature on the "Characters of Toy Story 3". On May 11, 2010, both films had a DVD-only re-release which contained the features.
Mattel Thinkway Toys and Lego are among those who will make toys to promote the film. Disney Interactive Studios has also produced a video game based on the film which is to be released June 15 2010. Toy Story 3 was featured in Apple's iPhone OS 4 Event on 7 June 2010, with Steve Jobs demoing a Toy Story 3 themed iAd written in HTML5.
Pixar designed a commercial for a toy, Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, and formatted it to look like it came from an old VCR recording. The recording was altered with distorted sound, noise along the bottom of the screen, and flickering video, all designed to make it look like a converted recording from the 1980s. A Japanese version of the commercial was also released online.
*******NOTICE SPOLIERS AHEAD*******
In this film,Several of Andy's other toys (such as Bo Peep, RC, and Wheezy) are revealed to have been sold or thrown away years after Toy Story 2 and appear via archive footage of Andy playing with them.
Here is the basic plot of the film (not officially confirmed, so could have a few minor issues):
Andy, who is now 18 years old is just three days away from heading off to college and his remaining toys, including Woody and Buzz Lightyear, are worried about their uncertain future as many other toys (such as Bo Peep and Wheezy) have been "yard saled" over the years.
Andy plans to only take Woody with him, so he places the others in trash bags to put them up in the attic. His mother sees this trash bag and takes it outside to the curb, not knowing that the toys are inside it. Woody goes to save his friends but it turns out that the toys escaped and are hiding in the back of the Davis' car, thinking Andy has thrown them away. Jessie thinks that the toys should take charge of their own destiny, and convinces them to stow away in a box of other toys headed for donation to Sunnyside Daycare, while Woody attempts to explain to the toys that they were accidentally thrown away. Before they can leave, Andy's mom closes the back door and drives to Sunnyside to donate some old toys.
The gang arrives at Sunnyside just as the children leave for recess,the Sunnyside toys welcome Andy's toys with open arms, including the leader of the daycare, Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (A.K.A. "Lotso"), and a smooth-talking Ken doll, who falls in love with Molly's Barbie doll, and a doll covered in crayon tattoos called Big Baby. The toys are keen on starting a new life at the daycare, except for Woody, who has suspicions about the daycare because of the Chatter Telephone, and also thinks that the toys shouldn't turn their back on Andy so quickly. When the kindergartners play with the toys, Buzz tries to escape from the daycare, and ends up hitting his head ‘knocking’ him out, and when the toys try to reset him, his mode is now in Spanish.
The toys think Woody should stay with them at Sunnyside, but Woody reluctantly leaves to find Andy. Soon Woody escapes from Sunnyside using a kite as a hang glider, but ends up losing his hat and getting stuck on the branch of a tree. Woody is soon taken home by a sweet little girl from Sunnyside named Bonnie, who takes him to meet her own toys, Chuckles the Clown, Mr. Pricklepants, Trixie, Buttercup, Dolly, the Peas-in-a-Pod, and Totoro. As Woody tries to recuperate himself and continue his search for Andy, Chuckles explains to Woody the dangers of Sunnyside.
Chuckles tells Woody that himself, Lotso, and Big Baby were once owned by a loving girl named Daisy. However, one day, she accidentally left them at a roadside stop. They returned to Daisy's house to find that Daisy's parents bought a new Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear for her, leaving Lotso feeling betrayed and hostile towards all toy owners. The toys went to Sunnyside where Lotso and Big Baby quickly rose to power and transformed the daycare into a toy prison for those left there, while Chuckles was taken home by Bonnie. Woody quickly realizes that he must save his friends from the daycare and its head occupants, and get back to Andy before he leaves.
****END OF SPOLIERS****
Now, let’s take a look at the various Movie Posters released for this film, starting with the simple original, to the final one that reveals the most of the story.
Finally, let’s take a look at some of Pixar’s sketches and art from the film and its characters.
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