What's Next for Toy Story?

Back in 2010, Pixar delivered the third entry of what is probably their most beloved franchise; the phenomenal Toy Story 3. With a finale that touched the hearts of millions across the globe, many assumed that 3 was also the end of the Toy Story series. After all, it was a pretty beautiful ending.

But a couple of months back, rumors started popping up about a Toy Story 4. Tom Hanks, the voice behind Sheriff Woody, stated in an interview that he believed Pixar was currently working on TS4. Later on, John Lasseter also teased about a fourth installment. Then there's also this video of Tim Allen, AKA Buzz Lightyear, talking about the possibility of a fourth Toy Story film:

So will there be a Toy Story 4? We can't be sure for now, but I'd say the chances of it happening aren't very big. Lee Unkrich (director of TS3) himself stated that they tried to end the series the best they could with the third film, but that they are keeping the characters alive with a series of Toy Story short films; the Toy Story Toons.

So far, two Toy Story Toons have been released; Hawaiian Vacation and Small Fry. Both have been well-received by audiences, and have left fans hungry for more.

Some pretty big news has been dropped this week. Yes folks, we are getting more Toy Story. No, not another feature film, but rather, three new Toons will join the library, along with two original 22-minute long TV specials!

These are likely being worked on at Pixar's satellite studio in Vancouver, which has thus far worked on Air Mater and Small Fry. The TV specials are scheduled for October 2013 and Spring 2014, and will probably air on either ABC or the Disney Channel. Aside from that, we don't know much about these half-hour specials, but expect them to bring the Toy Story characters to life in a remarkable and unique way.

As for the three new shorts, there have been a few rumors flying around about one called Partysaurus Rex. You can tell by the title that Rex would likely be one of the central characters in this short. Also, some tiny bits of plot details regarding this short were spilled by electronic artist BT a while ago. He said:

"I’m in the middle of scoring a film for Pixar right now. It’s a short for Toy Story, and I’m not allowed to say the whole story, but quite literally, it’s like a Toy Story rave, and I’m actually not kidding either. Like, the toys get into all these shenanigans and it’s like pounding club music, this thing. So it’s really not very Pixar, but in like a really hysterical way, everyone laughs so hard when they see it. It’s really exciting to work with those guys."

After reading BT's comments on the short film, I am quite intrigued and eager to see it. While Wikipedia claims that Partysaurus Rex will debut this fall, nothing has been offcially announced by Pixar or Disney. Chances are, however, that this short and possibly the other two will show up on either the Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 2 or on the Brave DVD and Blu-ray.

So there you have it. If you were worried that we wouldn't be seeing much of the Toy Story characters in the future, hopefully your anxieties have been eliminated, because it seems to me that Woody and Buzz aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

(via BigScreen Animation)