We’ve known for a while that Toy Story 4** is on the way, and that John Lasseter is back directing alongside**Inside Out’**s Josh Cooley. Even the fact that Rashida Jones and Will McCormack are scripting the film – Pixar’s first stab at a Toy Story romantic comedy – has gotten out. Lasseter took the stage at D23 to fill in a few more details.
Mentioning that some of the main original Toy Story team (Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich) had sworn not to make a new film unless a really good story struck them, one that was worthy to follow the trilogy. The very idea popped into their heads during a meeting for a different film. So Lasseter and Stanton started working out the concept (without telling anyone else at the studio, or Disney), with Stanton writing a treatment.
"I'm going to bring out the director," joked Lasseter, who had been acting as MC for the D23 animation presentation. "Hi," he continued, "I'm John Lasseter. I love being chief creative officer and executive producing and working with all these incredible filmmakers. But you know what? I love directing. So I'm coming back." Lasseter then brought out Cooley and producer Galyn Susman, a Pixar veteran who began her career at the company working on the original** Toy Story** on the lighting team.
The team is likewise a blend of old and new from the company, with some who worked on the original trilogy alongside newer members of the creative departments. "We have the old characters back and some great new characters we'll tell you about in the future," said Lasseter. "We're so proud of Toy Story," he continued, before talking up the sequels. And about the new one? "What we did not realise while we were making the films is that each of the movies is a different genre. And in Toy Story 4 it's a genre we've never done in that world, a love story. It's a love story between Woody and Bo Peep. Bo returns for Toy Story 4, as Woody and Buzz Lightyear head out into the world to find her. It's very special and a very personal story for me, because it's inspired by my wife, Nancy." Cue the 'awwws' from the crowd.
With one last nod, Lasseter brought out Randy Newman to play 'You've Got A Friend In Me' as dancers dressed as Army Men dropped from the rafters to perform a routine with other characters and people with t-shirt cannons fired a D23-exclusive versions of Lasseter's trademark Hawaiian character-filled shirts into the audience. As for the film itself, Toy Story 4 will be with us on July 14, 2017.