‘Toy Story 4’ delays due to massive rewrites, ‘they threw out three-quarters of it’

Toy Story 4 was originally supposed to arrive in theaters in June of 2017, but it swapped release dates with Cars 3 and moved back a year. But it was delayed again, swapping release dates with Incredibles 2 this time and being reassigned to a June 21, 2019 release date.

One of the key voice actors, actress Annie Potts, who provides the voice of Bo Peep in the Toy Story franchise, spoke in a new interview with Radio Times, explaining the movie’s delay.

“[Toy Story 4] was supposed to come out this year and then they threw out three-quarters of it and rewrote. Usually, it takes – from start to finish – two years. But because they threw most of it in the bin and started over [my time on the project has] been extended a little bit. I’ve done a lot of work on it.”

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack were brought on as writers at the start, but they left the project in 2017. One report indicated that the reason they left was because of the sexual misconduct of John Lasseter,

Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios and original co-director of Toy Story 4. Jones since clarified that the reasons were far more complicated than that, citing “a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice.”

The “Toy Story 4” movie poster unveiled as the D23 Expo

Toy Story 4 was originally supposed to be a love story/romantic comedy between Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Bo Peep, the latter of whom vanished sometime in-between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, apparently lost or sold.

Woody and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) go on a quest to find her, and encounter lots of new characters along the way.

Potts doesn’t speak to details of the new film, but she confirms that she has “a big part” in the new movie, so at least we know Bo Peep factors in considerably.

When asked why Bo Peep wasn’t a main character in Toy Story 3, Lasseter told her he had plans for her character in the future: “That hurt my feelings a little bit. But John explained to me the reason was because they were saving me for 4.”

In 2014, Lasseter went on the record saying, “Toy Story 3 ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another Toy Story movie.”

Josh Cooley, who was going to co-direct alongside Lasseter, became the movie’s sole director with Lasseter’s exit.

Returning actors include Joan Cusack (Jessie), Kristen Schaal (Trixie), Bonnie Hunt (Dolly), Blake Clark (Slinky Dog), and Jeff Garlin (Buttercup). Randy Newman is also returning to compose the soundtrack.

Toy Story 4 film will officially arrive in theaters on June 21, 2019

Pixar claims they’ll stop doing sequels for awhile

John Lasseter: TS4 will have love story, inspired by wife

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