Spoilers ahead for the teaser trailer of Toy Story 3.
A wonderful attendee of the D23 Expo was able to quote Pixar guru John Lasseter on the state of Toy Story 3 in relation to the other entries in the franchise. Lasseter revealed that while there was always interest in making another sequel, the quality to be matched was a daunting task:
“When we were getting started on this project, a bunch of us – Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Jeff Pigeon, Lee Unkrich, myself and some others – went on retreat in Northern California. We went back to the cabin where we had broken the story for the original Toy Story. That place has good mojo.
But before we got started, we sat down and watched Toy Story 1 & 2. And then we got depressed, because we realized that those two are really good movies. And we then wondered how we were ever going to top them.”
While the source is much more spoiler happy of the final plot we’re to see in Toy Story 3, what’s of real interest is the teaser trailer that audiences will be seeing in theaters:
“[The trailer shows] Woody and the gang at Sunnyside Daycare. Where life among the toddlers looks like something out of Lord of the Flies. In the short scenes that we get to see in the trailer, Buzz and Co. get absolutely brutalized by these 3-year-olds. Which is why they decide that “We’re busting out of here.” The only problem is – during their initial escape attempt – the Space Ranger gets severely damaged. To the point that Woody & friends are forced to hit Lightyear’s reset button. Which then puts Buzz into Spanish-speaking mode.
And let me tell you, folks, that – when Buzz is in Spanish-speaking mode – he then becomes this hot-blooded, flamenco-dancing romantic figure prone to grand gestures. Which Jessie (according to a piece of test animation that was screened at the D23 EXPO) winds up being quite taken with. As for the rest of Toy Story 3‘s storyline … Given that the promotional catchphrase for this new Pixar Animation Studios production is “No Toy Gets Left Behind” … Well, we’ll just have to assume that this upcoming release is more of an epic adventure story than the last two Toy Story films.
I could not be more excited to see a third entry in this series, because I know that Pixar wouldn’t dare begin a project unless they knew they had a strong story behind it. As for the “epic adventure” element, I felt that Toy Story 2 upped the ante on the adventure of the first film. If this is the case, we’re in for something big.
More details on Toy Story 3 as they develop. Director Lee Unkrich’s film is slated for June 18th, 2010.
