Woody and Jessie in Toy Story 2
The toys will likely come back to life for a fourth episode of the all-ages franchise.
Thanks to the last-minute hand-me-down to young Bonnie at the end of Toy Story 3, Woody, Buzz and friends found their second life. And Pixar left the door open for another film.
But if three’s a crowd, what does four make? To Pixar, the answer is simple: lots of money. The animation company realizes they’ve started nothing short of a historic franchise. So why not keep the cash flowing in?
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And even the actors are rallying behind another installment. In an interview with the BBC, Tom Hanks shed some light on the next issue in the series. “I think there will be, yeah,” he said hesitantly. “I think they’re working on it now.” But he revealed to newsmagazine Showbiz Tonight that he wasn’t a lock for the movie. “I understand it’s happening and if it is, I hope they’ll hire me,” Hanks said. We see why he’d want the job. After all, the first three films shattered countless box office records.
The original Toy Story was the highest grossing film of 1995, pulling in $153 million in just six weeks to eclipse every other film that year. Toy Story 2 opened during the uber-competitive Thanksgiving weekend in 1999 and still holds the record for the highest-grossing Turkey Day film, pulling in $80 million in the 5-day span. And Toy Story 3 eclipsed all of its older siblings, currently holding the record for the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, having pulled in just over $1 billion in the year since its release.
So, a fourth film? With the profits only ramping up each time Woody and the gang take the silver screen, there should be no question for Pixar. The real question is: How old will the original viewers have to get for the nostalgia to wear off?