Yesterday during a conference call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger dropped a bombshell: Toy Story 4 is officially under development, with original Toy Story director John Lasseter returning to helm the next installment. The concept for the film’s story comes from the minds of Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Lee Unkrich, who D23 points out have been “the driving force behind all three Toy Story films.”
In a brief statement, Lasseter expressed his enthusiasm to return to the world of Toy Story:
“We love these characters so much; they are like family to us,” Lasseter said. “We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before. 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. But when Andrew, Pete, Lee, and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.”
Nothing else is known about the plot of Toy Story 4, and things will likely stay that way for awhile. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack will write the screenplay, and it stands to reason that the original voice cast will be back to reprise their roles. While some may feel that Disney and Pixar are going back to the well with this one, it’s worth noting that the studio boasts plenty of successful films that don’t have Toy Story in the title, and with Lasseter himself at the helm, this feels more like a genuine passion project, rather than an easy cash-in.
Toy Story 4 will hit theaters on June 16, 2017.