Toy Story 4 (2019)
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- During the filming of Toy Story 4, the director famously rewrote the ending on the fly after seeing the incredible chemistry between the lead actors on set.
- Despite a very rocky opening weekend, Toy Story 4 went on to gross over 5x its initial budget thanks purely to incredible audience word-of-mouth.
Toy Story 4 is a 2019 American animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Josh Cooley. The film follows Woody after Andy has given his toys to a young girl named Bonnie, in whose room Woody finds himself sidelined β no longer a child's favorite but one toy among many. When Bonnie creates Forky, a spork-craft-project-turned-sentient-toy voiced by Tony Hale who constantly tries to throw himself in the trash because he believes he's garbage, Woody takes it upon himself to keep Forky safe during a family road trip.
The journey brings Woody to an antique store where he reunites with Bo Peep, voiced by Annie Potts, who has been living as a "lost toy" for years and has transformed from a fragile porcelain figure into a confident, independent adventurer. Toy Story 4's existence was controversial even before its release β Toy Story 3 had provided what most considered a perfect ending to the trilogy, and many questioned whether a fourth film was necessary or merely commercial. The finished film justified its existence by asking a question the trilogy hadn't addressed: what happens when a toy's purpose β being there for a child β is no longer enough?
Woody's final decision to leave Bonnie and stay with Bo Peep was a radical, bittersweet conclusion that prioritized the character's emotional truth over franchise expectations. Keanu Reeves voiced Duke Caboom, a Canadian stunt-action figure, in a scene-stealing performance. Toy Story 4 earned $1.07 billion worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
