Toy Story — 4 2015

So, here is to the 2015 version that never was. We don't miss you.

Instead of a Woody/Buzz road trip, we got Forky . Instead of a simple love story, we got an exploration of what it means to be "lost." Thank goodness the 2015 version died in the vault. toy story 4 2015

While waiting from 2015 to 2019 felt like an eternity, that delay saved the franchise. The Toy Story 4 we eventually got was weird, philosophical, and gave Woody the best ending possible. If we had gotten the rushed 2015 "rom-com," we might be talking about Toy Story 4 the way we talk about The Godfather Part III . So, here is to the 2015 version that never was

Yes, you read that correctly. In 2015, the plan was a road-trip rom-com between Woody and Bo. Fans were furious. The prevailing sentiment on Reddit and Twitter was: "Did we wait 5 years for a date movie?" In the summer of 2015, a tiny, terrifying detail emerged. John Ratzenberger—the legendary voice actor who has appeared in every single Pixar film (Hamm the Piggy Bank)—was not immediately invited back. Instead of a simple love story, we got

Let’s wind the clock back to 2015 and look at the Toy Story 4 that never was. In 2015, Pixar veteran John Lasseter was at the helm. During a press junket, he dropped a hint that sent shockwaves through the fandom. He described the fourth installment not as a survival adventure (like Toy Story 2 ) or an existential drama (like Toy Story 3 ), but as a romantic comedy .

The pitch? The story would focus on Woody and Bo Peep searching for Buzz Lightyear after he gets lost on the road.

But in 2015, the rumor mill was spinning out of control. We thought we knew what was coming. We were very, very wrong.