How 'Toy Story 3' Almost Didn't Get Made - Disney & Pixar's Secret War
Disney And Pixar's Rocky Road to 'Toy Story 3'
"Toy Story 3" is officially turning fifteen!
However, the Tom Hanks and Tim Allen-starring string of films almost missed becoming a trilogy ... at least under Pixar's creative vision.
In honor of the feature's fifteenth anniversary, we're taking a look back at what made the Pixar-produced film series so special and enduring for fans both old and new ... and examining the studio's fighting behind the scenes before the third installment's debut in 2010.
Toy Story 1 and 2 Impact At The Box Office
The original flick in the "Toy Story" franchise premiered in 1995 and broke new ground for cinema, as it was the very first film completely animated on computers.
The movie introduced generations of fans to characters like Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Bo Peep, and it became an instant hit with fans ... grossing nearly $245 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
The feature was followed up with a sequel, "Toy Story 2," which debuted in 1999 with an expanded cast that showcased the talents of performers like Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer.
"Toy Story 2" also proved to be a smash-hit at the box office, as it earned nearly half-a-billion dollars worldwide during its big-screen run.
Development Delays
Although many fans of the series wanted to see another update in the saga of Woody and Buzz, a feud between Pixar and Disney started in the mid-2000s ... which halted the development of the third installment in the series.
The spat started when the House of Mouse claimed a second sequel to the film wouldn't count toward its multi-picture contract with Pixar, and the two briefly parted ways.
Disney subsequently began developing its own "Toy Story" film without Pixar's involvement -- and the co-director of "Toy Story 2," Lee Unkrich, told Entertainment Weekly the missed opportunity was a "bitter pill to swallow."
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner went so far as to commission an in-house computer animation department, Circle Seven, to make up for the loss of Pixar's services.
The potential film would have seen the series' leads tasked with rescuing Buzz following his accidental shipment to a Taiwanese toy factory in the proposed plot.
However, Disney went on to buy Pixar outright in 2005, and the plans for an installment with their in-house animation department were scrapped.
Unkrich also admitted Pixar's team "really didn’t want to know anything about" the concept that had been developed without them.
Circle Seven Animation -- which had also been working on sequels to projects like "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc." -- was shut down in 2006.
'Toy Story 3' Finally Makes Its Debut
Development on "Toy Story 3" began in earnest in the late aughts, with series regulars Hanks and Allen signing on to reprise their longtime roles early in the production process.
Stars like Michael Keaton and Ned Beatty were brought in to flesh out the cast of the film, which retained many of its other veteran cast members, such as Don Rickles and Wallace Shawn.
"Toy Story 3" followed the cast of characters as they dealt with being accidentally delivered to a children's day care center after their longtime owner, Andy, left for college.
Unkrich went on to tell NPR the film's team felt it was "vital to have Andy grown up" and to have the character "transition" away from needing his toys.
The movie was met with widespread approval from both critics and fans following its premiere in 2010 ... and it ended up taking home Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
"Toy Story 3" also made quite the impact at theaters, as the movie earned over a billion dollars worldwide during its release, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film was briefly the highest-grossing animated film of all time -- until "Frozen" claimed that title in 2014 ... and even that movie's gross was eventually beaten.
Disney And Pixar Look To The Future
While fans were left reeling following Andy's departure from the "Toy Story" franchise, a fourth film in the series secretly entered development before the third movie had been released.
The project was eventually confirmed in the mid-2010s, and performers like Keanu Reeves and Jordan Peele signed on to voice new characters.
"Toy Story 4" was received well by critics upon its release in 2019, and it earned just a bit more than its predecessor at the box office.
Although moviegoers were unsure about the future of the series after the end of the fourth movie, it was confirmed in 2023 that Woody and Buzz would be back for a fifth film.
There's going to be a little bit of a wait for fans, though -- "Toy Story 5" is currently scheduled to premiere in 2026.