Toy Story (franchise)
What is the main theme of the Toy Story franchise?
When was the first Toy Story movie released and why was it significant?
Who are the main characters in the original Toy Story movie?
What is the plot of Toy Story 3?
How did the Toy Story franchise expand beyond movies?
Toy Story (franchise), franchise owned by the Walt Disney Company. The franchise focuses on toys that come to life when humans aren’t around. In 1991 Pixar entered into an agreement with Disney to jointly develop, produce, and distribute three feature-length animated films. Pixar spent much of the next several years working on Toy Story, which opened in movie theaters in 1995. Disney bought Pixar in 2006 and since then has owned all rights to the Toy Story franchise. The 1995 movie made history as the first feature-length film created entirely with CGI (computer-generated imagery). It has been followed by three sequels, a spin-off film, animated series, and video games. Toy lines and amusement park rides based on the franchise have also been released over the years.
The movies
One of the reasons actor Tom Hanks immediately agreed to be the voice of Woody was because, as a child, he wondered whether his toys would come alive when he was not looking.
Toy Story (1995) was directed by John Lasseter. According to Pixar, 114,240 frames of computer animation were made, and 800,000 machine hours were required to render screen content at a maximum rate of 3.5 minutes per week. The plot revolves around the toys of a boy named Andy Davis that come to life, but only when humans aren’t looking. Andy’s favorite toy, a cloth cowboy named Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), is the beloved leader of Andy’s toy pack. But when a space ranger toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), arrives on Andy’s birthday and topples Woody as the new favorite, the good-natured cowboy feels sparks of envy. A jealous Woody conspires against Buzz, but his plan goes awry and both of them end up trapped in the house of the sadistic neighbor Sid, who loves mauling toys. Woody has little choice but to work with Buzz to get back safely to Andy, and, ultimately, they develop a long-lasting camaraderie.
Toy Story was a critical and commercial hit and won many awards, including a special achievement award for Lasseter at the 1996 Academy Awards. Its success led to the second film in the franchise, Toy Story 2 (1999), also directed by Lasseter. In the sequel an obsessive toy collector steals Woody, who discovers that he is an extremely valuable toy from a 1950s TV show called Woody’s Roundup. In fact, the collector has the other toys from Woody’s Roundup and wants to sell the full set to a museum. Although caught up in a moment of fame, Woody realizes that the best place for him is with Andy, among his other toy friends. He then rallies the other toys in the collection to escape, supported by Buzz, who has mounted a rescue mission. Toy Story 2 was even more successful commercially than its predecessor.
The third full-length film in the franchise, Toy Story 3, was directed by Lee Unkrich and released in 2010. The story begins with Andy preparing to go to college and the toys being packed away in the attic. In a twist of plot, they mistakenly land in a day-care center, where unruly children play roughly with the toys and a conniving teddy bear imprisons them. Andy’s toys face dangerous challenges as they eventually find their way back home. Woody arranges for Andy to give his toys to Bonnie, a toddler who cares deeply for her toys, before leaving for college. Toy Story 3 became the first animated film to reach $1 billion at the box office and won two Academy Awards in 2011, best animated feature film and best original song, and was nominated for three other awards, including best picture.
The fourth film in the series, Toy Story 4, was directed by Josh Cooley and released in 2019. Woody goes through a crisis as Bonnie has seemingly outgrown him. Bonnie’s new prized toy is Forky, which she has created from a spork. Trying to find a purpose, and being naturally caring, Woody makes it his mission to protect Forky during a family road trip. During the many adventures on the trip, Woody bumps into an old toy friend, Bo Peep, at a carnival and decides to stay with her. In a touching scene, Woody bids farewell to Buzz and the other toys. Toy Story 4 also grossed over $1 billion and won best animated feature film at the 2020 Academy Awards. A spin-off film, Lightyear, was released in 2022 with Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, but it underperformed at the box office. Toy Story 5 is expected to be released in June 2026.
Other media and products
Short Films in the Toy Story Franchise:
- “Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation” (2011)
- “Toy Story: Small Fry” (2011)
- “Toy Story: Partysaurus Rex” (2012)
- “Toy Story of Terror!” (2013; TV Halloween special)
- “Toy Story That Time Forgot” (2014; TV holiday special)
- “Lamp Life” (2020)
Toy Story Treats, a series of TV shorts that aired from 1996 to 2000, included 54 animations featuring characters from the first film. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins was a 70-minute animated film released in 2000. Forky Asks a Question was a series of 10 short TV films released in 2019 and 2020 about the toy Forky after the events of Toy Story 4.
More than a dozen video games based on the Toy Story characters have been released, starting with Toy Story: The Video Game, released on the Sega Mega Drive, PC, Super NES, and Game Boy platforms in 1995–96. The animations for the games were created by Pixar.
The films have been accompanied by merchandise as well. Initially unsure of the success of the first Toy Story film, both Hasbro and Mattel declined offers from Disney to make toys. Thinkway Toys bet on the opportunity and was soon vindicated when the film became a hit and demand for Woody and Buzz toys shot up. The Toy Story characters and plotlines have also inspired many rides at Disney theme parks around the globe.