The main responsibilities eventually cut three ways: Lasseter would focus on modelling and lighting, Unkrich on editorial and layout, and co-writer Ash Brannon on development, story and animation. However, as the project developed, many at Pixar weren't happy with how Toy Story 2 was coming together. Pixar animation CEO Steve Jobs officially announced the shift from small screen to big in February 1998.
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Lasseter had initially been taken up with duties on A Bug's Life upon completion of that movie, he was able to give his full attention to Toy Story 2, albeit with the help of Lee Unkrich (later of Toy Story 3 and Coco fame), whom he elevated to the role of co-director. They re-assessed Toy Story 2's potential and said it was worthy of a big screen release, which put the entirety of Pixar's team under the kosh. This occurred in November 1997, when Disney executives Roth and Peter Schneider, unhappy with the slow progress of the movie, were invited to review footage from the movie.
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However, the pressure was on when the project was elevated from relatively lowly straight-to-video movie to imminent theatrical release with serious marketing potential.
The creative team on Toy Story 2 was initially siloed, supervised by Lasseter who sought creative tweaks that would uphold the usual standard of Pixar animation. The nature of Pixar's involvement in the project was initially unclear, as the animators were pre-occupied with the making of 1998's A Bug's Life. However, the production of the film turned out to be especially difficult, even by Pixar standards, which are often accelerated into production. And so I started wondering, what was it like from a toy's point of view to be collected?" Because toys are manufactured, put on this Earth, to be played with by a child. And I was sitting there saying 'Oh no, that's uh, you can't play with that one, oh no, play with this one, oh no.' and I found myself just sitting there looking at myself and laughing. Well, I have five sons, and when they were little and they loved to come to daddy's work, and come in into daddy's office and they just want to touch and play with everything.
"I'm a big toy collector and a lot of them are like antiques, or one-of-a-kind toys, or prototypes the toy makers have given me. "The story of Toy Story 2 is based a lot on my own experience," Lasseter explained. It was initially unclear if stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would return however, they eventually signed on, as did the original film's director John Lasseter, who, as a self-avowed collector of classic toys, sought to fashion the narrative around his personal experiences. However, in 1995, then Disney chairman Joe Roth envisaged Toy Story 2 as a direct-to-video movie, spurred on by the commercial success of Return of Jafar, the 1994 small-screen follow-up to 1992's blockbuster Aladdin. The film was catapulted to Oscar-winning success and instantly became a classic, setting Pixar on course to become one of the world's dominant animation studios. Toy Story had dazzled not just because of its technical prowess, but the elemental beauty of its premise, riffing on the bond with toys that everyone around the world has felt at some stage in their childhood. A Toy Story sequel was first mentioned a month after the release of the studio's 1995 masterpiece, one that opened the world's eyes to the possibilities of feature-length CGI animation. It's remarkable to think that Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 2 was never originally destined for the big screen. Meanwhile, Buzz and the rest of Woody's friends leave Andy's house to launch a rescue. While there, Woody is informed of his substantial monetary value as a toy, and must decide whether to stay or return to the gang. But their friendship is tested to the limit when Woody falls into the hands of an unscrupulous toy collector, and locked inside a city centre apartment. They've learned to live in harmony in owner Andy's room alongside the rest of his beloved toys. What's the story of Toy Story 2?Ĭowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks) and space ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) are now firm friends. To celebrate the release of Disney-Pixar's Onward and Soul in 2020, we're taking you on a nostalgia-fuelled journey through the studio's classic films.