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What to expect in Toy Story 3 (hints: new characters, adult themes!)
You know animator Angus MacLane's work even though he's not one of the Pixar marquee stars like John Lasseter or Brad Bird: MacLane lent his talents to WALL-E, for which he accepted the film's Saturn Award on Wednesday. He also directed the short BURN-E, which appears on the DVD. He got his start at Pixar while Toy Story 2 was in the pipeline, and he's currently working on Toy Story 3 animation. Since he and Pixar got their start with the franchise, he says the third film represents their adulthood.
"I feel like we've grown up making these movies, and each of the films represents where the filmmakers were at the time of making the films," MacLane said in an exclusive interview in Burbank, Calif. "Certainly we're approaching this film 10 years later, so I think we're sort of coming at it from the standpoint of [Andy] has grown up, and we've grown up with these toys, and we have a reverence for them, but we also have different things as a priority."
Lee Unkrich takes the directing lead on a story dealing with Andy's going off to college. The prospect of Andy's outgrowing Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody was first raised in Toy Story 2. So what is a Toy Story with Andy basically grown up?
"I think that's a question we've tried to figure out ourselves," MacLane said. "I can tell you Andy's room is in the movie. That's about all I can say." Whether it's the Andy's room we know or Andy's teenage room, MacLane would not tell.
With a specialty in character movement and motion, which brought many of WALL-E's silent sequences to life, MacLane has had a chance to introduce new toys into the Toy Story world. "Oh, I've had a lot of fun with new characters," he said. "I've spent a lot of the time on the show on new characters. That's one of the things I did work on on this film, was a lot of preproduction and developing on the new characters, just help out getting them ready to go for the film." On Toy Story 2, MacLane was in charge of the "crazy" Buzz Lightyear, fresh out of the box at the toy store, still thinking he's a real space ranger.
MacLane assured fans that he and his Pixar colleagues take Toy Story 3 seriously. They would not make a cheap knock-off sequel (ahem, Disney). And he said the new installment will mark the true conclusion of a trilogy.
"Toy Story 2 was one of the first films I did starting at Pixar, so I feel a real kinship with the characters, specifically Buzz Lightyear," MacLane said. "So I really wanted to get back in there and animate. To give you a sense of the responsibility they feel, there was a T-shirt made in the story department. The back of the T-shirt said, 'Franchise Guardian.' It's not something we do lightly. We go back into that mythology with the intent to continue a story that needs to be told, a story that we believe in and a story that, to be really honest, having seen the movie, is amazing. I'm not worried about it, but in finishing it, we want to make sure it's the best film it can be, and it's fit to stand alongside the other films on the shelf."
Toy Story 3 is due in theaters in 2010.
By Reptilefan at 12:01 PM ON 06/26/09
WTF I think pixar should leave the series alone and end it at 2
By dmbarlow at 12:14 PM ON 06/26/09
I disagree with Reptilefan. I remember this franchise from my childhood, and from what I read in the article, especially the last two paragraphs before the 'due in theaters' sentence, they will do their best to continue the spirit of the franchise in this last film. That alone sells the third installment for me. I've seen enough cheap sequels -- I want to see a real effort.
By Gurth at 12:16 PM ON 06/26/09
@Reptilefan
Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this since TS2 came out! I love the first two and I'm sure the third will be just as good.
By Shaun at 12:20 PM ON 06/26/09
unlike the simpsons (where nothing changes - no one ages), this movie will show the passage of time. i find this exciting! i am looking forward to the final film!
By Nush at 1:01 PM ON 06/26/09
From what I understand, Disney acutally holds the rights to Toy Story and they are the ones pushing for a 3rd movie. Pixar chose to make the sequel to make sure it was done properly. I'm grateful that Pixar has the reigns on this one otherwise we would have ended up with another lame Disney sequel to a beloved classic.
By bob at 1:03 PM ON 06/26/09
wait, let me guess, it's andy's grown up room, theres a funny scene where they're stuck in a box under the bed, the bed starts squeaking, tear jerker ending is that the toys get to play with andy's new kid. awww
By Reptilefan at 1:29 PM ON 06/26/09
my point is will it be another shrek 3? where they gotten to comfortable and mess it up
By Dave at 1:33 PM ON 06/26/09
Shrek was not a Pixar series. Pixar hasn't "messed one up" yet at all.
By Reptilefan at 1:35 PM ON 06/26/09
But they might and I'm worried it'll be on one of there most beloved and classic franchise's
By sarah at 3:37 PM ON 06/26/09
@Nush - disney owns pixar, as of 2006. they're all the same company. the top pixar folks are actually in charge of all animation at disney now (ed catmull, formerly the president of pixar, is now president of pixar & disney animation studios, and john lasseter is chief creative officer of disney. steve jobs is actually now disney's largest shareholder, as a result of the purchase). no one would be making this movie if the pixar studios top brass didn't approve. and as a result, i have nothing but faith that toy story 3 will be as excellent as the first two were.
By Blue at 8:56 PM ON 06/26/09
Sarah, no, actually. Disney doesn't "own" Pixar. It's its own company who works EXTREMELY closely with Disney. It actually started out of Lucasfilm, believe it or not. There was even talk a couple years ago of Pixar breaking ties with Disney completely. Yes, Lasseter was a Disney animator. Yes, Lasseter is now in charge of Disney animation. But if you REALLY want to call someone the "owner" of Pixar, it'd have to be Apple and Steve Jobs.
And Reptilefan. Pixar is perhaps the most responsible and ANAL when it comes to story of ANYONE! They do ONE film a year. Partly because they can ensure better quality that way. They have YET to make a flop. Cars was a smaller picture, yes, but it wasn't bad. And Wall-E suffered from being too preachy, but it still worked and did very well.
And a last note about Disney "owning the rights" to Toy Story and pushing for a threequel. Take this into account. Disney was already preparing a Toy Story 3 for their absurd and grotesque obsession with direct-to-DVD sequels. This assumed travesty was the first thing that Lasseter KILLED when he took over Disney animation.
This movie will, without any doubt, be good.
By Blue at 8:58 PM ON 06/26/09
I realize I may have been wrong on the ownership thing. It's been a long week. But I stand by all my comments on the quality of Pixar.
By darkstrad at 9:22 PM ON 06/26/09
On January 24, 2006, Pixar entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to merge the two companies. The deal was approved by shareholders of both companies and the merger became effective on May 5, 2006. Pixar is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
By Blue at 10:41 PM ON 06/26/09
Dark, could you give me a source on that? This is something, sadly, I should already know...considering I'm a Disney shareholder...yes, I am shamed.
By alan0825 at 4:04 AM ON 06/27/09
Maybe Joss Whedon should help write it. He co-wrote TS2. Would you feel better then?
By Randolph Lalonde at 8:54 PM ON 06/27/09
Growing up is hard to do... especially when you have a room full of animated toys who will miss you when you go off to college...
By impakt at 11:54 PM ON 06/27/09
would feel better if joss whedon stopped trying to make the moving pictures. Sorry if i offended one of the less than a million people that ever see anything he does. Stick to screwing up comic franchises then ditching them midway through your contracted run to ruin something else.
By shiver at 2:32 PM ON 06/28/09
im on line on my dsi. and i do think there should be a seaquel because they did not make good effert in toy story 2. and besides it will be a nice addition to the trilogy.
By mickmac59 at 5:15 PM ON 06/29/09
I didn't think Toy Story 2 was a good idea, but it was actually better than the first. If anyone can pull this off it's Pixar. Fingers crossed!
By personwhocommentedathing at 1:52 AM ON 06/30/09
Toy Story was good. I mean, it's Pixar. Toy Story 2 was good, but not as good as the first. Sequels never are. A third Toy Story is just like the entire Land Before Time series: going too far.
By Robert at 5:14 AM ON 06/30/09
Madtv already did this and a better job of it.
By Laura at 10:03 PM ON 07/02/09
Disney OWNS Pixar....and it's so tiring to read that Angus or the writer of this article would do the "Disney-bashing" about doing Cheap Knockoffs. Different people were in charge then. Different people are in charge now. When will everyone get it through their heads that Pixar IS Disney now. -- Maybe once the Pixar films are just "by disney"...instead of Disney-Pixar.
By martin7341 at 1:19 PM ON 07/09/09
Some back story - As the partnership between Pixar and Disney was drawing to a close, Michael Eisner decided to play hardball. Specifically, Disney started their own computer animation studio - remember Chicken Little - to prepare for life after Pixar. As part of the original distribution agreement between Disney and Pixar, Disney owned the rights to all of the Pixar characters in the Toy Story films (and all of the other Pixar films Disney had distributed upto, and including Cars).
Here's where things got nasty. Disney - not Pixar - had begun pre-production on Toy Story 3. Whether this was an eloborate game of chicken or not, we'll never know, but the folks up at Pixar were beside themselves. I think it's a bit like seeing your children with their new step parent. Anyway, as you all recall, Eisner was forced out/retired and the new president of Disney, rather than simply renew the distribution agreement, negotiated the full on merger and - in a partcularly sweet footnote, placed former Disneyland Jungle Cruise Skipper John Lassiter in charge of ALL Disney Animation AND game him an amazing amount of weight in the operation of the theme park attractions.
As a result, Pixar was eager to finish the Toy Story trilogy with their own team.
By Dude Man at 9:18 AM ON 07/13/09
This movie is gonna be amazing. I am so Psyched!
By Buzz Boy at 1:32 PM ON 08/27/09
me too i am just a big fan of toy story and can't wait for the third one. my favourite toy is woody.
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Buzz Boy:
me too i am just a big fan of toy story and can't wait for the third one. my favourite toy is woody....More »