Fans of "Toy Story 4" will have to wait one more year it seems. The release date of Disney-Pixar's animated film has been switched with "The Incredibles 2." The switch brought about speculations that the franchise is in danger of being shelved.
According to Variety, "Toy Story 4" will move its release date to June 21, 2019, while "The Incredibles 2" will debut on June 15, 2018, effectively trading each other its play date. However, fans have no need to be concerned regarding the status of the beloved "Toy Story" franchise. Disney insiders claim that the release date swap was brought about due to the accelerated production schedule for "The Incredibles 2."
Tom Hanks who voiced the toy cowboy "Woody" clarified that the delay is nothing to be concerned about. Speaking in London on the red carpet of his latest movie, "Sully: Miracle on the Hudson," the Oscar-winning actor reiterates that the "Toy Story" team is just making sure that "Toy Story 4" will be done the right way. Tom Hanks added, "I can't wait to see what they've got Woody up to."
John Lasseter, director of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," will helm "Toy Story 4." The story is reportedly going to focus on Woody searching for his lost love, Bo-Peep, who has gone missing between the second and third films. Meanwhile, Oscar-winning Brad Bird is directing "The Incredibles 2." Although Bird teases that "The Incredibles" franchise is heading in a new direction, he has been tight-lipped regarding details of the new film. Bird also directed the 2004 film "The Incredibles."
"Toy Story" as a franchise has earned an estimated US$1.8 billion at the global box office. And with Disney-Pixar targeting the mid-June release date between the premieres of "Transformer 7" and a yet-to-be-named DC Comics adaptation, "Toy Story 4" executives are expecting that this latest installment will at least do as well as the first three "Toy Story" movies.
