Toy Story Returns For Half-Hour Halloween Special

[Earnest Cavalli]

Toy Story Returns For Half-Hour Halloween Special

Because nothing goes with candy like incessant, heartwarming tears, Pixar and Disney have opted to release a 30-minute Toy Story special this Halloween.

Straight up, if you watched Toy Story 3 and didn't start weeping at the end, then you are a horrible monster. Fortunately for your terrible self, Halloween is the perfect time for monsters, and while that's a really rough segue, it's a good enough prompt to mention that a new Toy Story special is headed to ABC just in time for Halloween.

According to TV Guide, the 30-minute show has been dubbed Toy Story of Terror, and it takes place following the maudlin events of Toy Story 3. Thus, as you'd hope, the special will reunite the phenomenal Toy Story 3 vocal cast, while also introducing a "new character," Combat Carl, who will be voiced by under-appreciated action star Carl Weathers.

Action Jackson fanboyism aside, you're likely curious about this thing's plot. Fortunately, TV Guide chatted with producer Galyn Susman who was helpfully candid. "Bonnie is on a road trip to go see grandma with her mom and the toys are in the trunk," Susman says. "Mom gets a flat tire and they have to spend the night at a motel and all kinds of chaos ensues."

Further, Susman claims that while all of your favorite Toy Story characters will be featured in the special, the focus will shift to Woody's sidekick/love interest/distaff counterpart Jessie. "We've gotten to see a lot of development in Woody and in Buzz and we felt it was Jessie's turn to really show some growth," Susman states.

The highest praise anyone has ever been able to offer the Toy Story franchise is that it's not just a great series of movies for kids, it's also a great series of movies for adults. Simultaneously family friendly, yet not patronizing or idiotic is a tough target to hit, but Pixar has an uncanny mastery of such things, and this Halloween special seemingly follows in the footsteps of its cinematic predecessors.

"There was some concern early on about not making it too scary for kids," says director Angus MacLane. "I think we've done a good job of balancing staying true to Toy Story and staying true to the genre. As far as adults are concerned, I've always thought that we make these movies for ourselves."

"I think it's funny and like the other Toy Story films, I think there is plenty of stuff in there that only adults will get," MacLane adds.

So go ahead. Get excited. It's probably pretty safe to say that this special is going to be all kinds of great ... well, unless you're one of those horrible people who didn't cry at the end of Toy Story 3. There's just no hope for those abominations.

Source: TV Guide [http://www.tvguide.com/News/ABC-Air-Toy-Story-1065634.aspx]

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[Space Jawa]

I'm going to guess that since we already saw a Combat Carl destroyed in the original movie, they're getting away with naming him a new character on account of it being a different version of the toy and actually getting a voice actor this time.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

I'm going to guess that since we already saw a Combat Carl destroyed in the original movie, they're getting away with naming him a new character on account of it being a different version of the toy and actually getting a voice actor this time.

Actually, that's sort of a mystery. TV Guide mentions his destruction, but doesn't quite reveal whether he's the same toy or a different toy of the same model.

 

[Big_Boss_Mantis]

the focus will shift to Woody's sidekick/love interest/distaff counterpart Jessie.

Jessie never was Woody's love interest. Woody dated a female shepherd (nothing to do with Mass Effect) for the first two movies.

Jessie is actually Buzz Lightyear's love interest.

Anyway, Toy Story 3 was great and Pixar really nailed the flow of tears with Up and Toy Story 3. (Wall-E, which sometimes is my favorite movie EVER still makes me shed one occasionally)

Oh, I miss the great Pixar that couldn't go wrong. Hope they recapture their prime! (where's Andrew Stanton, by the way?)

 

[Space Jawa]

I'm going to guess that since we already saw a Combat Carl destroyed in the original movie, they're getting away with naming him a new character on account of it being a different version of the toy and actually getting a voice actor this time.

Actually, that's sort of a mystery. TV Guide mentions his destruction, but doesn't quite reveal whether he's the same toy or a different toy of the same model.

So...potentially a zombie-esque tale where Carl or his "ghost" comes back from the "dead"?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Why'd you have to remind me? Now I have to cry all over again.

[sub][sub][sub]My nephew and niece are sooooo going to see this.[/sub][/sub][/sub]

 

[GodzillaGuy92]

Say what you will of those of us who (somehow) barely avoided shedding tears at the end of Toy Story 3, but you'd never catch me claiming that Jessie is Woody's love interest. Especially with how extensively that movie forwarded the Jessie/Buzz subplot.

Anyway, the concept sounds ripe for a lot of fun, and taking the opportunity to put the spotlight on Jessie is a welcome move. Fingers crossed that the Combat Carl from the first movie serves as the zombified antagonist.

 

[Voulan]

All they'd have to do is throw in that horrible hair-less doll with a spider body from the first film and they'll be fine. That bit still scares me to this day.

And on a side note, Jessie has her sights on Buzz, not Woody. Woody was with Bo-Peep, but she got thrown out a few years before the third film. That was actually a really sad moment, but they only touched on it briefly.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

And on a side note, Jessie has her sights on Buzz, not Woody. Woody was with Bo-Peep, but she got thrown out a few years before the third film. That was actually a really sad moment, but they only touched on it briefly.

I was going to point this out. I'm sure they won't have changed it, but I'd really hate it if they did.

I'm super excited though! Jessie's one of my favourite characters, I'd love to see more of her (not like that, you sick person).

 

[soren7550]

Mr. Cavalli, I'll have you know tha-

Jessie is actually Buzz Lightyear's love interest.

Say what you will of those of us who (somehow) barely avoided shedding tears at the end of Toy Story 3, but you'd never catch me claiming that Jessie is Woody's love interest. Especially with how extensively that movie forwarded the Jessie/Buzz subplot.

And on a side note, Jessie has her sights on Buzz, not Woody. Woody was with Bo-Peep, but she got thrown out a few years before the third film. That was actually a really sad moment, but they only touched on it briefly.

Yeah, that.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Bring back Bo Peep. Please, that's all I want. That was the only thing that bothered me about Toy Story 3. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, gets a happy ending (okay, the good guys anyway). Buzz and Jessie, Barbie and Ken, Rex and the other dino--okay, so they're not dating, but they share the same interests--Mr and Mrs Potato Head, and Slink and Ham never seemed interested and just seemed to be along for the rides. So, while everyone is having a grand old time, what do we see? Woody standing by himself, watching all his friends with a sad smile on his face. All it would have taken would have been for Bo Peep's little rod to come and pull him off screen. Perfect.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this. I like the little Toy Story shorts that they keep releasing with other movies, and this sounds like they've still got the magic going. Looking forward to it, assuming I remember when October rolls around.

 

[afroebob]

Bring back Bo Peep. Please, that's all I want. That was the only thing that bothered me about Toy Story 3. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, gets a happy ending (okay, the good guys anyway).

Then again, and granted this is just my own personal interpretation of it, but I think that losing Bo Peep was actually a part of the theme of the movie. In the end, Toy Story is a film series with a very strong focus on death as a thematic premise. Its absurd at first thought, but each movie deals with they toys losing Andy, which is the metaphorical equivalent of death. Hell, even the trashcan in Toy Story 2 during Woodie's dream symbolizes a graveyard. The top shelf that the penguin is on, Sid from the first movie killing all the toys, the giant inferno at the end of the third movie, Toy Story as a series is filled with literal and metaphorical representations of death, with the common death themed thread being abandoned by their owners, as Bo Peep was.

Don't think I'm trying to spin some dark depressing emo twist onto Toy Story, cause that isn't what I'm doing. I just see a lot of what they do being a smart, appropriate and touching way to tackle humanities biggest fear, along with many other wonderful things the series does. After all, Toy Story is the best trilogy of all time (FACT!) and you can't get to be the best without being able to elevate to some serious themes, even if they are told in such innocent ways.


Onto the main topic, I love that Pixar is doing this. We don't need a new film at all, the story is over, and it ended (and I mean this 100%) perfectly, and to bastardize the series with a sequel would be nothing more than an insult. But that doesn't mean that the stories have to be over, and having a little made for TV spin-off is a genius way to bring us back into a world with the characters we all know and love, as well as show us more off some of the new characters introduced in Toy Story 3. Anyways, props Pixar, I think I speak for almost everyone else in saying we can't wait.