Toy Story 4 Will Not be a Continuation of Toy Story 3

Traditionally, the term “sequel” expressly means a follow-up of a story and characters you enjoyed from the past. Also, less officially, the expectation from a sequel implies a law of diminishing returns. Pixar was able to break that latter rule when it came to the enjoyable Toy Story 2 and the terrific Toy Story 3. Now, it appears that Pixar is going to break the first part of those sequel expectations as well…maybe.

While chatting with Disney Latino (via HuffPo), Pixar President Jim Morris revealed that 2017’s already anticipated Toy Story 4 will not be a direct continuation of Toy Story 3.

Says Morris,  “The third movie was over in a beautiful way and completed a trilogy. I think this movie is not part of [that] trilogy. We are putting together a very nice story [and] it is not a continuation of the end of Toy Story 3.”

At first glance, this would seem to suggest that Toy Story 4 is knowing when to call it quits while they’re ahead by turning the focus to a different group of toys that aren’t Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jesse, and all the rest. However, Morris also said, “Temporarily it is [a continuation,] but it will be a love story. It will be a romantic comedy. It will not have much focus on the interaction between the characters and children.”

From the sounds of it, Toy Story 4 may simply be downplaying the importance of the children and human characters in the toys’ lives. In other words, we’ll focus on Buzz and Woody just fine, but that Bonnie (the child that Andy reluctantly surrenders his toys to at the end of Toy Story 3) will not be the focus of the toys’ attentions or aspirations—which was the original point of the first Toy Story’s conceit.

It’s honestly too early and too premature to guess what exact shape Toy Story 4 is taking. However, if it is just a love triangle between Buzz, Jesse, and Woody (for example), I think it might be best to leave these childhood things back in the box, because as Morris himself said, the ending of Toy Story 3 is beautiful. Indeed, it was perfection.

Related: All Upcoming Animated Movies Calendar