- Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt reveals a different, less dramatic ending was initially planned for the film.
- The original ending involved a comedy race against time for the toys to get back to Andy before he left for college.
- Many fans are concerned about the possibility of a fifth Toy Story movie undermining the closure achieved in Toy Story 3.
The Toy Story franchise is beloved by fans, many of whom believe that Toy Story 3 provided the perfect ending. Writer Michael Arndt recently shared that there was initially a completely different ending planned for the film—one that would have been much less dramatic and potentially less successful.
In Toy Story 3, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s toys almost get incinerated in a dramatic turn of events. After a last-minute rescue, the toys find their way home, and, as Andy heads off to college, they are donated to a new child, Bonnie.
While speaking on the Script Apart podcast, Arndt revealed that the first draft of the script had a different third act. He said, “The initial third act in the first draft was, they escaped from Sunnyside [daycare] and then they realized that Andy’s leaving for college in like 10 minutes and they have no time to get home to Andy’s house.”
According to Arndt, the original story would have taken the toys back to the Toy Story 2 location of Al’s Toy Barn. They would have then raced back to Andy, using a variety of toy vehicles, just as he was walking up the stairs to his bedroom.
Despite concerns about Toy Story 4 undoing the perfect ending of Toy Story 3, the sequel was well-received and profitable. However, with last year’s spin-off movie Lightyear failing to take off and concerns about whether a Toy Story 5 is necessary, Disney Pixar has faced some box office disappointments. Fans are particularly worried that the rumored return of Andy in Toy Story 5 could undermine the closure achieved in Toy Story 3.
Recent inconsistencies with theatrical releases have led Disney to announce Toy Story 5, alongside Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2, in hopes of bringing fans back to their most popular franchises. Whether this will be successful or risk damaging the legacy of these beloved movies remains to be seen.