The fourth instalment in the long-running, animated
Toy Story franchise will be releasing into theatres in just over a month's time.
Toy Story 4 will see Woody reunited with Bo Peep, a character that has been absent from the series since 1999's
Toy Story 2. Sold off in a yard-sale, Bo Peep has changed, now living in an antiques store.
Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera recently spoke with
Comicbook.com about the relationship between Woody and Bo. First Nielsen explained that the reasoning behind her new outlook on life is to challenge that of Woody. Asked whether Bo was always going to return in the fourth instalment, Nielsen said as such:
Yeah, I'm trying to think of earlier versions of it. Bo Peep was always part of it. But she was always either in an antique store or she had a location that was kinda like her home and so making her the thing that Woody is always been the most afraid of, was really interesting. So she has a completely new world view that's different from Woody's.
Rivera further went into the dynamic between the two beloved characters, explaining that their relationship is similar to that of
Lady and the Tramp - one of them out and living freely while the other would seemingly prefer to stay inside. The producer went into the evolution of Bo's role in the film:
It was sort of rooted in its romantic comedy roots when I think what was my version of it was that, you're right, we started feeling like, awe that just feels like its a human story and all that she was a worthy character and it was something that was interesting to us about playing off the relationship.
It wasn't until it was probably two years ago where we started going, we made it Woody centric. His worst fear, he said it all along is to be a lost toy. What if she represented something that would challenge his place in the world and just like lean into that. That is, it was almost even like a Lady and the Tramp analogy of like, you know, ones out in the world, why wouldn't you want all this and the other ones no I wanna be at home and Woody is that.
"So she became this catalyst to really change. All the change he's done over the years we thought she had the potential to change him more than anything ever has. And that was just the, now its just come to the story involved that lead to it." It sounds as if Bo's new outlook will have a profound effect on Woody. We'll just have to wait and see the iconic cowboy's arc play out before us when the film releases on June 21st.
Synopsis: Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.
Toy Story 4 will be releasing in theatres on June 21st, 2019.