If there's one thing Disney loves more than mouse-shaped treats, it's making its fans cry. OK, that may be an exaggeration, but the company has been known to put out some tear-jerking storylines (don't even get us started on Disney-Pixar's Up). So we shouldn't have been too surprised to learn that Toy Story 4, the highly anticipated end to the 25-year-old franchise (don't you feel old?), will be an emotional rollercoaster.
Actor Tom Hanks, who plays our favorite spur-wearing cowboy, Woody, told Ellen DeGeneres that the film's ending will be "tough."
"The last few sessions were saying goodbye to Woody and Buzz and Bonnie's room and Andy and everybody, and it was emotional," Hanks said. "So I had to turn my back on [everyone in the recording room]."
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Hanks added that he did have a little time to prepare himself for the heart-wrenching ending, thanks to a heads-up from his co-star and plastic partner in crime, Tim Allen.
"This is the end of the series, and I had gotten some texts from Tim Allen, who plays Buzz Lightyear, the 'astronaut,'" he said in the interview, while making air quotes with his fingers. "And these texts say, 'Have you recorded yet? Have you been in? Have you had a session yet?... Wait until you see those last pages. Tough one, tough one.'"
The fourth installment of the hugely popular series features many of the characters viewers have grown to love over the past quarter-century, including Woody, Buzz, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Bo Peep (Annie Potts), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), and Slinky Dog (Blake Clark). Additionally, new characters like Forky (Tony Hale), a spork Bonnie transforms into a toy with the help of some googly eyes and pipe cleaner, Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), a motorcycle stuntman, and Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele), two stuffed animals, make appearances.
In the official trailer for Toy Story 4, Woody goes on an adventure to find Forky, who escapes Bonnie's grip after realizing he isn't ready to be a play toy. Along the way, Woody runs into Bo, who introduces him to a whole new world of possibilities. Yet, while her life looks great, Woody realizes he and Forky need to get back to Bonnie where they belong.
Though the film seems like it could be the perfect end to the franchise, Disney-Pixar hasn't officially pulled the plug, prompting Hanks to joke that he's banking on future films. "Is it over? I don't know," he said. "It'll live forever; that's one thing I know about it. I'm looking forward to a possible three-year extension."
Toy Story 4 premieres in theaters on June 21, so stock up on tissues and support teddy bears now.