To infinity…and beyond! Toy Story 4 is officially in the works. Pixar confirmed on Thursday, Nov. 6, that John Lasseter will be returning for the animated film. Lasseter previously wrote and directed Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Toy Story 3 (2010).
"We love these characters so much; they are like family to us," Lasseter said in a statement. "We don't want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what's gone before."
"Toy Story 3 ended Woody and Buzz's story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another Toy Story movie," he continued. "But when Andrew [Stanton], Pete [Docter], Lee [Unkrich] and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself."
The franchise's stars Tom Hanks (cowboy Woody) and Tim Allen (space ranger Buzz Lightyear) have yet to confirm their involvement this time around, but the news comes as no surprise. Hanks revealed during a 2011 BBC interview that Pixar was committed to bringing Andy's former toys back to the big screen. "I think there will be," he said of a possible sequel. "They are working on it now."
No word yet on what shenanigans Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, and the rest of the gang will take part in. Four years ago, Toy Story 3 left audiences weeping when Andy said goodbye to his childhood and gave away his toys to a little girl named Bonnie.
Toy Story 4 is set to hit theaters June 2017.
