11 votes

‘Toy Story,’ ‘Frozen’ and ‘Zootopia’ sequels in the works, says Bob Iger

9 comments

  1. [4]
    Pistos
    Link
    Of those, I look forward most to the Zootopia sequel. I thought the first was a really good movie (for its genre). I feel like Toy Story has sputtered out as a series; I found Frozen 2...

    Of those, I look forward most to the Zootopia sequel. I thought the first was a really good movie (for its genre). I feel like Toy Story has sputtered out as a series; I found Frozen 2 disappointing, and all the obvious cash-grab branded merch that infested stores to ridiculous degrees did not help to soften my opinion.

    5 votes
    1. [3]
      balooga
      Link Parent
      Agreed, Zootopia was a smart and entertaining movie. I thought it was pretty heavy-handed as an allegory about racism but I can forgive that because the target audience (kids) aren't attuned to...

      Agreed, Zootopia was a smart and entertaining movie. I thought it was pretty heavy-handed as an allegory about racism but I can forgive that because the target audience (kids) aren't attuned to that sort of thing. I hope that a sequel might explore new themes but I'm concerned the world they've built is too tailor-made to that one kind of story.

      I feel like Toy Story has sputtered out as a series

      Not sure about this sentiment. Toy Story 3 was the perfect end to a trilogy and it was clearly intended as such. They should've stopped there. I was dumbfounded when they announced Toy Story 4, but then... it was good. Really good! And also technically impressive, the visuals were a sight to behold. Despite my reservations I liked it a ton. The series is 4 for 4 in my book, not a dud among them. Now I haven't seen Lightyear, and don't really plan to; not sure if you're including that in your opinion. I think it's kind its own thing in its own universe, so to speak.

      I found Frozen 2 disappointing

      I did too, but I couldn't articulate why until I watched the making-of docuseries. The studio was crunching 14-hour days trying to get the movie ready in time for the premiere, with huge script changes occurring late in the production cycle. I came away with the impression that there was no real vision for the story up front or clear plan for realizing it, just pressure to put familiar characters in flashy scenes with a looming deadline and little regard for any of it making sense. All things considered it was a commercial success and had some memorable parts that I enjoyed. Just seems like there could've been a more reasonable way to go about it (and produce a more coherent result). Not to mention isn't this a reckless way for Disney to develop such a valuable / beloved franchise? And a surefire recipe for employee burnout?

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        Akir
        Link Parent
        I prefer to think that Zootopia is more about prejudice in general rather than racism. It seems to fit a little bit better and talking to people in those terms will get people to take the message...

        I prefer to think that Zootopia is more about prejudice in general rather than racism. It seems to fit a little bit better and talking to people in those terms will get people to take the message a little more personally as opposed to having them think "well at least I'm not a racist".

        Frozen 2 is frankly only worth seeing to listen to Show Yourself. It's a much more emotionally powerful than Let It Go could ever dream of. The Next Right Thing is also the perfect grieving song but you shouldn't see a movie for that kind of thing.

        But both Frozen and Toy Story are products where the last films featured the main characters leaving to do their own things, so I have no idea what they're hoping to do with them.

        5 votes
        1. TheRtRevKaiser
          Link Parent
          I enjoyed Lost in the Woods from Frozen 2 quite a bit, mostly just because of how over the top silly it was, and because it let Jonathan Groff have some fun. I feel like all in all, Frozen 2 had a...

          I enjoyed Lost in the Woods from Frozen 2 quite a bit, mostly just because of how over the top silly it was, and because it let Jonathan Groff have some fun. I feel like all in all, Frozen 2 had a lot of good moments, they just weren't stitched together as well as you'd like. It needed a bit longer to bake.

          1 vote
  2. [4]
    hamstergeddon
    Link
    My hopes for a Toy Story 5 are less emphasis on Woody having an existential crisis leading him to selfishly put everyone in danger, and a heart-wrenching song making me feel guilty about not...

    My hopes for a Toy Story 5 are less emphasis on Woody having an existential crisis leading him to selfishly put everyone in danger, and a heart-wrenching song making me feel guilty about not keeping my GI Joes.

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      balooga
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Toy Story 4 spoilers. The last movie ended with Woody saying goodbye to the gang in what seemed to be a permanent parting, he's going off-grid with Bo Peep and her gang of lost toys now. So Toy...
      Toy Story 4 spoilers. The last movie ended with Woody saying goodbye to the gang in what seemed to be a permanent parting, he's going off-grid with Bo Peep and her gang of lost toys now. So Toy Story 5 is going to have to do one of the following:
      • Proceed without Woody. Hard to imagine a Toy Story without him, but maybe Tom Hanks was looking to move on?
      • Follow Woody and Bo Peep, probably with a whole new cast of characters. This could open up the door to some more expansive adventure plotlines, which could be interesting. Of course, it's unlikely Pixar would just drop all the other characters. Especially after the last movie added so many new star voices to the mix (Tony Hale, Key and Peele, Keanu Reeves, anybody I'm forgetting?).
      • Tell parallel stories, following both parties. A bit unconventional but I wouldn't put it past Pixar. If they went this route, I would just hope it doesn't end with an implausible reunion that resets the old status quo. I might be open to that if the whole plot revolves around Bonnie's toys going on a quest to search for Woody. Maybe.

      Edit: Fixed list formatting 🙄.

      2 votes
      1. hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        Honestly I completely forgot how 4 ended. My kids are obsessed with the movies, but we rarely get to the end before they want to watch a different one. Toy Story 2 loses its punch after the 50th...

        Honestly I completely forgot how 4 ended. My kids are obsessed with the movies, but we rarely get to the end before they want to watch a different one. Toy Story 2 loses its punch after the 50th partial viewing, I tell ya.

        I hope we get option #2. The exploration of the 'underworld' of the Toy Story universe is interesting to me. The lost toys, the happy meal toys from that one short, toys pinned to trash trucks, daycare toys, etc. They're all a lot more interesting to me than toys that have a kid.

        2 votes
      2. Akir
        Link Parent
        They already made Toy Story 5; it was called Lost Ollie.

        They already made Toy Story 5; it was called Lost Ollie.

  3. babypuncher
    Link
    Zootopia has enormous sequel potential, and I'm shocked it took this long to happen. I'm excited to see this. Every time a Toy Story sequel is announced, I groan, expect it to be bad, and end up...

    Zootopia has enormous sequel potential, and I'm shocked it took this long to happen. I'm excited to see this.

    Every time a Toy Story sequel is announced, I groan, expect it to be bad, and end up pleasantly surprised. I don't know what to think about a Toy Story 5 at this point.

    I didn't care for Frozen, I never saw Frozen 2, and I have no interest in a Frozen 3. And frankly, I'm a little salty that they re-tooled Epcot's Maelstrom into a Frozen ride that teaches you nothing about Norway.

    3 votes