It took the producers of the Toy Story films 11 years to make Toy Story 3, and it was totally worth it. Now, five years later, Tom Hanks has some big news that was also worth the wait.
The 59-year-old actor has confirmed that he’s started adding his vocal talents to the eagerly anticipated Toy Story 4, which is now in production.
Tom stopped by The Graham Norton Show in the UK and revealed he’s just started working on the new animated movie. John Lasseter is returning to direct alongside Josh Cooley.
“We’re now recording Toy Story 4," Tom broke the news. "So we’re doing that and it will be out in 2018, so it takes a long time… We are working on it right now. I have a recording session on the second of December.”
There have been a number of developments in regards to Toy Story 4, including an official release date and some hints at the movie’s plot, but there has been no word about when production would start until now. Tom Hanks has once again spilled the beans, this time announcing on The Graham Norton Show
Tom will also be joined by comedy legend Tim Allen, who will reprise his role as the voice of the coveted toy Buzz Lightyear for the forthcoming production, as well as Patricia Arquette, Joan Cusack and Bonnie Hunt.
Pixar has not always struck gold when it comes to sequels. Cars 2 was a bit of a disappointment, although that has apparently not stopped Pixar from planning a Cars 3. Still, Toy Story 3 was arguably the best of the original trilogy, bringing the series to a darker but ultimately more rewarding place than the first two films did.
Since the first film was released in 1995, the Toy Story movies have amassed an incredible $1.9 billion worldwide on a $320 million budget, which is an astonishing profit. In fact, the third movie in the series is listed in the top 15 highest grossing movies at the box office, earning a whopping $1 billion alone.
Toy Story 4 opens in U.S. theaters on June 15th, 2018.
Watch Tom Hanks' interview below.
