Given the way it ended, Toy Story 3 seemed like the perfect sendoff for Pixar's sentient toys, with them saying goodbye to Andy and now being played with by a new kid. Alas, there's still some juice left in this franchise, as Toy Story 4 is arriving in theaters next summer. We already have a basic idea of what to expect from the next installment, but a new poster seems to have confirmed that part of it will indeed take place at a carnival.
Woody is in the same 'hand to hat' pose that he was in the Toy Story 4 teaser poster released a few weeks ago, but this time the Toy Story 4 title looms large behind him, and there's also a carnival in the background. This might not mean much when looking at this poster by itself, but let's not forget that a day after the Toy Story 4 teaser trailer was released, we were treated to a follow-up preview introducing Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele's characters, Ducky and Bunny, who interacted with Woody and Buzz at a carnival booth.
Pixar definitely seems to be hammering home that Woody, Buzz and the gang will be traveling to a carnival, which is new territory for them, figuratively and literally. Toy Story 2 covered toys that remain on display/in boxes rather than are played with, and Toy Story 3 saw the main characters being dropped off at a daycare, where they were handled, shall we say, violently. Visiting a carnival provides the opportunity to meet toys who are prizes to be won, but what happens if these toys are never given away. How would living in the carnival that long and never having a proper home affect their state of mind. This is the deep character study I want in Toy Story 4!
As previously revealed, Toy Story 4 will follow the main characters going on a road trip with their new owner Bonnie, only they're also being joined by a new addition to the toy gang, Forky, an arts-and-crafts project who's reluctant about his status as a toy. This adventure will show Woody and everyone else just how big the world can be for a toy, and presumably this carnival will be one of the locations they visit. Toy Story 4 will also bring back Bo Peep, who was absent from Toy Story 3 due to being sold years earlier.
That's all we know about Toy Story 4's plot so far, although both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen said that this movie is very emotional. The latter actor also mentioned that Keanu Reeves will play a Buzz Lightyear-like toy who's quite tiny.
Toy Story 4 hits theaters on June 21, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates about the highly anticipated movie. In the meantime, feel free to look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what else is coming out next year.
