For a family-friendly franchise all about the cute, adorable and fluffy toys of our childhood, Toy Story has featured some rather spooky characters. Remember Babyface from Sid’s room in the first film? What am I talking about, of course you do – that character’s creepy face is likely singed into the brains of everyone who watched it, especially if you were a kid.
Soon Toy Story 4 will introduce a completely new generation to the emotional damage that comes with being a neglected toy, when Christina Hendricks’ new character Gabby Gabby debuts on screen. The Mad Men and Good Girls actress will be a vintage ‘50s doll who comes complete with a heartbreaking backstory and her own army of dolls to scare the children of today into sticking with video games for good. Here’s what the movie’s director Josh Cooley told Entertainment Weekly of the character:
She can just tell her henchmen of ventriloquist dummies to do her bidding for her, and they do. She’s like the Godfather, where she doesn’t really have to do much to do a lot.
Did I say Toy Story can be creepy yet… because chills. Some of the most powerful villains can just sit back and watch her followers do the dirty work for them, and that looks to be exactly what Gabby Gabby does with the ventriloquist dummies Woody will meet in Toy Story 4. The pull string doll has apparently been collecting dust in an antique store for more than 60 years, and never been held and loved by a child because she was made with a broken voice box.
Because she has a defect in her voice, she sympathizes with the silent ventriloquist dummies and speaks on their behalf. Therefore, they seem to follow her every beck and call without batting an eye. Why did the filmmakers decide to include these eerie dolls in the upcoming Toy Story movie? Josh Cooley said this:
I’ve always loved The Twilight Zone and that Talking Tina-type of thing. We’ve never seen creepy, old dolls like that in Toy Story, and this was an opportunity to do that.
Gabby Gabby and her ventriloquist army will join some of the other villainous characters in the Toy Story universe such as Prospector, Lotso, Emperor Zurg, Sid and Big Baby. Have no fear, the new Pixar film is also introducing a slew of other new characters who seem a bit more delightful.
Keanu Reeves will play Duke Caboom, a Evel Knievel-type daredevil who will assist Woody and Bo Peep in their mission. Key and Peele will play carnival stuffed animals named Ducky and Bunny and the tiniest toy in the franchise Giggle McDimples will be played by Ally Maki. Toy Story 4 heads to theaters on June 21… on the same day the Child’s Play remake will be released. Coincidence? With Gabby Gabby on board, maybe not.
