When Toy Story was released in theaters on November 22, 1995, the film not only revolutionized the animation industry, but it changed the trajectories of the unproven but determined creative team who brought it to life. From Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter, the studio’s second and third animators, respectively, to Jonas Rivera, the studio’s first production intern, Toy Story was a lightning-in-a-bottle experience — one that laid the groundwork for Pixar Animation Studios to become the powerhouse studio that it is today.
Back then, though, no one knew just how pivotal Toy Story would ultimately be.
Following a $26 million deal with The Walt Disney Company to produce three features, Pixar’s small-but-mighty staff — initially, there were just three animators — pitched three concepts for its first project. Two were based on children’s books, James and the Giant Peach and Bob the Dinosaur, and the third was a “half-baked” idea about a couple of toys.
Disney greenlit the third option.
Having only produced a few commercials and shorts until that point, the pressure was on for Pixar to deliver — not that its staff felt it right away. “It felt like a bunch of people making a movie in their garage,” said Docter, who is now Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer. “We were using computers, which were fancy and unknown at the time, but other than that, it was rinky-dink. We were figuring it out as we went. It felt like we were just doing it for fun.”
Taking the Story to Infinity… and Beyond!
According to Docter, the collegiate environment inspired everyone to pitch in and take risks. But one of the biggest stumbling blocks — an infamous Black Friday screening with Disney executives prior to the start of animation — almost got the entire project canceled. The team had two weeks to turn things around, and they worked overtime to make the necessary changes. Once the story issues were resolved, the team turned their attention to the two toys at the center of the film: Woody, a pull-string cowboy sheriff voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure voiced by Disney Legend Tim Allen.
“Beyond using new technology, one of the things we tried to do was expand the boundaries of storytelling,” Docter recalled. “Because at that point, if a film was animated, it was assumed that it was a musical, that it would have certain tropes. We didn’t want to do that.”
Woody, for example, was written to be loyal, protective, and witty. But filmmakers wanted to make him more multidimensional. “He has a fear of being replaced,” said Rivera, who is now Pixar’s Executive Vice President of Production. “Everyone has felt that way at some point, whether it’s a job or a relationship. And we wrapped it up in this Toy Story package.”
The filmmakers imbued their own personalities and quirks into the characters, which is why they felt real — and why they resonated with audiences of all ages, all around the world. “I’m partial to Woody, simply because I’ve written most of what he has to say in the films,” said Stanton, now Pixar’s Vice President of Creative. “He is very much an extension of me.”
Docter added, “The funny thing with Toy Story, and Woody specifically, is that there just seemed to be a lot of layers, a lot new discoveries to him. Even on the first film, we could sense that he had a history. Woody has some trauma — some baggage that he’s carrying.”
Audiences instantly clicked with Woody and Buzz, as well as Hamm, the know-it-all piggybank voiced by John Ratzenberger; Rex, the fearful Tyrannosaurus voiced by Wallace Shawn; Bo Peep, the porcelain shepherdess figurine voiced by Annie Potts; and all of the other toys. “The idea of toys coming to life always clicked with audiences,” Rivera said. “It was as if they collectively said, ‘Of course! This confirms what I always thought about toys.”’
Just the Beginning
When Toy Story was released in theaters, it was an immediate and sustained sensation, generating nearly $400 million at the global box office. Toy Story became the highest-grossing film of the year and, in the decades that followed, inspired sequels, shorts, specials, and spinoffs. (Toy Story 5 is in production, releasing in theaters on June 19, 2026.) What’s more, the characters and stories became fixtures at Disney Parks around the world.
Because toys are “kind of perennial,” Stanton explained, the franchise is “something you can grow with. People who watched it as kids became parents and now watch it with their kids. We’ve created a world and a group of characters that could easily keep going forever.”
In celebration of Toy Story‘s 30th anniversary, fans have the unique chance to experience the groundbreaking animated adventure on the big screen in its original format — and, for the first time ever, in 4DX — for a limited engagement beginning Friday, September 12.
“I just have to say thank you to the fans for loving this world as much as we do,” said Stanton, who contributed to each film in the franchise and is directing Toy Story 5. “It’s very clear how sincere everybody’s fondness for these characters is, how deep their connections to them are, and we feel the same way. We can’t wait to keep these stories coming for you.”
