- Three decades have passed since the premiere of the first feature film entirely animated by computer.
- A development process full of rewrites transformed Woody and solidified Buzz Lightyear.
- Interesting facts: nods to Kubrick, the origin of Combat Carl and the role of Jim Hanks.
- Steve Jobs promoted the Pixar-Disney model; the saga is available on Disney+ in Spain.
Thirty years later of its arrival in theaters, Toy Story remains the work that redefined animation and ushered in a new era in family cinema. The odyssey of Woody, Buzz, and company not only captivated audiences, but also It demonstrated that technology could go hand in hand with stories with soul.
The anniversary is celebrated in November and focuses on a milestone: It was the first feature film made entirely by computer.In Spain and throughout Europe, the anniversary invites us to revisit its key elements, its eventful development, and the small anecdotes that explain why this universe remains so alive.
Thirty years of a digital revolution
Released on November 22, 1995, Toy Story solidified Pixar as a studio and changed the course of the industryWith a tight budget, the film It grossed nearly $400 million worldwide. and opened the door to a intergenerational franchise without precedents.
Its technical prowess did not overshadow the story. Each shot required colossal computing power for the time: Rendering a single frame could take between 4 and 13 hoursThat “digital craftsmanship” resulted in images never before seen, but what remained was the emotion.
La The Academy recognized the leap forward with nominations and a special award for John Lasseter for innovation.However, what really went down in history was that the narrative could be broadened beyond the clichés of the musical and the fact that the animated characters endured complex and universal conflicts.
A turbulent start: from ventriloquist to sheriff
The road to the final cut was anything but linear. In late 1993, the first drafts presented to Disney were met with rejection: Woody was sarcastic, even unpleasant., and the plot didn't workThere was an ultimatum and, against the clock, the team rewrote the film to steer the tone and characters in the right direction.
In that process, Buzz went through a wide variety of identities —Lunar Larry, Tempus or Morph— before becoming Buzz Lightyear. Woody also changed completely: From unsettling ventriloquist's dummy to wind-up cowboy with recognizable leadership and vulnerability.
Disney pushed for months to make it a musical, following the trend of the time, but Pixar kept the creative compass He opted for integrated songs without turning the film into a series of constant musical numbers. Years later, however, the story would make the leap to the stage as a musical within the company's repertoire.
Details and hints you may have missed
The explosive neighbor Sid was going to destroy a licensed GI Joe figure, but the company refused. Result: Combat Carl was borna unique character that He would eventually reappear in short films and sequels with a life of their own..
Sid's house hides a film buff's homage: The carpet is reminiscent of the pattern in the Overlook Hotel. From The Shining. And the plastic military man Sarge draws from the archetype of the ruthless instructor popularized in war films, with R. Lee Ermey's voice adding authenticity.
The name of Sid comes from Sid Vicious, And the surname Phillips would be an inside reference to a Pixar employee known for taking toys apart.These traits ultimately shaped an antagonist who was as mischievous as he was memorable.
There were casting decisions that made history… by their absence. Billy Crystal declined to voice Buzz Lightyear and later redeemed himself as Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc. Meanwhile, due to scheduling conflicts, Tom Hanks was unable to record lines for certain Woody toys, and his brother Jim Hanks took over that voice for the merchandising..
Even the script holds surprises: Joss Whedon was part of the team who polished unforgettable gags and lines, a sample of the mix of talents that gave shape to the tone of the film.
The final push: Steve Jobs, Pixar and Disney
The entrepreneurial journey was equally decisive. After meeting Ed Catmull in the eighties, Steve Jobs bet by Pixar when computer-animated feature films seemed like a pipe dreamHis support made it possible to blend the creative culture of Hollywood with the engineering of Silicon Valley under one roof.
That strategy involved abandoning low-margin advertising commissions to focus on creating your own intellectual propertyWith patience and method, the studio consolidated a work dynamic where technology and storytelling fed back into each other.
The collaboration with Disney brought expertise: decades of learning how to "assemble" a film before animating it They accelerated processes and avoided setbacks. Without that transfer of knowledge, Toy Story would hardly have achieved the same level of success..
How to revisit the saga today
Anyone who wants to celebrate the anniversary has it easy: In Spain and the rest of Europe, the saga is available on Disney+It's an opportunity to revisit the first installment and see how its blend of humor, technological risk, and emotion continues to work just as well several generations later.
Thirty years later Toy Story remains a turning point that It made computer animation a standardFrom a start full of doubts to a global phenomenon, its legacy is in every shot, in every character, and in the industry it helped to transform.
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