The “Toy Story 3” that you didn’t get to see

Jim Hill

14 years ago

Looking for something fun to do with the family after you finish Thanksgiving dinner? Well, why not toss a copy of “Toy Story 3” into the Blu-ray player. Where you can then learn about what happens to poor Buzz Lightyear once he begins malfunctioning and then has to be sent to Taiwan in order to be repaired.

Oops. My mistake. That’s not the version of this “Toy Story” sequel that Pixar spent 5 years perfecting. But – rather – the film that Disney Circle 7 Animation had in development.

Circle 7 (as you’ll recall) was the animation studio that Mouse House management set up back in 2005 when it looked like Disney & Pixar would definitely be parting ways. With the idea that this Glendale-based operation would then produce sequels to “A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars” and – of course – “Toy Story.”

Mind you, once The Walt Disney Company announced that it would be acquiring Pixar Animation Studios in January 2006, work on the Circle 7 Animation version of “Toy Story 3” effectively stopped. But over the past 4 years, a handful of pieces of concept art for this aborted animation feature have popped up on the Web. And they offer a fascinating glimpse of what might have been.

These include Mr. Kagoy, the elderly gentlemen who supposedly watched over all of the recalled toys once they arrived at that warehouse in Taiwan.

And speaking of recalled toys … Look at the lethal pair that Buzz was supposed to have hung out with while he was overseas. Cindy Scissors …

… and Handy Hans.

Not to mention misbegotten playthings like Apology Bear …

… Don B.B. …

… Rosey …

… and Little D.

Would all of these characters depicted above and below have actually appeared in the finished version of Disney Circle 7 Animation’s “Toy Story 3” ? It’s hard to say. After all, animated features typically go through hundreds of changes during the production process. I mean, just look at what “Tangled” went through during the 14 years that WDAS film was in development / production at Disney?

And let’s remember that these are only the characters that Buzz was supposed to have interacted with while he was being warehoused in Taiwan. As for Woody, Jessie, Bullseye et al … Well, once they learn that their favorite space ranger was reportedly going to be dismantled & then destroyed as part of this massive recall, the toys get themselves shipped overseas ASAP. With the hope that they’ll be able to rescue Buzz before he’s sent to that big recycle bin in the sky.

That said, you have to admit that this sounds like kind of an intriguing premise. But would the aborted Disney Circle 7 Animation version of “Toy Story 3” have connected with audiences the way that the finished Pixar version clearly did?

UPDATE: If you want to see even more concept art from the Disney Circle 7 Animation version of “Toy Story 3” — as well as learn more about the proposed screenplay for this film — then I suggest you follow this link to the Bob & Rob “Professional American Screenwriters” website. Where the guys who actually wrote the screenplay for this aborted animated feature talk about what they wanted to do with “TS3.”

Your thoughts?

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Happy Holidays!

Toy Story Trilogy (10-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)