Woody will find love in ‘Toy Story 4’ – Back to Bo Peep
As always, D23 is a great time for Pixar and Disney fans, as usually both studios reveal new projects (like Day of the Dead-themed Loco) and more details about ones that have already been announced. This Friday John Lasseter revealed a few more details about Toy Story 4. Last winter Lasseter already mentioned that the film was going to be a love story, and this time the big reveal was that Woody’s love interest is no other than…Bo Peep. Who’s that? I actually had to double check whether this was…yes…yes, indeed it was Woody’s side-lined love interest of Toy Story 1 and 2, who got so graciously thrown out in Toy Story 3 (both literally and figuratively).
BO PEEP PROFILE
Gender: Female
Occupation: Sheep Shepherd(ess)
Material: Porcelain
Owned by: Molly, until she threw her away
Current location: Unknown
Based on: The fairy tale The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep by author Hans Christian Andersen (you know – the story about toys in a child’s room coming to life when no one is looking).
“This sassy shepherdess may sometimes lose her sheep – but not her cool. Bo Peep is smart, sensible, and quick to share her opinions, and she always stands by her sheriff, Woody.” – Official Toy Story website
I guess I’m a wee bit surprised that Bo Peep has been announced as Woody’s love interest for the main plot line. I didn’t actually realise until today that they were supposed to officially have been a couple in the first two films as well. Their relationship never seemed important or even substantial – neither for Woody or for the story.
Woody: “We’ve lost friends along the way…Wheezy…and Etch and…”
Rex: “Bo Peep?”
Woody: “…Yeah. Even – even Bo.”
—Woody and Rex in Toy Story 3
If this is going to be some kind of heroic mission to get her back, it is several years and a film too late. If my supposed boyfriend sees me being chucked away in a spring cleaning, dragged away by the bin man, forever gone, does nothing (but goes on a big rescue mission as soon as his friends get thrown away) and then years later rocks up on my doorstep to “rescue me” and continue our loving relationship…I’d be a bit miffed, to be honest.
I mean, talk about ghosting. I guess another thing about Bo Peep was that she was, quite frankly, boring. She was the voice of reason, and the typical damsel in distress. To say I missed her in Toy Story 3 would be an overstatement. One of the reasons she got written out of the film was the fact that she is made of porcelain, according to the Art of Toy Story 3 book. Porcelain not being the most flexible when being thrown about, perhaps the plot in Toy Story 4 is that when she got shattered in the bin bag, she found out that she was actually made of liquid metal composition inside and she comes back for Woody T-1000 style. Now, I’d definitely watch that. Meanwhile I just have to rely on the fact that director John Lasseter at least hired a female writer for Toy Story 4. So who knows – maybe Bo Peep will actually get some character.
Toy Story 4: A terrifying vision of the future?
Toy Story 4 comes out on June 16th 2017 (USA).