'Hawaiian Vacation' still, interview, and toys

Pixar released the above photo from the upcoming short Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation. You'll be able to see it before Cars 2 starting tomorrow! If you don't know yet, the basic premise is that Barbie and Ken stowaway in Bonnie's backpack, thinking they are going to Hawaii. When they wind up in her bedroom, however, Woody and the gang try to bring Hawaii to the plastic couple.

Read a short talk with the director, Gary Rydstrom, at AWN here. He discussed how they "wanted to give all the characters their moments, and this seemed like a good story to hang all the characters on."

I can't wait to see it!

Earlier today, while walking through the toy store to see if I could find any new Cars 2 toys, I stumbled upon the below toys--Woody and Buzz dressed in their luau attire. They are made, of course, by Thinkway Toys.

At $49.95 each, I couldn't get myself to pick them up just yet. However, Buzz in a grass skirt with a glow stick and Woody in a Lasseter-esque shirt, as you surely know, was incredibly hard to pass up. These puppies are Toys R Us exclusives, but you can check them out at the online store here and here. (Also check out the ones I didn't see, including Jessie, Ken and Barbie.)


See the short in theaters tomorrow, before every showing of Cars 2!!

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'Toy Story'... Unleashed!

Briefly: If you didn't notice, above this paragraph (courtesy of Cartoon Brew) is a re-imagining of Woody and Buzz as totally awesome, detailed action figures.

Unfortunately, they appear to be custom, one-of-a-kind figures.

If only Disney would hire this guy to bring the figures to market . . . I would most certainly empty out my wallet to have these guys sitting on my shelf.

Awesome.

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Pixar POP! figures to enter Disney Stores, empty my wallet

To the left of this text is a POP! figure, and it is planning to steal my hard-earned cash as I type this sentence.

At just four inches tall, it's adorably simple and, of course, lovingly Pixarian. It is one piece of a more massive collection of POP! figurines, including Woody, Buzz, Mike Wazowski, Mickey Mouse, and Maleficent, with "Incredibles, Lotso, Boo, Jack Skellington, Minnie Mouse, Belle, Steamboat Willie, the Beast, and more surprises" set to come.

Some Pixar and Disney bobble heads are expected to pop up in a similar style, as well.

Wave One of these beauties, which includes the mentioned Monsters, Inc. and Toy Story characters, as well as mickey and Maleficent, is expected to hit North American Disney Stores and DisneyStore.com this May.

Oh boy . . . !

Source: Pixar Talk

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Some Pixar Links: a Grammy, a BAFTA, Some New Cars and Lotsa Toys

There's been a lot of Pixar news recently, and I decided I'd share it with you like the good, little Blogger I am. You'll find it all packaged, nice 'n' neat, below . . .


Toy Story 3, ever the favorite of everyone, has won two more awards: a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album and a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Feature. Good job, Pixar! Now all that's left is for the Academy to give you that award for Best Picture.


New Cars 2 characters have been announced, including some voiced by John Turturro and Eddie Izzard. Those are two very funny and wonderful actors, so I am very excited that they will be joining the cast of Pixar's next film. However, the fact that the cast keeps growing on the film is making me anxious . . . is Pixar really being this gimmicky with their film and marketing campaign? I haven't had a good feeling about Cars 2 from the get-go, but let's hope that I'm wrong.



Last but not least, we have Pixar at the American International Toy Fair! Watch the embedded video above for the scoop, including Michael Caine revealing a life-size Finn McMissile, and an on-stage discussion with voice actors Caine and Emily Mortimer. Also check out this link and this one and, for kicks, this one for more of the Cars 2 toy announcements from the fair . . . and you know there's lots of 'em! Disney loves merchandising, especially when it comes to Cars.

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New 'Toy Story 3' Toys

Toy Story 3 is coming out in just over a month, and I know how excited you must be. So, in order to at least partially quench your Toy Story thirst, here's a comprehensive list of all of the brand new Toy Story 3 toys:

New Additions to the Toy Story Collection:

Jessie

Here's the synopsis from DisneyStore.com:

This Toy Story Collection: Jessie Action Figure lets you yodel along with your favorite cowgirl. Just pull the string of this interactive deluxe replica of the yodeling cowgirl from the Woody's Roundup TV show to hear 33 sayings from the movie.

It will be available on June 1, and will cost $59.50. It is available for pre-order at DisneyStore.com.

This is one toy from the official collection that, honestly, I could do without. Sure, it'd be cool to own all of them, but I don't think I'd ever actually play with this one (like I play with the other ones, anyways). Oh well, if I ever have $60 lying around, I might pick one up.

Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear

Here's the synopsis from DisneyStore.com:

The sweet-smelling star of Toy Story 3 has a lot to say for himself with this Toy Story Collection: Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear Plush by Thinkway Toys. This accurate replica of Lotso has a soft side and responds to hugs, tickles and your voice!

It will be available on June 1, and will cost $59.50. It is available for pre-order at DisneyStore.com.

I am definitely getting this one. Although I haven't seen the film yet, I am sure that I'm going to love Lotso. Plus, he seems to be such a cuddly toy that there's no way I can resist. And, if that's not enough, he's strawberry-scented!

Mr. Potato Head

Here's the synopsis from DisneyStore.com:

Every Toy Story will be hungry to play with this Toy Story Collection: Mr Potato Head Action Figure. Our animated Mr. Potato Head with part popping action and featuring the original movie voice is the definitive collector's edition.

If this toy didn't have the Don Rickles voicebox or the popping parts I wouldn't get it. Enough said.


New LEGO Sets:


I haven't seen any details on these, except for a post at The Disney Blog. Apparently, there are three or so new Toy Story LEGO sets inspired by the third film that haven't been released yet. Take a look at the pictures at the Disney Blog, but be forewarned that they do contain spoilers.

(Oh, and I am definitely getting the LEGO train set.)

Plush:


If you don't want to spend as much money on a Lotso Bear, they have a cheaper, equally cuddly plush version for only $16.50. And, it's available now. You can see his picture at the top of this post.

Some other new Toy Story plush toys include Chunk ($8.50), Stretch ($8.50), and the super-cool Woody and Buzz Pook-a-looz ($12.50 each).


There's all of the new Toy Story 3 toys! I'm gonna definitely get the Lotso and Mr. Potato Head, but would love to get them all. But, even more than buying the toys, I want to see Toy Story 3! Only 46 days now...

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The Lots-o'-Huggin Bear Hits Store Shelves Soon (UPDATED)

On Lee Unkrich's Twitpic page, he has just posted the above photo, a Lotso Bear. Up until now, we have not known if they were going to be selling a Lotso Bear as a new part of the Toy Story merchandise collection, but now we know that indeed they are.

Not only that, but we also know that this bear will have "over 45 different sayings," and will "respond to hugs, tickles, and your voice." A very, very odd feature of this toy is that it is "strawberry scented." I am wondering if this feature will play a part in the film...

The label in the upper right also shows that this is a creation of Pixar's favorite toy manufacturer, Thinkway Toys.

I cannot wait to get one. He looks very soft and very much like his virtual counterpart. I'm guessing it cost be around $40.00, and should be available in the coming months in preparation for the film's release on June 18.


Update: Above is another picture from Lee's Twitpic page. It is Ned Beatty, the voice of Lotso the Bear, holding the aforementioned toy version of the character. This gives us a feeling of the toy's scale, and it also shows us the uncanny resemblance between the character and who's doing his voice...


Update 2: Apparently, this Lotso toy was announced along with hundreds of other new toys at the American International Toy Fair in New York City earlier today. It was announced by John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Darla Anderson and John Ratzenberger. The new line of Toy Story 3 merchandise stole the show at this year's event, along with Lasseter being inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. Read the full press release, along with plenty of product descriptions, here.

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John Lasseter made of LEGOs

Briefly: Unkrich has just posted the above image in his Twitpic page. It is a sculpture of John Lasseter's head made out of LEGOs. And it is pretty darn cool. It is a great likeness, and I especially like the very stylized Woody and Buzz stranding next to him.

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Unkrich's Pixar Stuff to Benefit Haiti

Lee Unkrich is helping out the people who are suffering in Haiti by auctioning off his great collection of Pixar things he has accumulated over the years. Each item is being auctioned separately, and they include crew jackets from numerous Pixar films, baseball hats, T-shirts, signed art, and even specially made Monsters, Inc. Jones Soda. I'd like to stress that these charity auctions are being created and handled personally by Lee Unkrich, director of Toy Story 3, and are not being organized by either Pixar or Disney. Also, it is important to note that 100% of the final sale price will go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. There are some real treasures being put up for auction and I would encourage you to take a look at them. After all, it is for a great cause.

Check out The Pixar Blog for more information and a statement made by Lee.

Very cool.

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Official 'Toy Story' Lego Sets Released

After waiting for month after month, the Toy Story LEGO sets are now available! The Toy Story sets can be found at LEGO stores, toy stores, and countless other virtual stores online. They are pretty great. I'll walk you through each and every glorious, plastic set inspired by the Pixar films:

Woody and Buzz to the Rescue!


Cost: $19.99

Pieces: 92

Minifigs: Buzz and Woody

LEGO Number: 7590

Interactivity: This set is mildly interactive with RC's "motor action" and the ability to strap Buzz to "The Big One".

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Woody's Round-up


Cost: $49.99

Pieces: 502

Minifigs: Bullseye, Woody, Jessie, and Stinky Pete

LEGO Number: 7594

Interactivity: This one is very interactive with the ability to "turn the wheel to eject the back wall of jail," "use the boardwalk catapult to trap Stinky Pete," and use the goldmine which is "loaded with dynamite, exploding rocks, and secret traps!"

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Buzz's Star Command Spaceship


Cost: $29.99

Pieces: 257

LEGO Number: 7593

Minifigs: Buzz Lightyear and Evil Emperor Zurg

Interactivity: This one isn't very interactive since its only two features include a moon buggy that deploys from the back of the spaceship, and the ability to open the cockpit to seat Buzz at the control.

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Army Men on Patrol


Cost: $10.99

Pieces: 90

LEGO Number: 7595

Minifigs: 4 Green Army Men

Interactivity: This one isn't very interactive since its at the lower end of the Toy Story LEGO line-up. The jeep just has a spare tire, and that's about it.

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Construct-a-Buzz


Cost: $24.99

Pieces: 211

LEGO Number: 7592

Minifigs: 1 Little Green Alien and Buzz Lightyear

Interactivity: Buzz has quite a bit of interactive features: you can "flick fire Buzz's laser cannon," he has a "retractable helmet that protects Buzz in outer space," and you can "move the wings on Buzz's jetpack."

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Construct-a-Zurg


Cost: $24.99

Pieces: 118

LEGO Number: 7591

Minifigs: 1 Little Green Alien and Emperor Zurg

Interactivity: This one is fairly interactive and features a "powerful sphere-shooting cannon" and a "rotating waist."

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Well, those are the long-awaited Toy Story LEGO sets. For more information and pictures visit the product page on LEGO.com. I must say that these sets are a slight let-down since there aren't any massive, more than 1000-pieces sets; all of these seem to be more aimed towards the beginning LEGO-builder and lack a real attention to detail. Nevertheless, I am still excited about the great match-up of LEGOs and Pixar, and I will certainly get each and every one of these sets.

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Huge Lego Woody

Briefly: Above you will see a gigantic Lego sculpture of Woody from Toy Story. This is most likely part of a campaign leading up to both the release of Toy Story 3, and the release of the Toy Story line of Lego products. I grabbed it off of Lee Unkrich's wonderful TwitPic page. Very cool.

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John Lasseter and his 'Toy Story' Toys

Above is a short video of John Lasseter discussing the new line of amazing Toy Story toys being released very soon in preparation for both the re-release of the existing Toy Story films this October, and the next in the series being released next summer. Although the video doesn't actually show any of the toys in action (for which I am waiting intently) the video does showcase the really cool packaging, discuss their motives for making the new toys, as well as have John convey his personal connection with the franchise and its merchandise. It is a very good video, and makes me really want to buy two of each, as Mr. Lasseter recommends...

To read more about the Toy Story line of merchandise being released soon, read this.

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Pixar at Comic-Con (Great Reviews, and More!)

Comic-Con, the biggest film, comic, and television convention in the entire world, is underway! And, in my opinion, no one makes better films than Pixar. So, of course, they are there!

First, here is a great interview with John Lasseter, courtesy of /Film. Interviewed at Comic-Con, he talks about his approach to Pixar villains, as well as what the future holds for Imagineering! (Another great quote from John Lasseter at today's Pixar demonstration: "Toy Story came out in 1995. Think of how many kids were born since then. They only know us from the home videos. These films were meant to be seen on the big screen.") Enjoy the interview:



Here is another Comic-Con interview from /Film. This one's an interview with Lee Unkrich, director of upcoming Pixar film Toy Story 3:



This last bit of Comic-Con/Pixar news is the most exciting! Here are the pictures of the official LEGO minifigs of Toy Story set to be released next year:





Here is a small tidbit courtesy of Pixar Planet. It isn't really SDCC-related, but is Pixar merchandise related...


Here is an action figure of Carl Fredricksen, set to be released soon! Hot Toys of Tokyo, Japan will release a full line of these high quality Up action figures later this year!

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Ultimate Buzz Lightyear, More 'Toy Story' Toys Look Amazing [UPDATED]

With the looming release of not one, not two, but three Toy Story films in the next year, it makes sense that Disney is re-creating the line of merchandise for the films (with the help of John Lasseter, thankfully), to create 'The Definitive Toy Story Collection.' The Ultimate Buzz Lightyear (remind you of a certain expensive WALL-E toy from last year?...) looks like it will be very, very cool:

Standing 16 inches tall and sporting seven motors, more than 100 phrases, and responding to voice, this goes beyond toy. When you first take Buzz out of the box, he thinks he’s a real Space Ranger. If you say “Star Command” he tries to contact Star Command for real. Once you say “You’re A Toy!” his behavior changes accordingly. You can control Buzz with a 15-function wireless remote control, and the controller can be used to play a laser game with Buzz. What really blew me away was the “Puppeteering Programming” function. This function allows you to program a series of moves simply by moving his head, arms and legs in the sequence you want. Buzz will record the movements and play them back, including phrases and laser blasts.

Sound awesome? Well, I know it will be. Pricey, I'm sure, but awesome nonetheless. But that isn't all of the good news. More great toys inspired by October's re-release are coming out soon.


RC from the film is getting a reboot as well and it "has that peppy puppy bounce that RC had in the movie. The designers also gave the toy IR and bump sensors for collision avoidance. You can control RC using the normal controller, and you can call him to you by saying, 'Come here RC!' Using dual audio sensors, RC can figure out where you are and head over to you."

Another feature mentioned in the article is that upon clapping your hands, the new Mr. Potato Head will pop all of its parts out of its body. Very funny and cool.

I cannot wait to get my hands on some of these sure-to-be fun and entertaining toys.

Update: Popular gadget blog Gizmodo has more information on the Ultimate Buzz, including a price tag of around $140, and the following video of the amazing toy in action!

Buzz Lightyear Robot Toy from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Source: Wired

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Giant Buzz Made of Legos

Above you will find, straight from Lee Unkrich's very own TwitPic page (!!), a larger than actual size sculpture of Buzz Lightyear constructed completely out of Legos! It is amazing how the 'Lego sculptor' was able to capture Buzz's personality so well. And he was even able to get the trademark swirl on the chin. This statue of Buzz is almost definitely part of the only-just-beginning marketing campaign for Pixar's next flick.

The Lego statue, however, almost immediately reminded me of the Toy Story Lego sets which are set to come out next year prior to the third film's release. Will these consumer Lego sets be this awesome? No. Will these comsumer Lego sets be awesome? Absolutely.

The photo lacks a caption, and was posted yesterday, June 5, by Unkrich himself. Lee Unkrich has worked with Pixar for the last 15 years where he started as a simple film editor and worked his way up to co-director of Toy Story 2; Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo. He is currently directing Toy Story 3, which will be released on June 18 of next year, and I can hardly wait to be taken back to the wonderful world of talking toys which I love so much.

Only 377 days to go...

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'Toy Story' and 'Cars' Becoming LEGOS

Today, Disney made a deal with LEGO (Here is the press release). Coming out in 2010, a series of LEGO sets will be released, and they will be great.


The most exciting of the sets being released is a series of Toy Story LEGOs--they will depict scenes from the Toy Story movie franchise in anticipation of the release of Toy Story 3.

This, of course, is not the official Toy Story LEGO set as it won't be released for another year, but this is just a makeshift LEGO creation, you can find an article on it here.

Another LEGO release in June of 2010 will be a series of Cars DUPLO sets. This is also being released in anticipation of Cars 2. The DUPLO sets are generally made for younger kids and they usually use larger LEGO pieces, but are still fun, especially if they depict Cars characters!

A Prince of Persia: Sands of Time LEGO set will also be released by Disney and LEGO.

I can't wait! I love LEGOS and Pixar. These Cars and Toy Story LEGO sets are sure to be truly great additions to the LEGO collection of products. I can hardly wait!

Source: Upcoming Pixar

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Toy Story 1 & 2 Re-release Details [UPDATED]

Today, more info was announced about the re-releases of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 into theaters. What was already known, is that 3D is involved, and they will be released on October 2nd, 2009 and February 12, 2010 respectively.


New details announced today are that there will be re-rendering, and freshening up of the original features so that they will match the detailed 2010 release of Toy Story 3 (which will be released in standard and 3D formats). Another note about the re-releases of the first two Toy Story flicks, is that, thankfully, no new footage or gimmicks will be added to the classic films; they are exactly the same as you remember, except that they are crisper with more detail, and they jump out of the screen at you. As put by Jim Morris, "There’s no new shots. There’s no new nothing. It’s exactly the same movie you saw before."


Another topic mentioned was the possibility of an IMAX release for future Pixar movies, but they say that they "never had it come quite to fruition", which means they are not planning on having it anytime soon.

Here's a great, detailed interview on the topic.


I can't wait to see these classics (and soon-to-be-classic) in 3D! In fact, 3D or not, I am just excited to see these features in theaters again. Only another year till they start to roll out!

UPDATED: Read this to read about the new re-release dates!

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Michael Keaton to be in Toy Story 3

Briefly: IESB.net has interviewed Jodi Benson, who has done various different voices for Disney, including Tour Guide Barbie in Toy Story 2. During her interview, she accidentally let loose a little bit of information. She said that Michael Keaton will play opposite her, Barbie, as the popular doll, Ken. I can't wait for the release of Toy Story 3, as well as the true and false "leaks of information" that constantly come up between now and its official release date.


Source: IESB.net

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