Toy Story 4 is now set for release in 2017

Update: Toy Story is now to be released in 2019, so there is an unfortunate delay of 2 years. But it still coming!

Toy Story 4 is happening people, and the new animation will be directed by the orignal Toy Story director and Pixar chief John Lasseter, the same man behind the use of computer technology in 1995’s Toy Story.

Lasseter will return to the directing chair to make a fourth movie about the adventures of Woody, Buzz, and the gang, Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger has announced.

While we’re already thinking about pre-ordering our cinema ticket, it looks like we’ll have to wait a while before we can see the movie in theaters, because it won’t hit the big screen until June 16, 2017. “John created Toy Story and directed the first two films, and it’s great to have him back directing one of our most valuable properties,” Iger said as he revealed the news in a quarterly earnings call for investors earlier today.

The CEO did not say whether Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Joan Cussack (Jessie), Wallace Shawn (Rex) or any of the other actors who voice the talking toys would be returning, but surely they can’t make a sequel to one of the most-loved franchises in film history without them!

Woody and the gang are back… (Disney/Pixar)

It’s already been four years since Toy Story 3 came out, but we’ve still been fortunate enough to see the gang since their last feature film. They have returned to our screens in a series of short films and television specials, all of which have picked up with the family of playthings remaining under the ownership of sweet little girl Bonnie, who was handed the toys by their original owner Andy.

The first of these was the 2011 short, Hawaiian Vacation, which played before Cars 2 and saw Barbie and Ken (voiced by Jodi Benson and Michael Keaton) treated to a trip to the islands without ever leaving their owner’s bedroom. If only..