Get ready for a bumpy ride to the nostalgia land, as we are heading for one of Pixar’s greatest trilogy, Toy Story. The entire franchise is widely considered one of Pixar’s best, with the third movie concluding beautifully the time between the toys and their first owner, Andy. As the latter must give away his favorite toys to go to college, Woody’s “So long, partner” makes our eyes teary every time we rewatch the movie.
But did you know that the ending of Toy Story 3 could have gone in a vastly different direction? The movie’s screenwriter, Michael Arndt, recently shared with us some intriguing pieces of news about the critically acclaimed threequel, including a secret ending that didn’t come to fruition. Here’s what the writer had to say about Toy Story 3’s alternate ending.
#1. What Is Toy Story 3’s Original Ending?
Source: Pixar Animation
Some of you Disney enthusiasts might remember the real ending of Toy Story 3 like it was yesterday, but let’s revisit it nonetheless. After escaping the scrapyard and Lotso’s grasp, the toys, led by Woody and Buzz, promptly return to Andy’s home. When the latter returns home, he finds the toys are all in place, and an address to Bonnie’s house is attached.
When Andy arrives at Bonnie’s house and sees how the girl loves her toys, he reluctantly gives her his favorite toys one by one. In the end, he’s surprised to find Woody inside the box as well, as he initially wanted to bring him along to college. After a while, Andy eventually decides to give Woody to Bonnie, believing that she will handle his toys with care.
As Andy drives away, the toys, including Woody, give him a final emotional farewell. Okay, who’s chopping onions in the kitchen?
#2. Arndt’s Secret Ending Might Surprise Us All
Source: Pixar Animation
Speaking with Script Apart, Toy Story 3’s writer Michael Arndt revealed how different the movie’s ending could have been from the original. The ending’s outcome and the final scene remain the same, but the tone is initially much more upbeat and high-paced.
In the secret ending, after leaving Sunnyside Daycare, the toys realize that Andy is leaving for college in 10 minutes. Then they realize that they’re right next to Al’s Toy Barn, the place they visited in the second movie. The toys go in, get a bunch of radio-controlled toy vehicles, and use them to get back to Andy’s house in time.
Source: Pixar Animation
“They get back on their vehicles, and they take off, and then they realize retroactively that they all grabbed the wrong remote controllers. So, the people on the motorcycle are controlling the car, the people in the car are controlling the airplane. . . And so you have this – it's sort of this comedy sprint to the finish where you have a ticking clock [...],” Arndt disclosed about the chaotic scene that ensued in the initial script.
In the end, the motorcycle runs out of battery, so the toys hop on the car, but then the toy car runs out of battery as well. All the toys hop on the plane, and they come crashing through Andy’s bedroom window, just in time before the teenager packs things up.
#3. Why Toy Story 3’s True Ending Works Better Than The Alternate One
Source: Pixar Animation
Toy Story 3’s secret ending doesn’t change much - it only adds an extra sequence where the toys race against time back to Andy’s house. It was supposed to be a fun, high-paced, and chaotic sequence to lighten things up after the heavy scene in the scrapyard with Lotso and the incinerator.
However, as fun as it is, this alternate ending would drag the audience away from the emotional scene at the end of the movie. The final sequence of Toy Story 3 is about Andy’s decision to move on from his childhood and leave his toys in better care, and the toys’ emotional farewell to their previous owner.
Source: Pixar Animation
The alternate ending with all the chaos that ensued seems unnecessary at this point, and it will only make the touching scene feel less weighted. Besides, the last scenes in Toy Story 1 and 2 already include some high-speed chasing sequences against time, so doing it again in the threequel would make the movie feel repetitive.
What do you think about Toy Story 3’s secret ending? Would you prefer Pixar to include it instead? Let us know in the comments.