Tim Allen feels surprised by Toy Story's enduring success
Tim Allen has reflected on the enduring success of the Toy Story franchise.
Tim Allen has been amazed by the success of the Toy Story franchise.
The 72-year-old actor has played Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story film franchise since 1995, but Tim never imagined that the movies would prove to be so popular for so many years.
The Hollywood star told Us Weekly: "When we first saw Toy Story, everybody was in the room going, 'I don’t know what to make of this.' [The] powers-that-be were very unsure it would [translate]. [They] thought, 'Maybe we just go right to DVDs.'"
Toy Story 5 pits the toys against technology, and Tim thinks the plotline is "courageous".
The actor - who has reunited with Tom Hanks for the new movie - said: "I’m amazed Pixar did this.
"They’re into tech, and yet they’re putting a light on their own tech. That scene where all the kids are on their phones in the houses, everybody got very quiet in the screening room. It was courageous to re-encourage kids to play."
Tim loves that the movie franchise has left such a strong impression on young children.
He said: "Seeing a kid’s face when I say, 'To infinity … and beyond!' Tom taught me this trick — we’ll have [kids] shut their eyes and turn around, and then we do Woody and Buzz, and to see the look on their faces.
"What these characters have done for them is what Mickey and Donald Duck did for me at a certain time in my life. I think it’s time to [do] a high-end Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse [project], because those two were Woody and Buzz for me when I was a kid."
Tim recently admitted that he thought Toy Story was finished after the third movie.
The actor never imagined reprising his role after 2010's Toy Story 3.
He told Radio Times: "I thought (Toy Story 3 ) was the end of it."
Tim cherished reuniting with Tom Hanks, who voices Sheriff Woody in the Toy Story franchise, for the latest movie.
He said: "I love script and I love storytelling, and I sometimes ask questions. I said (to the filmmakers) that I had such a hard time saying goodbye to this man in (Toy Story 4) that you’ve got to have a moment where they connect and Buzz sees that he’s back. That moment is simple and short, but it happens."
