Woody and Buzz are coming back, and Stephany Folsom is penning their next adventure. Disney-Pixar has hired the screenwriter to take over “Toy Story 4,” Variety reports. Rashida Jones and writing partner Will McCormack were originally signed on to the project but backed out over creative and philosophical differences with Pixar. The duo suggested that “women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice” in the company’s culture, and encouraged them to “be leaders in bolstering, hiring, and promoting more diverse and female storytellers and leaders.”
Folsom is perhaps best known for making the 2013 Black List with her script “1969: A Space Odyssey Or: How Kubrick Learned To Stop Worrying And Land On The Moon.” The story centers on a “publicist who convinces filmmaker Stanley Kubrick to work with NASA in order to fake the moon landing,” the source details.
In September 2017 Folsom criticized the WGA for failing to give her a story credit on “Thor: Ragnarok.” The superhero film has grossed over $851 million worldwide and is still in theaters.
“Toy Story 4” reportedly focuses on a romance between Woody and Bo Peep. The animated franchise about sentient toys has earned over $1 billion worldwide. “Inside Out” scribe Josh Cooley is directing this installment.
“A good story transports you to another world, gives you a new perspective, presents a new idea, and entertains,” Folsom once wrote in her blog. “Stories are how we relate to one another, and how we make sense of the general chaos that is life. For better or worse, stories show our humanity. Yes, stories are important and somebody needs to write them down.”
