Disney-Pixar has today announced via Twitter the news that Josh Cooley will co-direct the hugely anticipated Toy Story 4 alongside original director and Pixar head honcho John Lasseter.
Cooley began his career as a Pixar intern working in the story department on Cars, and is head of story on Pixar’s latest film, Inside Out, which debuts in cinemas this summer.
“To be co-director on Toy Story 4 with John, who brought the Toy Story characters to the screen 20 years ago, is a dream come true,” Cooley told Variety. “When I first saw Toy Story I was amazed by the groundbreaking computer-generated animation. But it was the strong storytelling that kept me coming back. Toy Story 4 will continue that tradition and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it!”
Set for cinemas in June, 2017, Toy Story 4 is co-written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the actors turned screenwriters who penned 2012 rom-com Celeste and Jesse Forever, working from a story idea by Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich, who co-wrote the story for the original film. As yet there’s no word on the cast, although the original line-up is expected to return despite the fact that Disney exec Jim Morris described it as a “stand alone film” and “not another sequel” just last week.