Originally published April 1, 2019. Updated April 2, 2019.
Although the legendary U.S. comedian passed away back in 2017, Josh Cooley – director of the upcoming Toy Story 4 – has revealed on Twitter that Don Rickles will still feature as the voice of the beloved Mr. Potato Head in the upcoming Disney-Pixar sequel.
“Some people say funny things, I say things funny.” -Don Rickles
All of his pieces may be replaceable, but his voice is not. Honored he signed on for TS4, honored he’s in TS4. pic.twitter.com/Q7cTRSQNwh— Josh Cooley (@CooleyUrFaceOff) March 28, 2019
Rickles died before he was able to record his lines for Toy Story 4, so much like Mr. Potato Head himself, the filmmakers crafted a new performance using Rickles’ recordings from the first three movies, along with various video games and other projects.
“Of course we loved Don obviously, and after he passed, his family contacted us and asked if there was any way that we could create a performance using the recordings that we had,” states Cooley in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Now, he signed to be in Toy Story 4. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to record him for the film. But we went through, jeez, 25 years of everything we didn’t use for Toy Story 1, 2, 3, the theme parks, the ice capades, the video games — everything that he’s recorded for Mr. Potato Head. And we were able to do that. And so I’m very honored that they asked us to do that, and I’m very honored that he’s in the film. Nobody can replace him.”
SEE ALSO: Disney-Pixar releases full Toy Story 4 trailer and new poster
Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.
Toy Story 4 is set for release on June 21st and features a voice cast that includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack, Blake Clark, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Michael Keaton, Jeff Pidgeon, Kristen Schaal, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Lori Alan, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Don Rickles, and Keanu Reeves.
