Disney Pixar has taken its pick as to who will co-direct the upcoming "Toy Story 4.'
Josh Cooley, who was referred to as a "rising star" in their creative team, will take on directorial duties alongside John Lasseter who is known for directing the first two "Toy Story' movies.
Cooley worked as a storyboard artist on popular animated films, such as "Cars', "The Incredibles' and "Ratatouille', before he attained the position as Head of Story for this year's 3D animated fantasy-comedy film "Inside Out.'
"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 said in an interview with 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!"
Last November, Disney Pixar confirmed that it had been working on "Toy Story 4', which has been set for an official release on June 16, 2017.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will be reprising their roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the upcoming sequel.
Disney also announced that Rashida Jones and Will McCormack have joined the team to pen the script for "Toy Story 4.' The duo had previously co-written the romantic comedy-drama film "Celeste & Jesse Forever' from 2012.
Both Jones and McCormack are widely known for their acting roles; the 39-year-old actress played Ann Perkins on TV sitcom "Parks & Recreation' which had its final episode aired last February 24. McCormack also appeared in a number of TV series, including "The Sopranos', "CSI' and "The Office.'
According to Disney Pixar president Jim Morris, the sequel will not carry on with the story from "Toy Story 3.' Rather, the highly-anticipated sequel will be intended as a "separate story" and will be written as a "romantic comedy."
"The third movie ended in a beautiful way and completed a trilogy. I think this movie is not part of this trilogy," Morris stated. "It is a separate story, which in turn I do not know if will be continued."
Although plot details have not been announced, the Disney Pixar president dropped hints about what might possibly happen in the film, saying: "It will not put much focus on the interaction between the characters and children. I think it will be a very good movie."
