4) It’s Not A Strict Sequel
The chronological continuation will be an obvious one in Toy Story 4, but it’s already been said that this next release won’t “strictly” be a sequel. Cryptic though this may sound, it does provide a sort of confirmation that we won’t necessarily have to see the toys through the same adventures they had with Andy now that they live with the younger Bonnie.
It means that there’s more of a free reign given to the creative team; the short films we’ve talked about have already shown that they’ve settled into life at Bonnie’s, so now their next full-length adventure doesn’t necessarily have to be based on the progression in her life. The timeline can be influenced by the toys themselves more than ever.
3) Bonnie Can Be Important
While Bonnie may not be essential to the proceedings in Toy Story 4, she can still be an important and effective narrative tool. We certainly won’t be expecting to see any of Andy in Toy Story 4 – save perhaps for a typically Pixar-esque cameo – but that really won’t matter at all. Bonnie’s growth can offer up a different angle to what we’ve previously experienced with Andy, and her story could make for a useful subplot in the new movie.
To this point the only girl’s story we’ve experienced has been that of Jessie’s previous owner, or other minor characters. The plight of the female human in the series thus far hasn’t exactly been a sympathetic one, given what happened to Jessie. Bonnie provides the directors with the chance to rectify this to a degree; she certainly seems to be a far more empathetic toy-owner so far!
