Tom Hanks explains his very emotional reaction to Toy Story 4’s ending

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Pixar is known for its canon of tear-jerking films, movies so emotionally resonant that just the idea of them turns the waterworks on. The TOY STORY movies are some of the best of the best when it comes to getting the tears going, and next year’s TOY STORY 4 has an ending that is so emotional and heart-wrenching that it made even its star, Tom Hanks, struggle with trying to record it. We must all prepare ourselves.

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The two-time Oscar winner was speaking on the BBC’s “The Chris Evans Breakfast Show” when he talked about how when it came time to record the movie’s “impactful” ending he was unable to look at everyone else in the room.

The way you record Toy Story, you're in a room with the team that has created it. When I went in for my last day of recording, I wanted to have my back to them, because usually you're facing him so you can look right up and you can talk about it. But I didn't want to see them and I wanted to pretend they couldn't see me. When I realized what they were going for, I realized, 'Oh, this is a moment in history.'

Saying the ending is a “moment in history” is a big statement when it comes to these movies, as they’ve all been responsible for some of the most notable moments in animated film history. The last movie alone, TOY STORY 3, has that wallop of a third act that sees the toys coming face to face with their death via an incinerator, all before finding a new home with a sweet little girl. It was the perfect way to end (or should we say, “end”) the series and is one of the most resonant moments in all of Pixar’s film catalog. And now TOY STORY 4 has something that may top it, and none of us are ready.

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Hanks’ comments reflect what STORY co-star Tim Allen said about the movie not too long ago when he told the ladies of THE TALK that he “couldn’t even get through the last scene,” comparing the movie to AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Basically, what these two are getting at is this will be the most epic animated movie ever that will see half of the toys either losing all their parts or getting recycled.

TOY STORY 4 hits theaters June 21, 2019.