Various fan theories and conspiracies have cropped up online ever since Pixar announced "Toy Story 4." If it were up to Tom Hanks alone, the fourth installment would feature one popular fan theory, which he described as "fantastic." The actor, who voices the cowboy Woody, admitted that he heard about a fan theory linking Andy's mom to Jessie -- the cowgirl doll and Woody's girlfriend voiced by Joan Cusack. Allegedly, Jessie originally belonged to Andy's mom when she was little. Viewers might recall that before Jessie was stashed away, she belonged to a little girl named Emily, as shown in a flashback in "Toy Story 2."
The hat ties it together
Andy owned a cowboy hat that looked very much like the Jessie doll.
In one flashback scene in "Toy Story 2," a similar red, laced hat was seen in Emily's old bedroom before she grew up and went to college. Since Andy's mom's first name was never revealed, and since Emily's last name was also not known in the movies, the fan theory could only tie their identities to the hat. The theory also surmised that Andy's mom's age could be closer to Emily's age in the present day.
A fantastic off-story
When asked about it, Tom Hanks said the fan theory was "a fantastic off-story, a little bit of fan knowledge to me," he told Huffington Post. "I’m sure the folks at Pixar have paid attention to it," he said, adding that this was by no means an indication that the storyline would be added to the fourth "Toy Story."
Writer Pete Docter, however, said he and director John Lasseter had a different backstory in mind and it doesn't tie Andy's mom to Jessie.
Still, he's amazed with all the fan theories given that the first film came out over two decades ago. "A lot of stuff just keeps bubbling up, so it's very interesting," Docter told Entertainment Tonight.
Disney, who owns Pixar, announced the movie's fourth installment to investors in 2014. The studio then set a June 21, 2019 theater release.
In 2015, Disney added Josh Cooley as co-director. He is credited for the animated movie "Inside Out."
Pixar has been keeping the movie's plot top secret and it's still unclear when voice production will begin for "Toy Story 4." Aside from Tom Hanks, Tim Allen is also expected to return as the voice of the space adventurer Buzz Lightyear. However, no other cast announcements have been confirmed.
