Jessie (Toy Story)
Fictional character in the Toy Story franchise
Jessie is a fictional cowgirl rag doll and one of the three central characters in the Disney–Pixar "Toy Story" franchise. She first appeared in "Toy Story 2," and returned in the sequels, "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4". The idea for introducing a female character was suggested by Nancy Lasseter, while John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon, and Andrew Stanton developed and created the character. She is voiced by Joan Cusack in the "Toy Story" filmography, while Sarah McLachlan is her singing voice in "Toy Story 2". Kat Cressida voices the character in the video games, including the "Disney Infinity" series.
In the franchise, Jessie is a brave and excitable rag doll who was abandoned by her first owner after she outgrew her. Years of being in storage leads her to develop claustrophobia and abandonment issues. She is eventually rescued by series protagonist Woody and finds a new owner in Andy Davis. Years later, she and her friends are donated to a new owner in Bonnie Anderson, who claims Jessie as her new favorite toy. With Woody's departure after reuniting with Bo Peep, she is given his sheriff badge as a token of her significance to Bonnie.
Jessie has received a largely positive critical reception since her debut, with praise for her tragic backstory and her overall characterization and role in the franchise, However, many critics criticized Pixar for sidelining her in the fourth film, giving her a minimal role. Cusack's vocal performance of the character was positively received, and she was awarded for voicing Jessie at the 2000 Annie Awards.
Development.
Conception and design.
The story concept for "Toy Story 2" began with director John Lasseter considering what scenario would be most upsetting for a toy. He decided that the idea of a toy collector who seals toys in cases ensuring that they will never to be played with was worse than being replaced by another toy. He took inspiration from a toy collector character that appeared in an early draft of "Toy Story" but was removed. The concept involved series protagonist Woody being part of a collectible set, an idea that originated in a draft story titled "A Tin Toy Christmas". Ralph Guggenheim, a producer on "Toy Story 2", said that the team took inspiration from 1950s children's cowboy television series, including "Howdy Doody" and "Hopalong Cassidy," to define the rest of the characters in Woody's set: "You would find a gruff old prospector. You would find other characters, like an Annie Oakley-Calamity Jane sort of character, a tough frontier girl." Lasseter's wife Nancy also encouraged him to include a female character that would appeal to girls and to make her a more substantial character than Bo Peep. Jessie was originally created as a character named Señorita Cactus, designed as a Mexican sidekick of the prospector character to entice Woody with her feminine charms. By the time she had been redefined as Jessie, her personality was also updated to be tougher.
The Pixar team knew that a key aspect of the plot was to find a reason for Woody to leave Andy's room, so they wanted to create a compelling character to engage with Woody emotionally. Chief creative officer Pete Docter said that the team knew that Woody could not be convinced to leave through logic and reason so they decided that it needed to centre on a relationship: "Jessie brought this sense of responsibility and duty". "Toy Story 4" director Josh Cooley said that Jessie was created to support Woody and show him a new perspective and as she evolved she continued to support him. Production designer Bob Pauley described Jessie as "superfun and energetic and a nice complement to Woody". She was initially designed by Jill Culton, who found her hair particularly difficult, but her design was later upgraded. Lasseter said that the team worked hard on making Jessie a strong female character. He explained that after being abandoned by her owner, Jessie believes that her only opportunity to be loved by children again is in a museum, which requires a Woody doll: "her whole love of children is hinged around the fact that Woody got there". He said that several attempts were made to create the scene in which Jessie tells her backstory but when this failed to work, they found that it was better expressed through the song "When She Loved Me", written by Randy Newman and performed by Sarah McLachlan. Lasseter explained that, "every time she would tell the story, it lost some emotion". Although the Pixar team generally avoided having characters break into song, they decided that the song was the right format for expressing the emotion: "It brought tears to our eyes."
Voices.
Joan Cusack was cast as the voice actor for Jessie in "Toy Story 2" and voiced the role in the third and fourth "Toy Story" feature films. Discussing her voice work, she commented that Jessie's voice is "inherent in that cowboy genre" and that much of her characterisation is "just being a kid". Lasseter was a fan of McLachlan, so she took on the singing part of the role. Newman said that she had the ability to hold long notes, so he wrote Jessie's song with her voice in mind. He was tasked by the Pixar team to write a song that would explain Jessie's relationship with her owner and her sadness when the girl grew up. In the fictional 1950s series "Woody's Roundup", Jessie's yodelling voice is provided by Mary Kay Bergman. On the film soundtrack, which was released after the film, Devon Dawson, a yodeller discovered by Riders in the Sky at a music festival, sings the part of Jessie in two songs. In addition, Kat Cressida has voiced Jessie in various media, including "Disney Infinity". In "Jessie's Wild West Rodeo" and "Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure", Jessie was voiced by Bettina Devin.
Characteristics.
Jessie is a red-haired, energetic, yodeling cowgirl doll. She is a part of a collectible toy set based on a fictional 1950s cowboy puppet television series named "Woody's Roundup", which consists of Sheriff Woody, Jessie, a prospector named Stinky Pete and Woody's steed Bullseye. This valuable toy collection is destined to be sold to a museum in Tokyo by a collector named Al McWhiggin. Despite having a lively spirit, Jessie has a tragic history. The song "When She Loved Me" reveals that she once had an owner who loved her until the girl eventually abandoned her. This loss leaves Jessie in a depressed state with a deep longing to be loved and played with once more. In addition, her experience of being placed in storage as a collectible toy results in her being severely claustrophobic. After making friends with Woody and the other toys, Jessie's outgoing personality returns and she develops a romantic attachment to Buzz Lightyear. Cusack described her as a "can-do girl".
Appearances.
"Toy Story" films.
"Toy Story 2".
When Woody is stolen by Al McWhiggin, he meets Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete at Al's apartment. Woody learns that he is a rare vintage doll based on a character of the same name from a popular 1950s series titled "Woody's Roundup". Upon discovering that he and the others will be sold to a toy museum in Tokyo, Woody tells them that he must get back home to his owner, which causes Jessie to become enraged due to her fear of being kept in storage. After his arm is torn off, Woody has no choice but to stay and get it fixed, while blaming Jessie for waking Al that night. Woody later has a change of heart after hearing of Jessie's traumatic past (by way of her song "When She Loved Me"), when she was loved by a girl named Emily, but was abandoned on the side of the road. As a result, Woody decides to stay with his roundup gang. A group of Andy's toys show up to rescue Woody, but he refuses. He eventually decides to go back to his owner and asks Jessie and Bullseye to come with him, but Stinky Pete will not let them leave and the group is taken to the airport. Woody and Bullseye escape, but Jessie is taken to the airplane. With the help of Bullseye and Buzz Lightyear, Woody rescues her from the airplane. Once Andy arrives home, he accepts them into his collection, dubbing her as "Bazooka Jane."
"Toy Story 3".
After Andy appears to throw his toys away, Jessie convinces the other toys to find a new home at Sunnyside Daycare, refusing to relive the trauma she felt when she was given away by Emily. She tries to persuade Woody to join the others at the daycare, but he leaves to return to Andy alone. Jessie and the other toys discover that they have been placed in a room with very young children who play with them too roughly. Mrs. Potato Head sees Andy searching for his missing toys through her missing eye, causing Jessie and the others to realize that they were wrong about him. They decide to return home, only for Lotso to order his henchmen to imprison them with the help of a reset Buzz. Following another rough play date with the young children, Andy's toys are reunited with Woody, who has a change of heart and decides to rescue his friends. The toys carry out their plan to break out of Sunnyside but accidentally reset Buzz to a Spanish mode. Spanish Buzz makes his love for Jessie apparent by passionately wooing her. Jessie is initially uncomfortable with this drastic change, but grows to like this romantic side of Buzz. When the toys get stuck in a garbage truck along with Lotso, Jessie is rescued by Spanish Buzz, who appears to be crushed by a broken television set. She despairs over his apparent death, but hugs him in relief after he is returned to normal. After the toys are nearly killed in a trash incinerator, Andy's Alien toys rescue them using a crane. They return home to Andy and prepare to be stored in the attic, but are instead given to a girl named Bonnie after Woody leaves a note for Andy, and Jessie quickly adapts to her new life as one of Bonnie's toys.
"Toy Story 4".
During the prologue, set between the events of "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3", Jessie helps Woody, Bo Peep, and the other toys save RC from the storm. Jessie is now Bonnie's favorite toy and she wears Woody's badge as a result. After Bonnie creates Forky, her parents decide to go on a road trip, taking several of her toys with her. Forky escapes and Woody follows him. The following morning, Buzz takes it upon himself to find Woody, resulting in Jessie becoming the temporary leader. Bonnie's parents begin to leave, but Jessie is able to stop them by popping the RV tires. At night, Jessie comes up with an idea to slow down Bonnie's parents and to meet up with Woody, Buzz, and Forky. Once the vehicle is parked in front of the carousel, Jessie and the other toys reunite with Bo Peep. Woody, deciding not to go back home, gives Jessie his badge and they share a heartwarming farewell before he departs. The following year, Jessie introduces Karen Beverly to Bonnie's other toys, which gets the attention of Forky.
"Toy Story 5".
Jessie was confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming film "Toy Story 5" in an image revealed at Disney's D23 Expo.
Other films.
Jessie was featured as a minor character in "Toy Story That Time Forgot", a television special for ABC. In "Toy Story of Terror!", Jessie plays a prominent role in a story where she is forced to confront her claustrophobia after Bonnie and the toys stay over at a motel. She also makes an appearance in "Pixar Popcorn" shorts. Jessie also appears in the short films "Toy Story Toons". She makes several cameo appearances in other Disney films. She makes an appearance in "Monsters, Inc." as one of Boo's toys. She can also be seen in "Meet the Robinsons" on a basketball poster.
Video games.
Jessie has been featured in numerous Disney and Pixar-related video games. She makes an appearance in "." She is a playable character in '. She was introduced as a playable character in "Disney Infinity" as part of a "Toy Story" playset in October 2013. In the "Disney Infinity" series, she is voiced by Kat Cressida. In 2018, Jessie became an unlockable character for the mobile game '. Additionally, a character skin for Jessie, after the release of "Toy Story 4", was made available in a Toy Story Mashup Pack in "Minecraft" in June 2019.
Theme parks and attractions.
Jessie appears as a towering figure above Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World, Orlando. In Toy Story Midway Mania!, Jessie and her friends are featured in the interactive dark ride at Disney California Adventure and Disney's Hollywood Studios. In 2019, Jessie's Critter Carousel opened at Disney California Adventure. In 2022, Jessie's Trading Post Store and Roundup Rodeo Barbecue opened in Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Jessie is also a meet and greet character in Toy Story Land alongside Woody and Buzz. She has also made appearances with the other "Toy Story" characters in Disney on Ice.
Merchandise.
Disney heavily promoted Jessie following the release of "Toy Story 2", as she was a character that they could market to girls, something the original film did not really provide. Among the toys released were 10" and 12" fashion-style dolls, plush and rag doll-type dolls, and action figures in the "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story and Beyond" lines. Other merchandise included wallets, purses and other accessories for girls, nightlights and other bedroom accessories, costumes and dress-up sets, and sculptures and collectibles. Following the film's release, many stores were sold out of Jessie dolls. During the 1999 Christmas season, Jessie dolls were in high demand.
Reception and legacy.
Jessie has received a largely positive reception. "Rolling Stone" ranked Jessie as the fifth best Pixar movie character, highlighting Cusack’s "bubbly, fragile performance" and noting that in her song "When She Loved Me", she epitomises the end of childhood. Psychologists Alan M. Schwitzer and Lawrence C. Rubin described Jessie's arc in "Toy Story 2" as "a poignant story of abandonment, loss, and reconnection." Gwen Ihnat of "The A.V. Club" summarised Jessie's abandonment by her owner as "gut-wrenching" and a "sobfest", commenting that parents would especially feel the emotional impact of the loss of childhood innocence. She felt that the scene "elevated the movie from an adventurous romp...to a meditation on the losses associated with growing up". Peter Bradshaw writing for "The Guardian" opined that Jessie's abandonment story is really about a parent's fear of their child growing up and becoming independent: "a part of you will wind up, like cowgirl Jessie, left under the child's bed, forgotten". Christine Seghers of "IGN" praised "Toy Story of Terror!" for putting Jessie in a position where she must face up to her fears of abandonment and claustrophobia and is empowered to overcome them.
In a review of "Toy Story 2", Roger Ebert described Jessie as "spunky" and "liberated", commenting that "she brings new life to the cast by confronting the others for the first time with a female character who's a little less domestic than Mrs. Potato Head". Tim Luisi cited Jessie as a turning point in the "Toy Story" franchise's gendered representations of support and described her as the franchise's first female character who was as important as the male characters. Jessie has been described as a "strong, independent and assertive female character", though Lilian Munk Rösing described this strength as "boyish" and "manic". Matthew Wilkinson of "Screen Rant," ranking her as the best supporting character in "Toy Story", stated, "Jessie really brought the girl power into the franchise in a big way." Angie Han of "SlashFilm" listed Jessie as one of the best Pixar female characters, praising Pixar for dwelling on her emotional scars. In a "Mic" article looking at female representation in Pixar films, Anna Swartz said that Jessie is possibly, "the most substantive female character Pixar introduced up to this point", noting her traumatic backstory, but highlighted that it is Woody and Buzz that are clearly placed as the stars of "Toy Story 2".
"Body+Souls" writer Courtney Thompson felt that Jessie was not the feminist hero she could have been, commenting that despite being "adventurous, independent and funny", she is restricted to a sexist romance plot: "Jessie was an opportunity for Pixar to give young girls someone to look up to without having her pander to men at all." Conversely, her developing relationship with Buzz Lightyear received positive commentary from Sara Martin Alegre, who said that it could be considered a subversion of the dominant male romance trope due to the "healthy and consensual feelings that Buzz and Jessie bear for one another". Ella Alexander of "Harper's Bazaar" noted that in "Toy Story 3", Jessie is pushed to the background except for her scenes involving her romance with Buzz Lightyear, while in "Toy Story 4", she is again given a minor supporting role in favour of Bo Peep: "It is, for Pixar at least, too much of a stretch to feature two women in key roles." Steve Rose of "The Guardian" also discussed Pixar's treatment of its female characters by listing Jessie as one of several characters alongside Dory and Mrs Incredible that take second billing to the male characters in Pixar films: "at worst they're token love-interests, stay-at-home mums and other stereotypes bent on spoiling the boys' party". Angelica Florio writing for "Bustle" described Jessie as a "feminist icon", despite noting that "Toy Story 2" features no female interactions with other female characters, thereby failing the Bechdel test. "Time" writer Stephanie Zacharek noted the significance of Woody handing over his sheriff badge to Jessie in "Toy Story 4", commenting, "the reign of the white man is coming to an end".
Cusack received praise for her voice work as Jessie. Marc Snetiker of "Entertainment Weekly" remarked on her "fizz-pop-crackle twang" and considered Jessie to be "one of the most fully realized and precisely layered characters on Pixar’s roster". Simon Kinnear of "GamesRadar+" listed Jessie as one of the greatest female characters in film stating, "Cusack nails Jessie's central dichotomy of a personality branded by manufacturers to be bubbly but driven by reality to be desperately sad". "MovieWeb" writer Katey Hicks ranked Jessie as Cusack's best performance commenting that she creates a convincing and heartbreaking portrayal of the character. Cusack also won the category for Female Voice Acting in a Feature Production at the 2000 Annie Awards for her voice work as Jessie in "Toy Story 2". Jessie also received the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
References.
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Woody (Toy Story)
Fictional character in the Toy Story franchise
Sheriff Woody Pride (or simply Woody) is a fictional pull-string cowboy doll who appears in the Disney–Pixar "Toy Story" franchise. In the films, Woody is one of the main protagonists, alongside Buzz Lightyear and Jessie. He is primarily voiced by Tom Hanks, who voices him in the "Toy Story" films, short films, and TV specials. Hanks's brother, Jim Hanks, voices him in video games, attractions, and other merchandise.
Woody was created by directors and writers John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft. His facial features are based on the former Disney animator Tone Thyne. Woody was designed by Bud Luckey, and is based on John Lasseter's Casper pull-string doll he had as a kid, as well as the Howdy Doody puppets from the 1950s show. Woody is named after Woody Strode, a character actor known for many roles in western films. In August 2009, "Toy Story 3" director, Lee Unkrich, stated in his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since the making of the original movie.
In the first film, Woody is Andy Davis's favorite toy and is the leader of Andy's toys. When Andy gets a new toy called Buzz Lightyear, Woody’s position is jeopardized but later becomes friends with him. In the second, he figures out he used to be in a popular TV show called "Woody's Roundup" alongside other three toys and is asked to stay with the group, but he decides to stay with Andy's toys; all but one member of the group also join Andy's toys. In the third, Andy leaves to go to college so he decides to give his toys to a little girl named Bonnie Anderson; he had initially planned to take Woody to college, before seeing that Bonnie loved him. In the fourth, Bonnie's family decides to go on a vacation and Woody finds his long-lost girlfriend, Bo Peep. He decides he will remain with Bo Peep forever and help lost toys find new owners. Since his debut, Woody has received largely positive reception from reviewers due to his character's arc and personality, as well as Tom Hanks's vocal performance.
Development.
Steve Jobs, founder and former owner of Pixar, made a deal with Disney, under Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, to work on the film "Toy Story" together, which would be the first feature-length computer-animated film. The original draft for the film "Toy Story", by Pixar animators John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter, had almost nothing to do with the eventually finished film. It had Tinny, the one-man band from "Tin Toy", as the main character and Woody as an evil ventriloquist dummy. Woody would be the main villain, abusing the other toys until they rallied against him. After Disney executives saw the draft, they sent negative feedback about it and production on the movie was shut down, until a better draft could be revised. Tom Hanks, the primary voice of Woody, was unhappy with the character and reportedly shouted "This guy is a jerk!" while recording lines for the story reel. Katzenberg thought the original draft for "Toy Story" was bad and told Lasseter to redo it, making it more of an odd-couple buddy picture, where the characters Tinny and Woody would be forced to bond with each other despite their different characteristics.
After the negative feedback, Lasseter, Stanton, and Docter got together in early September 1991 with the second draft of the film, and although the lead characters were still Tinny and the dummy, the outline of the final film was beginning to take shape. The Pixar team came back with a new script three months later, with the character of Woody altered from being the tyrannical boss of Andy's toys to being their wise and caring leader.
Woody was inspired by a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll that Lasseter had when he was a kid and the puppets from the children's television show "Howdy Doody". They based his facial features on Disney animator Tone Thyne. Woody stayed a ventriloquist's dummy with a pull-string (hence the name Woody), until his character designer, Bud Luckey, suggested that Woody could be changed to a cowboy ventriloquist dummy. Lasseter liked the difference between the western and the science fiction genres, so Woody was instantly changed. Eventually, all the ventriloquist dummy features of Woody were deleted as the dummy looked "sneaky and mean". However, they kept the name Woody in homage to the Western actor Woody Strode. In August 2009, Lee Unkrich, "Toy Story 3" director, stated on his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since earliest days of development.
Voice.
Paul Newman, Robin Williams, and Clint Eastwood were all considered for the voice of Woody, but John Lasseter always wanted Tom Hanks to voice Woody, stating that Hanks "has the ability to take emotions and make them appealing. Even if the character, like the one in "A League of Their Own", is down-and-out and despicable." To see how Hanks's voice might fit with Woody, Lasseter borrowed a common Disney technique: animate a vocal monologue from a well-established actor to meld the actor's voice with the appearance or actions of the animated character. The early test footage of using Hanks's voice from "Turner & Hooch" convinced Hanks to sign on to the film. At Hanks's suggestion, Pixar employed his brother Jim Hanks to perform Woody's voice for video games, toys, attractions, and other merchandise.
Characteristics.
Woody is an old-fashioned floppy pull-string cowboy doll. The voice-box that is activated by the pull-string says many simple phrases such as "Reach for the sky!", "You're my favorite deputy!", "There's a snake in my boot!", and "Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!". His construction includes an "original hand-painted face, natural dyed-blanket stitched vest", and "hand-stitched poly-vinyl hat". Woody also wears an empty gun holster at his belt.
He has been Andy's favorite toy since kindergarten, with a special spot on the bed, and is the leader and the brains of the toys in Andy's room. Andrew Stanton said that he understood that Woody would need to be a lovable, yet flawed leader since he is somewhat selfish. In "Toy Story 2", it was revealed that he starred as the main character from a popular 1950s TV show "Woody's Roundup". When Al is bargaining with Andy's mom in an attempt to take Woody, Andy's mom declines, stating that Woody is "an old family toy." Prospector also directly and derogatorily refers to him as a "hand-me-down cowboy doll" later in the movie. John Lasseter said "we always thought" that Woody is "kind of a hand-me-down" to Andy from his father.
In the mock outtakes of "Toy Story 2", Woody is shown to have a more mischievous side by pulling pranks on Buzz Lightyear, which includes drawing on his helmet, using his wings as advertising space for rent when they suddenly pop open for the end scene, and hiding in a Buzz Lightyear cardboard box to make faces as he walks past the hundreds of Buzz Lightyear toys on the shelves.
Appearances.
Films.
"Toy Story" (1995).
Woody is the favorite toy of his owner Andy Davis and is the leader of the toys in Andy's room. However, his position is jeopardized by the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, an astronaut action figure that Andy got as a birthday present. Buzz is convinced that he is an actual Space Ranger instead of a toy. The other toys quickly come to like him more than Woody. Annoyed and jealous, Woody tries to knock Buzz behind a desk, in hopes of retaining his status as Andy's favorite toy, but accidentally knocks Buzz out an open window. The other toys (except for Bo Peep and Slinky Dog) accuse Woody of getting rid of Buzz on purpose. Woody tries to explain that it was just an accident, but the toys (again except for Bo and Slinky) do not believe him and become more antagonistic towards him (especially Mr. Potato Head and Hamm the Piggy Bank).
While on the way to Pizza Planet, a fight separates them from Andy at a gas station, which leads to them to being captured by Sid Phillips, Andy's malicious neighbor who likes to destroy toys for fun. While at Sid's house, Buzz becomes depressed after realizing he is an action figure, but Woody cheers him up by explaining how happy he made Andy. They work together and eventually reunite with Andy as he and his family move to a new house. Woody is also re-accepted among the other toys and forms a strong friendship with Buzz.
"Toy Story 2" (1999).
While Woody is trying to save another toy from being sold at Andy's family yard sale, Al McWhiggin, a toy collector, spots Woody and steals him to bring him to his apartment. At Al's apartment, Woody discovers his past and legacy as the star of a 1957 Western children's show titled "Woody's Roundup." It starred Stinky Pete the Prospector, cowgirl Jessie, and Woody's horse Bullseye. Woody learns that he and the other "Roundup" toys are going to be shipped to Japan by Al to be displayed in a toy museum, which will only accept the collection if Woody is in it.
Prospector is intent to make sure that the "Roundup" toys get into the museum; he convinces Woody to go along to Japan and forget Andy. Buzz and a few of the toys arrive to rescue Woody, who changes his mind and decides to return home. However, Prospector prevents Woody from leaving the apartment, ultimately leading to a confrontation at the airport, where the Prospector's plan is foiled. Woody, Buzz, and the other toys return to Andy's house, bringing Jessie and Bullseye with them.
"Toy Story 3" (2010).
Andy is now 17 years old, and is preparing to leave for college. When Andy's other toys mistakenly believe that they are being thrown out as trash, they decide to donate themselves to the Sunnyside Daycare Center. While the others chose to stay at the daycare, Woody attempts to return to Andy, but instead is found and taken home by a little girl named Bonnie, who attends Sunnyside. At Bonnie's house, Woody becomes friends with her toys, who are horrified that he came from Sunnyside and tell him about the true nature of the daycare.
Woody returns to the daycare to tell the other toys the true story of Sunnyside, but finds that Andy's toys are being imprisoned during the night by the daycare toys' bitter leader, Lotso. During the day Woody gathers Andy's toys and tries to devise a plan to help them escape the daycare at night. The plan works out until Lotso figures out where they are and confronts them near the daycare's dumpster. During the confrontation, they all end up inside the dumpster and are taken to a landfill by the nearby dump truck. Andy's toys escape from the fiery landfill, when the toy aliens use the giant claw inside the landfill to grab them and take them to a safe spot. The toys return to Andy's house, and Woody arranges for the toys to be donated to Bonnie's house to enjoy life with a new owner. Andy describes to Bonnie how he viewed his old toys and states that Woody is his favorite toy because he is loyal and will never give up on anyone.
"Toy Story 4" (2019).
By the events of "Toy Story 3", Woody is struggling to adapt to life with Bonnie, as he is no longer the leader of the group (Dolly is the leader of Bonnie's toys); furthermore, Bonnie has lost interest in him. Later, Bonnie creates a new toy, Forky, who believes himself to be trash because his body consists primarily of a disposable spork. Woody tries repeatedly to keep Forky from throwing himself away. In one instance, the two become separated from Bonnie and the other toys while on vacation. While trying to reunite with Bonnie, Woody teaches Forky the joys and responsibilities of being a toy. Woody later encounters Bo Peep, who has lived on her own for years without an owner, after being sold by Andy's mother nine years earlier.
Woody and Bo later team up to rescue Forky from a doll named Gabby Gabby, who wants Woody's voice box in return for Forky's release. Bo and Woody get into an argument after their rescue plan fails, with Woody telling Bo that loyalty is something a lost toy would not understand. He then agrees to give up his voice box after realizing Gabby Gabby had lived life as an unwanted toy due to her own defective voice box. After Buzz assures Woody that Bonnie will be okay without him, Woody and Bo reconcile and decide to stay together. Saying goodbye to their friends, Woody and Bo go on to help lost toys find new homes.
"Toy Story 5" (2026).
Woody was confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming film "Toy Story 5" in an image revealed at Disney's D23 Expo.
Other films.
Woody appears in the animated mock outtakes of "A Bug's Life" as the clapperboard holder. He also appears in the Andy's room sequence of "" where he is voiced by Jim Hanks. Later, he appears in the end credit epilogue of Pixar's 2006 movie "Cars" as a toy station wagon voiced by Tom Hanks. He also appears in the three Toy Story Toons shorts "Hawaiian Vacation", "Small Fry", and "Partysaurus Rex", which were released from 2011 to 2012. He is also featured in the television specials "Toy Story of Terror!" (2013) and "Toy Story That Time Forgot" (2014). Woody, voiced by Jim Hanks, appears in a show called "Toy Story Treats", as well as the Disney+ short "Lamp Life".
Miscellaneous.
Theme parks.
Woody appears in all the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He can be met through meet and greets at all four Toy Story Lands, which are at France's Walt Disney Studios Park (Toy Story Playland), Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios. A twenty-feet-tall statue of Woody can be seen at the entrance of Hollywood Studios and Hong Kong Disneyland's Toy Story Land. There is also one restaurant and an upcoming restaurant both named after him called Woody's Lunch Box and Woody's Roundup Rodeo BBQ. At Shanghai's Toy Story Land, there is a ride called Woody's Roundup. At Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea, Woody is featured in a 4D shooting arcade ride called Toy Story Mania!.
At the Magic Kingdom, Woody can be seen on a parade float in the Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! Street Party parade. There is also an entire section of Disney's All-Star Movies Resort dedicated to "Toy Story" that includes a statue of Woody. After twenty-five years of the same character look, Woody and some other "Toy Story" characters got an update to their look at Hong Kong Disneyland when it reopened in 2021. Woody received a new outfit, updated facial details, and the overall height and proportion of his character was edited.
"Toy Story: The Musical".
Woody appeared in the rock musical "". The musical, based on the movie, was created by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment for Disney Cruise Line, and made its first appearance on the Disney Wonder on April 10, 2008, and closed on May 7, 2016. Woody was originally portrayed by Geoffrey Tyler and was later portrayed by Patrick Pevehouse. The musical follows the storyline of the original movie with a few differences.
Disney on Ice.
Adam Loosley appeared as Woody in "Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3"; it includes a "Hoedown Throwdown" scene where Woody, Jessie, and others skate dance to Miley Cyrus's song "Hoedown Throwdown" from the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana". He has also been portrayed by Daniel Harris in Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy. Woody has also appeared in Disney on Ice: Mickey's Search Party and has been portrayed by Benji Toedte in Disney on Ice: Celebrate Memories. Nelson Sanchez-Leemet portrayed Woody in Disney on Ice: Road Trip Adventures, where in one scene he skates to the song "Old Town Road". Woody has also appeared in Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic.
Merchandise.
After the release of "Toy Story" in 1995, Disney began releasing merchandise for Woody and other "Toy Story" characters. They made a talking Woody doll, along with mugs, magnets, figures, trading cards, throw blankets, bedding, lunch kits, calendars, greeting cards, gift wraps, and other merchandise with Woody on them. After the release of "Toy Story 4", Disney created an interactive talking action figure Woody. Woody also appears in multiple Disney and "Toy Story" related-video games, including "Disney Infinity", , "", "Disney Magic Kingdoms", "Kingdom Hearts III", "Lego The Incredibles", and "Disney Dreamlight Valley".
Woody appears in multiple Disney comics published by Boom! Entertainment from May to August 2009. They published four issues of a limited comic book series called "Toy Story: Mysterious Strange". Woody also appears in the Toy Story Comics, published from May to August 2012, by Marvel and Disney Publishing called "Toy Story: Tales from the Toy Chest". Woody was also featured in the Toy Story magazine, that was launched by Egmont in July 2010. It was a monthly magazine with 24 pages with the first one having 28 pages. Dark Horse Comics published a 72-page graphic novel related to "Toy Story 4" in 2019 that had Woody in it.
Oscars.
Woody, along with other "Toy Story" characters, voiced by their primary actors, have appeared and presented awards at the 6


Devon Bostick
Canadian actor (born 1991)
Devon Bostick (born November 13, 1991) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his main role as Rodrick Heffley in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series (2010–2012). His other lead roles include "Adoration" (2008), "Dead Before Dawn 3D" (2012), "Okja" (2017), and "Tuscaloosa" (2019). Bostick has also had a number of supporting roles in films such as "Godsend" (2004), "Saw VI" (2009), "The Art of the Steal" (2013), "Regression" (2015), "Words on Bathroom Walls" (2020), and "Oppenheimer" (2023).
In television, Bostick is known for his main role as Jasper Jordan on the CW science fiction series "The 100" (2014–2017). He has also had recurring roles as Leo Strange in the CBC series "Being Erica" (2009–2011), Green on the Quibi series "Most Dangerous Game" (2020), and Oscar on the Netflix series "FUBAR" (2023).
Early life and education.
Bostick was born in Toronto, Ontario. His mother, Stephanie Gorin, is a casting director in Toronto, who works on stage and screen and his father, Joe Bostick, is an actor as well as a film fight coordinator.
Bostick is of British and Norwegian descent. He began acting in the fifth grade and is a graduate of the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto.
Career.
Bostick has had roles in the television series "", "Flashpoint" and in the film "Citizen Duane", and appeared in the series premiere of "Rookie Blue". His film work has included roles in "Godsend", "Fugitive Pieces" and "The Stone Angel".
In "Adoration" (2008), Bostick played Simon, a boy who being raised by his uncle (played by Scott Speedman) after his parents' death. He also appeared in an online spoof trailer for a hoax movie called "Ice Fortress." He had roles in "The Poet", a World War II drama starring Roy Scheider and Colm Feore, "Saw VI" as Brent and "" as Ezio Auditore.
Bostick also played Erica's deceased brother Leo in CBC Television's series "Being Erica", and Rodrick Heffley in the movies of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". He played Alan in three episodes of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel". In "Oppenheimer" (2023), Bostick played Seth Neddermeyer, a physicist who worked at Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project and suggested the use of an implosion-type nuclear weapon in the Trinity Test.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)
Family comedy film series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of family comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. It consists of four live action films and three animated films.
Films.
Live-action films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010).
Principal production began on August 12, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by Thor Freudenthal and starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 19, 2010, as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2011).
Based on the second book, "Rodrick Rules", with elements from "The Last Straw". Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in Vancouver and New Westminster. The film was directed by David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (Peyton List), Grandpa (Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 25, 2011.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" (2012).
Based on the third book "The Last Straw" and the fourth book "Dog Days", the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (Peyton List). The film is the last one to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on August 3, 2012.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" (2017).
Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother, Rodrick, unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday party. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his Internet idol, Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. It was released on May 19, 2017.
Animated reboot films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2021).
In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was in development. On August 6, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service, Disney+.
In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and would be released on December 3, 2021. The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. Unlike the previous films, which were produced by 20th Century Fox, this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at 20th Century Animation.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2022).
On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. For Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on "", was released on December 2, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever" (2023).
On September 8, 2023, it was announced that a Disney+ film based on the sixth book, "Cabin Fever", released on December 8, 2023.
Future.
Jeff Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all books into animated features for Disney+. An animated film based on "The Last Straw" is currently in development.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown" short film.
An animated short film set after the events of the third film, titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown", was included on the home media release of "Dog Days" in 2012. The short is told through Greg's point-of-view as he explains his humorous experience and why he deserves the title of Class Clown. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley along with other cast members voicing their characters from the films in minor roles.
Canceled TV special.
In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on ' as the next installment. In an interview for ', Kinney stated he was working with FOX on a half-hour special based on "Cabin Fever", which was scheduled to air in late-2014. The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. Nothing regarding the special ever materialized. A separate adaptation was eventually released in 2023 as "".
Recurring cast and characters.
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List indicators
This section includes .* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.*  E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.*  O indicates an older version of the character.*  U indicates an uncredited appearance.*  V indicates a voice-only role.*  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book)
2007 novel by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a children's illustrated novel written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and his attempts to become popular in his first year of middle school.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" first appeared on FunBrain in 2004, where it was read 20 million times. The abridged hardcover adaptation was released on April 1, 2007. The book was named a "New York Times" bestseller, among other awards and received generally positive reviews. The book was adapted into a live action feature film, which released on March 19, 2010, and an animated film adaptation was released on Disney+ on December 3, 2021.
Plot.
The protagonist Greg Heffley, a student at Larry Mack Junior Middle School, writes a diary to detail his time "stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons" to a future audience reading when he is "rich and famous". Greg details the local myth surrounding a moldy piece of cheese that has been left at his school's basketball court for a long time. If someone touches the cheese, they have the curse-like "Cheese Touch" which makes them repellent to others; the victim is stuck with it until they pass it on by touching someone else. The last victim of the Cheese Touch has moved away to California, and Greg hopes nobody starts it up again.
Greg also talks about his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, characterizing him as immature or somewhat stupid, and that his [Greg's] ideas go "in one ear and out the other" with Rowley. At home, Greg is bullied by his older brother Rodrick, and resents his little brother, a toddler named Manny, who is spoiled and gets away with everything that Greg does not. Greg's father does not encourage his son's way of life—playing video games all day—and would rather Greg go outside and play sports.
Near Halloween, Greg writes that his father likes to hide in the bushes on Halloween night and drench teenagers that walk by their driveway with a trash can full of water. Greg and Rowley decide to make a haunted house after seeing the popularity of Crossland High School's haunted house, but they only end up profiting two dollars. On Halloween night, Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating, but are challenged by a group of teenagers who spray them with a water-filled fire extinguisher. When they get home, they are soaked with a trash can full of water by Greg's father, who mistakes them for teenagers.
In Geography, Greg fails a test on state capitals after a girl named Patty Farrell reminds the teacher that he needs to cover the map of the United States that shows the state capitals. At home, Greg's mother forces him into auditioning for the school play (based on "The Wizard of Oz"). Greg lands the role of a tree, while Patty Farrell is cast as Dorothy, the protagonist of the novel. During the show's performance, Greg becomes too nervous to sing, confusing the other trees. Patty gets frustrated, and Greg starts throwing apples at her. The other trees join in, and the play eventually has to be shut down after Patty's glasses are broken. Greg's mother is disappointed, but Greg enjoyed getting back at Patty.
After getting bad presents for Christmas, Greg decides to play a game with Rowley in which Rowley must ride a Big Wheel down a hill while Greg tries to knock him off with a football. On one of Greg's tries, the ball goes under the front wheel, which causes Rowley to fall off and break his hand. When Rowley goes to school with a plaster cast, the girls take care of him (carrying his books, feeding him food), which makes Greg jealous.
Greg decides to join the Safety Patrols at his school, hoping that he will be able to control the other kids. He gets Rowley to sign up as well and enjoys the benefits of being a Safety Patrol, such as getting free hot chocolate. He tries to get a spot in the school's newspaper as a cartoonist and teams up with Rowley. Greg comes up with a strip called "Zoo-Wee Mama!", and he and Rowley produce a number of strips. Eventually, Greg starts wanting to do other strips, but Rowley wants to continue with "Zoo-Wee Mama!"; Greg submits his comics to the teacher and ends up getting the cartoonist job. However, the teacher completely changes Greg's comic, even making his character a "curious student" instead of a "cretin."
After an incident where Greg chases some kindergartners with a worm on a stick and is mistaken for Rowley, Rowley gets suspended from the Safety Patrols for a week. However, after it is cleared up that Greg was the real culprit, Rowley is reinstated and promoted while Greg is dismissed.
Greg notices that the school year is coming to a close and tries to get on the yearbook's Class Favorites page. He plans to go for "Class Clown," but his plans do not work out. At lunch, he gets an issue of the school newspaper and learns that Rowley is the new cartoonist, with his "Zoo-Wee Mama!" strip left completely unchanged.
Greg confronts Rowley for not even listing him as co-creator and hogging all the fame. Rowley retaliates by saying that the "Zoo-Wee Mama!" comic was his idea and that Greg "had nothing to do with it." As they argue, the teenagers who chased them at Halloween appear and force Greg and Rowley to eat the Cheese. Greg gets out of it by falsely claiming to be allergic to dairy, while Rowley is forced to eat the whole thing. The next day, when everyone notices that the Cheese is gone, Greg takes the fall for Rowley and lies by saying that he threw it away. Greg reconciles with Rowley and lets people think that he has the Cheese Touch.
The book concludes with Greg getting his yearbook, seeing Rowley on the "Class Clown" page, and throwing it in the garbage. This means Greg now has the Cheese Touch, which carries on into the next book.
Background.
In May 2004, FunBrain and Jeff Kinney released an online version of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September of that year to June 2005. The online book became an instant hit, and had received approximately 20 million views by 2007. Many online readers requested a printed version. At the 2006 New York Comic Con Kinney proposed "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" to Charles Kochman, Editorial Director of the ComicArts division of Abrams Books, who purchased the rights to the book. According to Kochman, the two initially conceived it as a book for adults, believing it would appeal to audiences similar to that of the TV series "The Wonder Years". Kochman brought it before the Abrams publishing board, which convinced Kinney and Kochman that it would be better aimed toward children. In 2007, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", an abridged version of the original online book, was published.
Main characters.
The main character, Greg, has trouble with family, friends, and his local middle school. He is very concerned about how popular he is at school, and he daydreams a lot about being rich and famous when he grows up. He tries to fit in at his school, but usually he does not succeed. Facing many challenges, Greg attempts to handle them very creatively, but unfortunately his antics often backfire on him.
Greg's best friend has a larger than average frame. He is always willing to do what Greg tells him, including dangerous stunts. Rowley goes on vacations all the time, which annoys Greg. Rowley is a loyal friend, but he sometimes behaves in an immature or childish manner. He also dresses in an unusual way.
Greg's "spoiled" little brother, a three-year-old toddler. He never gets in trouble no matter what, even when he really deserves it. Manny is not yet potty trained.
Rodrick is Greg's teenage brother and he never misses a chance to be cruel to Greg. He is known for sleeping excessively in the morning and for his rebellious attitude. Rodrick is part of a basement band (garage band in the movies) called "Löded Diper". Rodrick will do anything to embarrass Greg and will even cause problems for Manny to make everyone's life miserable.
Sequels.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is the first book in an ongoing franchise. A total of nineteen "Wimpy Kid" books have been released, the sequels to the first book are: ' (2008) which was listed on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 117 weeks, ' (2009) which was on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 65 weeks, peaking at number one, ' (2009) which was ranked at number one on the "New York Times" Best Sellers List for all 25 weeks of inclusion, making it the #1 best selling book of 2009, ' (2010), ' (2011), ' (2012), ' (2013), ' (2014), ' (2015), ' (2016), ' (2017), ' (2018)," " (2019), ' (2020), ' (2021), ' (2022), ' (2023), and (2024).
Reception.
The book won the Blue Peter Book Award 2012, revealed live on British kids channel CBBC on March 1, 2012. In 2012 it was ranked number 76 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by "School Library Journal".
Adaptations.
A film adaptation, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," was released by 20th Century Fox on March 19, 2010. The film stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley (Dad), Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley (Mom), Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman (a character exclusive to the live-action film), and Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's brother. It would later go on to spawn three sequels.
Another film adaptation, this time animated, serving as a reboot of the film series was released on December 3, 2021 exclusively on Disney+.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021 film)
2021 film by Swinton Scott
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2021 animated comedy film directed by Swinton Scott (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jeff Kinney, based on his 2007 book of the same name. It is the second film adaptation of the book, following the 2010 live-action film, while serving as the first fully animated reboot in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series, and the fifth installment overall. The film stars the voices of Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, and Hunter Dillon.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was produced by Walt Disney Studios and Bardel Entertainment, with the latter providing animation services, and was released on Disney+ as a Disney+ original film on December 3, 2021. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
A sequel, "", was released on December 2, 2022.
Plot.
Best friends Greg Heffley and Rowley Jefferson are about to enter middle school. Greg gets advice from his older brother Rodrick on how to "survive", putting emphasis on avoiding the Cheese Touch, which supposedly makes one incredibly unpopular. Figuring that Rowley's childish tendencies will cause them to be bullied, Greg tries to urge Rowley to grow up, almost telling him about the cheese, but deciding against it, not wanting to scare him too much. Before long, the first day of school arrives, and Greg tries to help Rowley adjust, though both end up shunned by the majority of the students, mostly due to Rowley's somewhat childish antics, which include using the word "play" over "hang out". Nevertheless, they manage to avoid scraping the bottom of the school hierarchy.
On Halloween night, Greg and Rowley are forced to take the former's younger brother Manny with them. While at first annoyed, Greg realizes that Manny's adorable pirate costume allows them to acquire a large amount of candy. Eventually, Manny and Rowley become tired, but Greg insists that they continue on and take a shortcut through Snake Road, despite his mother Susan forbidding it. They encounter a trio of teenage boys who begin to mock and chase them with water balloons down the road. The younger boys manage to evade them by tricking them into driving their truck into a ditch and making it home right on time, only to be soaked by Greg's father Frank, who mistook them for teenagers. Manny then outs "Snake Road" to Susan, who grounds Greg from playing video games for a week.
Later on, while playing the "Rumble Trike", Greg accidentally breaks Rowley's arm. Susan discovers this but chooses not to punish Greg any further. Instead, she encourages him do the right thing and be a good friend to Rowley. Greg instead tries to take advantage of Rowley's broken arm, only to get shunned further by the other students, who dote on Rowley and demonize Greg for breaking it in the first place. Greg attempts to take a different approach and become a cartoonist for the school paper; Rowley takes an interest in a scrapped idea of his, in which the punchline of every line is "Zoo-Wee Mama!", but Greg insists on a new one he drew, urging Rowley to make his own comic instead of working together. Greg's entry gets him accepted as the new cartoonist, but the librarian butchers his comic, making his classmates mock him. After Greg resigns from his position, Rowley's comic, which features the stolen phrase, gets accepted, causing the boys to argue and break their friendship.
Rowley befriends a boy named Chirag Gupta and starts seeing him more often. In an attempt to get back at him, Greg decides to hang out with Fregley, an incredibly strange and unpopular boy. Greg has a sleepover at his house but is immediately put off by his odd eccentricities. The next day, Greg and Rowley confront each other and are urged to fight by the other kids, only for the trio of teenagers to return to get revenge on the boys. The teenagers force Rowley to eat a piece of the cheese and are about to force Greg to do the same, but are saved by Mr. Underwood, the school's gym coach.
The other students return to see what has transpired. To protect Rowley, Greg claims that "he" was the one who ate the cheese, causing everyone else to run from him in terror. Greg and Rowley resume their friendship as the former quickly realizes that having the Cheese Touch is a blessing as it forces everyone to give him and Rowley space, as well as a personal lunch table to themselves.
Production.
Development.
Following the release of ', the likelihood of a fourth live-action film was slim. In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, had announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" as the next installment. In an interview for ', Kinney stated he was working with Fox on a half-hour special based on "Cabin Fever", which was scheduled to air in late-2014. The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. However, the project never came to fruition.
In August 2018, CEO of 20th Century Fox Stacey Snider stated that an animated television series based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was in development, after Kinney decided not to allow any more live action adaptations of the series following the film adaptation of "". In August 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development exclusively for streaming on Disney+.
In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated reboot feature film simply titled, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" at the Disney Investor Day event. Alongside this announcement, it was revealed that production was underway with a tentative release date slated for mid-2021. By September 2021, it was announced that the film would be an adaptation of the first book in the series; while the film was scheduled for a December 3, 2021 release date. Swinton Scott was announced as director, with Kinney serving as the writer and producer. Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, and Chris Diamantopoulos were revealed as the voice cast.
Animation.
The animation was provided by Bardel Entertainment, with offices in Vancouver and Kelowna composed by a team of 82 people all using the animation rendering software Arnold. Kinney chose to use CGI in spite of the book's hand-drawn-style drawing because he wanted the animation to "feel like the books had come to life". Pixar RenderMan was also used for the film.
Music.
On September 23, 2021, it was revealed that John Paesano would be serving as composer. The soundtrack was released on December 17, 2021.
All music composed by Paesano:
Release.
Marketing.
The first look of the film was shown on December 10, 2020, at Disney's Investor Day, depicting Greg trying to roll a large snowball up a hill, only to roll down the hill with it. This would not be used in the film itself. The teaser poster was revealed on September 2, 2021 (the same day the release date was announced). The film was marketed under the Disney brand, leading to speculation that Walt Disney Pictures was involved in the film, which turned out to be true when the film was released. The trailer was released on October 19, 2021, by Walt Disney Studios' YouTube channel (the YouTube channel for Walt Disney Pictures), further increasing speculation. Additionally, the song "Bring Your Friends" by Sam Shrieve was heavily used in the film's marketing campaign but was not featured in the film itself.
A reprint of the original book featured a new Disney+ cover variant to serve as a tie-in release to the movie (this book featured a first look at Rowley Jefferson in his CG-animated form). Like the original book, Amulet Books released the book, but this time, in association with Disney Enterprises, Inc. and 20th Century Studios. It was released on November 23, 2021.
Streaming.
The film was released by Disney Platform Distribution, as a Disney+ original film, on Disney+, on December 3, 2021. However, the film was released on the service under Walt Disney Pictures instead of 20th Century Studios. It was moved from 20th Century Studios and 20th Century Animation to Walt Disney Pictures sometime during production for unknown reasons.
Reception.
Critical reception.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.50/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the a score of 50 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating .
Courtney Howard of "Variety" gave the film a positive review, saying, "Similar to its 2010 counterpart, this animated reboot amusingly tackles universal aspects of adolescence like first-day jitters, the fleeting nature of popularity, navigating cafeteria social hierarchies and the frustrations of not fitting in. [...] With this notable sense of visual dexterity and stirring sentiments surrounding friendship and individuality that don’t come across as hollow platitudes, the brisk 56-minute feature is yet another noteworthy start to a burgeoning franchise reboot." Nicolas Rapold of "The New York Times" complimented the animation, found the misadventures experienced by the characters to be good-humored and believed that the film manages to explore how friendship can evolve. John Serba of "Decider" found the movie entertaining and lively, complimented the depiction of teachable moments, and compared Greg to Homer Simpson, describing him as a reliable anti-role model. Jennifer Green of "Common Sense Media" rated the movie 3 out of 5 stars, complimented the depiction of positive messages, citing self-authenticity and true friendship, and found agreeable the presence of role models, stating both Greg and Rowley demonstrate loyalty.
Jesse Hassenger of "The A.V. Club" gave the movie a mixed review, writing, "On that level, the new version of Wimpy Kid has its moments. It bounces between vignettes, some amusing and some choppily edited, testing the mettle of Heffley and his optimistic best pal Rowley (Ethan William Childress), perhaps Kinney’s most durable creation. [...] Even if their minds wander, most grown-ups probably won’t be as bored as the actors playing Heffley’s parents' sound; they both give oddly flat and colorless vocal performances. It’s these hints of indifference that make "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" feels like a contractual obligation, or a cobbling together of streaming content, rather than the start of a new series." Sarah Bea Milner of "Screen Rant" rated the movie 1.5 out of 5, stating, "Existing fans of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" franchise will at least get some enjoyment from watching such a faithful adaptation. [...] Perhaps 2021's animated reboot can serve as a cautionary tale for the industry: being a good writer does not make one a good screenwriter and sometimes the best way to stay faithful to the spirit of a book is to have a competent and experienced professional write the adaptation."
Accolades.
Jessica Mikayla received a nomination for Best Performance in a Voice Acting Role: Youth Actress at the 2022 Young Artist Awards. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was a nominated for Best Animation TrailerByte for a Feature Film at the 2022 Golden Trailer Awards.
Future.
Sequel.
On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. On Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on "Rodrick Rules", would be released in 2022. In March 2022, composer John Paesano confirmed that he would return to score the film's music. A poster for the film was released on September 12, 2022, announcing the film's release date of December 2, 2022.
Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all his books into animated features for Disney+.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Comic-style book series by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an illustrated children's novel series and media franchise created by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The series follows Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler who illustrates his daily life in a diary (although he insists that it is a journal).
Kinney spent eight years working on the first book before showing it to a publisher. In 2004, Funbrain and Kinney released an online version of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September 2004 to June 2005. The online version had received almost 20 million views by 2009. Nonetheless, many online readers requested a printed version. In February 2006, during the New York Comic Con, Kinney signed a multi-book deal with publisher Abrams Books to turn "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" into a printed book series. The first installment was released in April 2007 and received immediate success. In April 2009, "Time" magazine named Kinney in the "Time" 100 most influential people.
As of October 2024, the series consists of nineteen main entries, as well as an activity book. A spin-off series centering on the character Rowley Jefferson has three installments as of 2021. 20th Century Studios produced a live-action film series of the same name from 2010 to 2017, and three animated films in the early 2020s.
Since the release of the online version, most of the books have garnered positive reviews and commercial success. As of 2020, more than 250 million copies have been sold globally, making it the fourth best-selling book series of all time.
Chronology.
Spin-offs.
A spin-off series has been published, written from Rowley's perspective. The first installment, "", was released on April 9, 2019, and is a series of anecdotes about Greg and Rowley's friendship. The second, "Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure", is in the style of a fantasy adventure and was released on August 4, 2020. The book's original release date was April 7, 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third, "Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories", was released on March 16, 2021.
Audiobooks.
Audiobooks have been released for each main installment in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. The Recorded Books versions are read by Ramon de Ocampo, while the Penguin Books versions are read by Dan Russell, who has done so since "The Third Wheel", and in 2018 he re-narrated the first 6 books for the markets where Penguin publish the series.
Achievements.
Commercial success.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was well received from "The Princeton Review", "Gold Card Association", "The Dallas