Toy Story Fangirl

Thanks to a calendar illustration from Russia, we finally have a full-body reveal of Bo Peep’s new look in Toy Story 4!

The image was originally shared by user @lunar_crane on Instagram – after another image had been circulating for several days from that same calendar, showing Anna and Elsa in Frozen 2.   In it we see Bo Peep running alongside Woody, Buzz, and Forky, set against the backdrop of the carnival – with a mysterious tiny figure apparently on her shoulder.  And @mmdisney200 on Instagram provided the caption from the calendar – the original photo of which is marked by a Walt Disney Company logo – as translated from Russian by @lunar_crane:

Since Andy went to college, toys have moved to a new house where a small girl named Bonnie lives. Her first day in kindergarten will put a beginning to adventures and meeting new toys, some of the old friends and even a romantic story.

Here’s a photo showing the full calendar image, with the logo in cyrillic and the Disney/Pixar copyright in the lower right:

With the clear branding, it’s safe to say that this is legit.  Bo appears to be wearing her original bloomers, and it’s nice to confirm that her feet are intact after there was speculation following the silhouette image that one of her legs might be broken off.  The rest of her outfit matches what can be seen in the most recent photo – except now a second, pink (apparent) bandage is visible on her left wrist (along with the one we’d seen before on her upper right arm), as well as a patch on her crook.  Although there’s still no sign of the supposed poncho or cape that was outlined in the ToyBox silhouette, considering that the rest of her apparel seems to draw from what she wore before, it’s even more likely now that it could have been made from her skirt.  The only mystery left, beyond that, is what happened to the pink of her bodice?  Was it a jacket of sorts, that laced up, and was attached to her skirt?  We might have to wait until the actual movie (or closer to it) for such specific answers.  Personally, I think she looks fabulous, and it’s going to be exciting to see her join in on the adventure for a change!

Speaking of adventure, the action here is taking place at the carnival – specifically in front of the ferris wheel – which has become common knowledge at this point as an important plot location.  Forky is depicted as smiling – which differs greatly from the trailer – and which makes me wonder if he will make peace with the idea of being a toy, or if the expression is simply for promotional purposes.  There is one unknown character shown in the image, though – the tiny one that seems to be perched on Bo’s shoulder.  Who – and what – could that be?  The round face reminds me of Lulu, the character previewed at the D23 Expo Animation panel; but a year and a half later, my memory is hazy of what was already a very quick teasing glimpse.

The caption also gives us another clue as to where in the series’ timeline this movie falls.  If Bonnie starting kindergarten is the impetus for the toys’ experiences, is this where Bo will be discovered?  This establishes it after the television specials Toy Story of Terror and Toy Story That Time Forgot, and all of the Toy Story Toons shorts.  We can expect a slightly older Bonnie, but still very much of an age where she’ll be playing with her toys.  The text also confirms that the romantic comedy aspect of the film wasn’t scrapped with the rewrite.

Although we’re still waiting on an official “first look” image from Pixar – which would undoubtedly give us higher-resolution detail and clearer answers about Bo’s new appearance, and possibly give us more specifics on the plot – I’m glad there have been these small sneak peeks over the last several weeks to tide us over.  Updates should start amping up in the next month or two, and then hopefully we’ll know a little more.  I’m anxious to see more of the characters – especially my best girl, Jessie – and to see how they’ll all play into the story.  Stay tuned for updates – I’m constantly on the lookout for anything new!

Images © Disney/Pixar.  Many thanks to @mmdisney200 for sharing the photos with me!