Toy Story Fangirl

While we have yet to see an official Pixar-released image of Bo Peep’s new look in Toy Story 4, a water bottle that has been listed for sale on Amazon gives us the best rendered look at her appearance so far.

The photo, which was sent to me on Instagram by user @inscrutable_kev, shows Bo in an active pose, much like the illustration from the recently-leaked Russian calendar.  On it, although they are small, you can also see Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Forky, Ducky, and Bunny – in the running-towards-the-camera style that was so prevalent in Toy Story 3 merchandise as well.  Here is the image as it was sent to me; despite the resolution, you can still make everyone out:

While the pink-trimmed Thermos is no longer showing up on Amazon (at least for now), another one featuring Bo, Woody, Buzz, and Forky is, and can be found here.  There’s not quite as much of Bo visible, and Ducky and Bunny are missing from the other bottle’s character lineup, but it still gives a good idea of the graphics on the other.

What can we glean from these images of Bo, that we haven’t been able to decipher from the others?  Well, for one, the wraps on her limbs are now much easier to see.  The white on her right bicep seems to be gauze, or maybe a textured first-aid tape; while the purple on her left wrist seems to be more of a decorative tape.  The texture of her fabrics is also clearer here – the ribbed grosgrain ribbon on her head, the weave of the fabric in her clothing, and the dimensionality of the lace on her bodice.  The shine of her porcelain skin is also evident, as well as what appears to be a tape (or even rubber band) repair on her crook.  What still puzzles me, though, is her blue top, and what could have happened with the pink that used to be a part of it.  If the blue was beneath the pink all along, how did her old bodice lace up, with the scalloped edges overlapping the pink sides?  Although I have no doubt those are her original bloomers, I’m still uncertain of the backstory of the rest of her attire.

We can also assume that Forky, Ducky, and Bunny will play significant roles in the film, for them to be included on an item like this.  Of course Buzz and Woody always feature prominently in merchandise, so that’s nothing new – and it is nice to see new stock images of them, after all this time.  I’m still a little uneasy, though, at the absence of any of the other classic characters in any of the leaked promotional images we’ve seen so far.  In discussing these merchandise items with a friend who has animation industry knowledge, however, it seems that those involved with licensing often are given only the character assets and nothing about the plot – often quite a bit in advance – and then combine them in whatever way they see fit to create their product lines.  This could easily result in them focusing on what’s “new and hot” over anything that has to do with the actual story.  I sincerely hope that this is the case, and that the film doesn’t sacrifice our chance to spend time with old friends in favor of showcasing the new ones.

We do know that a Toy Story 4 trailer will be popping up any day now, so hopefully that will provide some answers to the questions we’ve all had for so long.  Stay tuned, and maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll have those answers in the next few days!

Images © Disney/Pixar and Thermos.