AI Reimagines Toy Story With Real People And It's Weird (But Kinda Perfect)
Artificial intelligence has the perfect idea for what "Toy Story" could look like with real people. In 1995, Pixar changed the animation game when they debuted "Toy Story," the first fully realized CG production. The picture went on to redefine animated storytelling and became one of the most popular media franchises of all time. By now, we know there are certain things that happen in every "Toy Story" movie, which is why Pixar should switch up its presentation style. To make things unpredictable, Pixar should take the series in an unprecedented direction ... like live-action.
Taking to TikTok, artist AI Viking has created a concept imagining what everyone's favorite toys would look like if they existed in the real world.
@aiviking Toy Story characters as real people according to AI Made with Midjourney #toystory #toystoryai #toystorycharacters
In the fan-made video, the artist breathes life into the franchise's iconic characters, turning them into real people. Yes, actual people, not life-sized versions of toys. The always-coughing penguin Wheezy (voiced by Joe Ranft) is turned into a middle-aged, bald man in a tux, which makes perfect sense. Hamm (voiced by John Ratzenberger), the snarky piggy bank, is seen as another middle-aged man.
While there are questionable things we ignore in the "Toy Story" franchise, it's impossible to ignore the creativity behind this concept video. The artist does an exceptional job of capturing the vibe and aesthetic of each toy and transporting it to the real world. Perhaps the best example of this is the creative's rendition of Forky (voiced by Tony Hale), who is depicted as a loud, excitable teenager.
Will we ever get a live-action Toy Story?
The best part of the "Toy Story" live-action concept is how literal toys that don't have human characteristics are transformed into real people. Toys like Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) are effortlessly captured, depicted as veteran cowboys and cosmonauts. In the "Toy Story" films, both characters are based on humans, so their transformations are relatively easy.
The real showstoppers in this concept are when eccentric characters like the devious Darth Vader-like Emperor Zurg are brought to life. The intergalactic villain, for example, still retains his purple skin and trades his spacesuit for regal attire. The concept is an equal mix of both jarring and perfect, with the nefarious bear Lotso (Ned Beatty) turned into an old man who is clearly filled with resentment and sadness.
As fresh and exciting as the fan-made video is, chances are we won't be getting a live-action "Toy Story" with real people. After all, replacing toys with actual humans would defeat the whole thesis of the story, which is the fantasy of toys coming to life. While Disney (who owns Pixar) has created several live-action versions of their animated classics, they haven't greenlit a live-action Pixar film ever. That could happen one day, and if it does, "Toy Story" could lend itself well to that concept, as the toys could be CG. Still, it's a neat concept to hold fans over until "Toy Story 5" — which should really be a Forky and Knify love story.