Toy Story 4 Will Change Woody Forever

Another big change is in store for sheriff pull string doll Woody (Tom Hanks) when he reunites with long lost sweetheart Bo Peep (Annie Potts) in Toy Story 4.

"All of these movies are about how Woody changes: From going selfish to selfless in the first one, the second one is him understanding that things don't last forever. The third one is about letting go. These are big changes," producer Jonas Rivera told THR.

"We thought, if we're going to do this, we need to think about, 'What is the biggest change?' What if [his relationship with Bo] was the thing that really changed him?"

Toy Story 3 saw Woody and his whittled down gang of toys, including best pal Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), handed down from original kid Andy to new owner Bonnie (now voiced by Madeleine McGraw).

When Bonnie brings her playthings — including the handmade Forky (Tony Hale), a reluctant toy who believes he's "trash" — along on a road trip adventure, an unexpected detour reunites Woody and Bo, now an adventurous free spirit with a differing philosophy about what it means to be a toy.

Allen hinted at an unhappy home life for Woody and the gang when appearing on The Talk, where he said Woody will be confronted with a major decision.

"Bo Peep has been missing, and you're gonna find out — very tragically — where she's been, and what that means for toys like her. And Woody has to decide where he's gonna fall on that deal," Allen said.

"And it's really so clever, so wonderful, so warm about it... and how they do this, I just said, this story is so emotional, so funny, so brilliant. All I'm seeing is, 'does this end...?'

"Toy Story 3 ended, originally, with the little girl just sitting there, but all of us saw that little girl smile, and Andy said with his eyes... [that] she might take care of these toys. Because we were originally, in Toy Story 3, waving on the porch, that was it. But it looked like maybe this little girl will take care of us. Well, maybe she didn't take care of us so well."

Hanks earlier admitted when recording the "impactful ending" of Toy Story 4, he was so overcome with emotion he was unable to face the crew when performing his lines.

Toy Story 4 opens June 21.