AI Reimagines Toy Story With Real People And It’s Weird (But Kinda Perfect)

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.