Fans of Toy Story are going gaga over a low-budget shot-for-shot remake of the 1995 movie that uses the original soundtrack and a cast of licensed toys from the computer-animation classic.
The Live Action Toy Story Project, which took almost two-and-a-half-years to make, is the work of friends Jonason Pauley and Jesse Perrotta. Posted on YouTube only a day ago, the production has already gone viral, clocking up in excess of a quarter of a million views.
The pair started out in 2010 shooting short sequences from the Pixar-produced movie, with no plans at the time to create it in its entirety. However, the clips they posted on YouTube were so well received that in September 2011 they decided to embark on the Live Action Toy Story Project and shoot the whole film using licensed toys, humans and the movie’s original soundtrack. The result is really rather impressive.
Apparently the production was done and dusted in August last year, but fearing a knock on the door from Pixar lawyers, they held off posting it on YouTube until yesterday. According to the project’s Facebook page, after visiting Pixar Studios last week, it seems Pauley and Perrotta have been given the green light to publicize their unique version of Toy Story, with the pair even handing out DVDs outside Pixar Studios.
You can check out their dedicated piece of work below. But don’t be surprised if you hit play with the intention of taking “a quick look” and find yourself, 80 minutes later, watching the credits roll.
The original Toy Story was a huge hit with family audiences when it was released almost 20 years ago. Directed by John Lasseter and voiced by Hollywood stars such as Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, the movie revolves around a bunch of toys that come to life when humans aren’t around. It was a groundbreaking effort, being the first ever big-budget feature-length computer-animated film.
The hit movie, made for $30 million, picked up a slew of awards soon after launch and has since earned Pixar over $360 million.
[via Gizmodo]