One of our favorite characters from Toy Story 4 is Forky. The anthropomorphic spork stole scenes as he constantly complained about his existence and called himself trash. But as a character who is not an actual toy, we were left wondering: how was he even developed?
According to director Josh Cooley, the team was discussing toys when they agreed on one common complaint: why do many kids end up playing with the box of the toy instead of the actual thing? They ended up listing down things that weren’t actually toys but could become one. And as sporks are recognized as an object of comedy (at least according to the Vulture article we read this from), it made sense to base this new character on this dining utensil.
So why is he called Forky?
Cooley then showed a drawing of the character to his son. His son, who probably did not know what a spork was, named it Forkface. Forkface sounds a lot like a cuss word so it was changed to the safe-sounding Forky.
Casting was easier. Cooley and his team imagined the character to be an overwhelmed neurotic with anxious energy, and their first choice was Tony Hale. The actor is known for portraying a similar character in the hit show Arrested Development.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Toy Story 4 is enjoying box office success and rave reviews. The film has earned a total of $302.6 million (P15.5 billion). The movie has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the review, “Heartwarming, funny, and beautifully animated, Toy Story 4 manages the unlikely feat of extending — and perhaps concluding — a practically perfect animated saga.”
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