First Look at New TOY STORY 3 Character and Lasseter talks Totoro Cameo
Another couple of characters from Pixar's Toy Story 3 hiding in the shadows of the poster above have been unveiled. Though we have already seen the first character, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, featured heavily in the trailer, we have our first look and description of the cuddly-unicorn Buttercup.
Not the manliest of names for a toy, but the look and name offer a nice juxtaposition to the actor voicing the character, Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin, who is no stranger to the Pixar family, having voiced the Captain in Wall-E.
Saddle up for fun and let Buttercup lead your child away on a magical adventure! This cuddly unicorn features velvety-soft, snow-colored fur with sparkly gold and pink accents. He sports a signature mythical golden horn and a fun-to-comb mane and tail. Buttercup’s durable plastic eyes are both charming and scratch-resistant. Hypo-allergenic. Ages 3 and up.
Here's the character poster for Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, voiced by Ned Beatty. The character will play a pivotal role in the film, as the leader of the toys at the Sunnyside Daycare,
Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear is a jumbo, extra-soft teddy bear with a pink and white plush body and a velvety purple nose. This lovable bear stands fuzzy heads and shoulders above other teddy bears because he smells like sweet strawberries! With a smile that will light up your child’s face and a belly just asking to be hugged, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear is sure to become a bedtime necessity. Stain-resistant. Spot clean plush surface with a damp cloth.
Amongst the the other characters featured in the 2nd trailer; which included the instant messaging plastic triceratops, voiced by Flight of The Conchords' Kristen Schaal; and the purple octopus, voiced by Whoopi Goldberg (you can hear her in the International Trailer), there were also tons of Pixar Easter Eggs.
One of them was the bunny-like stuffed animal in the instant messaging scene, that was modeled after Totoro, from Hayao Miyazaki’s film My Neighbor Totoro(1988).
It is unknown how big of a part the character will have, but the explanation from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer and director of Toy Story/ToyStory 2, John Lasseter, would lead us to believe the appearance is simply a nod, likely limited to that scene.
Lasseter explained to MTV:
We do little homages in our films and we thought it was a very appropriate homage to let [Miyazaki and his film company] Studio Ghibli know how much they mean to us.
To check out one of the other new characters, Peas-in-a-Pod, Click Here.