The viral backstory was first spread by toy creator and reviewer Mike Mozart, who claimed to be friends with the late Pixar writer Joe Ranft.
- Jun 26, 2017
AceShowbiz - The tragic backstory to 1995's hit animated movie "Toy Story" that went viral in the last few days is fake. Andrew Stanton, who wrote all three of the "Toy Story" films, has taken to Twitter to debunk the story that explained what happened to Andy's father.
Toy creator and reviewer Mike Mozart claimed to be friends with the late Pixar head writer Joe Ranft, who allegedly shared the backstory of the missing father from the films. Mozart revealed the debunked backstory during a live stream on YouTube.
According to Mozart, Andy's father who is also named Andy was the original owner of Woody, Mr. Potato Head and Slinky Dog. In the 1950s, Andy Sr. was diagnosed with polio and his toys were destroyed, but he managed to spare those three toys.
A few decades later, Andy Sr. was married and had a son of his own. They moved into Andy Sr.'s parents' home and died of Post-Polio Syndrome a year before events in the first "Toy Story" movie. Before he died, though, he passed down his toys, which he kept in the attic, to his son.
"Andy's father asked Andy to come into his room. It was like hospice. He pulled out...a key, a little key. He told Andy to go upstairs and go on to the certain spot in the attic [and said], 'There's someone in that box that's gonna be your favorite deputy, he's gonna be your best friend. You're gonna need a friend and I want you to have my best friend as a child,' " Mozart shared.
Mozart said the toys thought Andy Sr. and Andy Jr. were the same person because they looked the same and they didn't know "time had gone by." Mozart went on pointing out evidence that supported the backstory, saying that pictures hanging on the walls that were thought to be of Andy were actually of a young Andy Sr.
Stanton, however, has disputed Mozart's claim. He tweeted, "Complete and utter fake news. Everyone go back to your homes. Nothing to see here, folks."
Complete and utter fake news. Everyone go back to your homes. Nothing to see here, folks. #Iwasthere https://t.co/06j37YKKt2
— andrew stanton (@andrewstanton) June 24, 2017
