It’s every movie studio’s worst nightmare – the loss of a film in development that has consumed countless hours of work and significant financial resources. And that nightmare became a reality for Pixar when they were working on the sequel to their 90s hit, Toy Story.
Former Chief Technical Officer of Pixar, Oren Jacob, recalls the harrowing ordeal that unfolded. It all began when a Pixar employee, Larry Cutler, was working in a directory and discussing the installation of a fix for Woody or Woody’s hat. In a shocking turn of events, Cutler noticed that the directory, which initially contained around 40 files, suddenly had only four. As they continued to observe, sequences of the movie began to vanish before their eyes. Panic ensued, and the team realized the severity of the situation.
Someone on the team had mistakenly executed a command on the studio’s server, intending to fix a minor issue. However, this innocent attempt at a solution resulted in the recursive deletion of a substantial portion of the movie. Approximately two months’ worth of work vanished in an instant.
The incident sparked a frantic effort by the Pixar team to recover what had been lost. Fortunately, luck was on their side. One of the staff members had a copy of the movie stored on their personal computer at home. This fortunate circumstance allowed them to retrieve the deleted content and avoid a complete catastrophe.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the only time that Toy Story 2 faced the threat of deletion. As the release date loomed just months away, Pixar made a bold decision that showcased their unwavering commitment to quality. Despite the significant progress made on the film, they chose to start over from scratch, discarding the existing version entirely.
This courageous move by Pixar demonstrates their dedication to creating a flawless masterpiece. The decision to re-make the entire film ensured that Toy Story 2 reached the high standards set by the studio and delivered the exceptional storytelling that audiences had come to expect.
The accidental deletion and subsequent recovery of Toy Story 2 stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Pixar team. Their unwavering commitment to their craft and their willingness to go to great lengths to deliver an exceptional movie has solidified their place as one of the leading animation studios in the industry.
Despite the obstacles they faced, Toy Story 2 emerged as a beloved sequel that captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Its success not only reaffirmed the enduring popularity of the Toy Story franchise but also served as a reminder of the incredible talent and resilience behind the scenes at Pixar.
