Toy Story 4’s Forky Almost Had An Even Funnier Name

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Toy Story 4’s Forky Almost Had An Even Funnier Name

Disney has produced tons of iconic animated blockbusters, but there is one property that's never been far from theaters: Toy Story. Starting back in 1995, Andy's group of toys have consistently made moviegoers laugh and cry. Toy Story 3 was especially tear-inducing, but it seems like the Disney/Pixar will outdo itself with the highly anticipated fourth movie.

Toy Story 4 will arrive in theaters in a month and change, and the generations of fans are eager to catch back up with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the group. But in addition to catching up with the toys and Bonnie, audiences will also be introduced to some new characters. Chief among them is Tony Hale's Forky, a spork brought to life by Bonnie's creativity. Director Josh Cooley recently shared the hilarious origin story of the character's name, saying:

Well, you know, we were coming up with a bunch of different names for him, and I showed a picture of him to my son. I think he was probably four at the time, and I go, ‘Hey buddy, what do you think the name of this character is?’ He looks at it and he goes, 'Hmm, Fork Face.' And I’m like, ‘That’s hilarious. We cannot use it.’ But the fact that he’s around the same age as Bonnie and didn’t know what a spork was, I thought, ‘That feels real to me.’ So Forky felt like a kid would name him that.

Yeah, this is a solid story. Some moviegoers may have FOMO that the name Fork Face wasn't chosen, but it's not exactly the family friendly title that Disney is known for.

Josh Cooley's comments to Collider show how organically the character of Forky came about, and how it was influenced by actual kids. Cooley wanted to make sure Toy Story 4's upcoming addition would come from a place of childlike wonder, so he went straight to source when trying to nail down a name for that character. And that's exactly how Forky came out.

Related: Could We See A Toy Story 5?

It's fun to see exactly why Josh Cooley didn't name Tony Hale's character Sporky, considering what he's made out of. The name Sporky seems arguably more appropriate, but the Toy Story 4 director realized that a 4 year-old girl probably wouldn't know that word yet. And Fork Face was out of the running for obvious reasons. So Forky was born, and will no doubt be stealing the show once the third sequel finally arrives in theaters.

Forky is going to be a macguffin for Woody's adventure in Toy Story 4, as trying to rescue him will eventually find the sheriff reunited with Bo Peep. And with Veep and Arrested Development favorite Tony Hale voicing him, smart money says Forky will be a serious scene stealer in Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 4 will finally arrive in theaters on June 21st. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.