The lovable sheriff audiences know almost looked very different. During Toy Story’s development, Woody was a controlling, sarcastic leader who bullied Andy’s other toys. His behavior became so unpleasant that a disastrous 1993 story-reel screening forced Pixar to rethink the character and movie.
The Infamous Black Friday Reel
In the early version, Woody was not merely jealous of Buzz Lightyear. He was cruel, insulting the other toys and deliberately throwing Buzz out of a window. Rather than reacting with panic or remorse, he acted smugly and tried to intimidate anyone who challenged him.
This material appeared in a story reel shown to Disney executives on November 19, 1993, a disastrous presentation remembered as “Black Friday.” In a Toy Story oral history, art director Ralph Eggleston recalled that Woody had become abrasive, cynical, and deeply unlikable.
Why Pixar Changed Woody
The problem was simple: audiences could not easily root for a hero behaving like a villain. Production halted, and Pixar rebuilt Woody as a flawed but sympathetic leader. He remained insecure about Buzz replacing him as Andy’s favorite, but his jealousy now came with guilt, vulnerability, and the capacity to change.
That rewrite created the finished film’s emotional engine. Woody makes serious mistakes, but he learns to value Buzz, risks himself to save him, and earns back the toys’ trust. Pixar’s official Toy Story overview presents them as rivals who eventually form an uneasy alliance—a far stronger foundation for friendship.
A Near-Disaster That Improved the Film
The abandoned version offers a lesson in character writing: flaws can make a protagonist interesting, but cruelty without warmth makes connection difficult. By softening Woody without making him perfect, Pixar turned a bully into a beloved, enduring hero. Explore more movie history with this Disney animation trivia question.