Receiving praise from American director and moviegoer Quentin Tarantino is like winning a grand prize. When he likes what you do with a story, he won’t hesitate to praise it. (If you’re really lucky, he might even “borrow” it for his next project.) His most recent targets of praise are the three films that make up the Toy Story trilogy: toy story, toy story 2and toy story 3.
Originally released by Pixar in 1995, toy story changed the face of animation and proved that if the story is universal, animated films can become hits in all four quadrants. The first film was a success and a sequel was quickly released. The third film was released 11 years after the second film, bringing to an end the story of the grown-up Andy’s beloved toy.
Of course, more films in the series were released later toy story 3But according to Tarantino, Andy’s storyline is a perfect trilogy.
But what is a “perfect trilogy”? Tarantino laid out some rules for writers interested in writing sequels.
Why toy story as a trilogy
After Bill Maher raised the merits of the first two godfather Tarantino referenced the first three films as well as his thoughts on the polarizing third installment, noting that the quality deteriorates beyond the established storyline. toy story The movie was one of the best he had ever seen.
“Here’s something you might not like, but I’m a huge fan. I don’t watch all the animated movies and stuff, but I’m a huge fan of animated movies. toy story Trilogy,” Tarantino admits. “At once toy storythe third one is just awesome. This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. If you’ve seen the other two, it’s devastating.
Tarantino continued, “The first movie was great, but the second movie was so great that it took the whole idea to such a bigger canvas that it kind of erased the first movie. And then the third movie The movie did the same thing with the second film.
exist toy storyThe world has been established, and Andy’s favorite toy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is jealous of feeling like he’s been replaced by the new Space Ranger action figure Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen).
The second film follows another big change, as the toys go through their journey of growth and into adolescence, where their lives are no longer about playing with favorites and making friends. At the end of the film’s adventure for the toys, Buzz asks Woody if he’s worried about what will happen to Andy once he grows up. Woody isn’t worried about the future, saying, “It’s going to be fun as long as it lasts. Plus, I’ll have Buzz Lightyear with me when this is over.”
By the time the third movie came out, Andy had outgrown his beloved toys. He planned to take just Woody to college and store the rest. A chaos leads the toys to daycare, where they contemplate their future and ultimately feel abandoned. But conditions in their new workplace, overseen by Lotso (voiced by Ned Beatty) and his minions, force the toys to plan a prison break, ultimately leading them into a seemingly inescapable hell. However, this is a family-friendly movie with an ending that is bittersweet but the best-case scenario for Andy, the toys, and their new family.
Not only do the adventures and stakes of the toys get bigger, the emotional thread continues the vision established by the writers in the first film. This is what the best trilogies do, but Tarantino thinks many trilogies struggle to pull it off.
Read more: Quentin Tarantino on Hollywood’s thirst for spec scripts
The tricky part of writing a trilogy
While writing a first screenplay is difficult, writing a trilogy can be even harder. Not only did the theme have to run through the rest of the series, but the stakes had to be higher.
part of the reason toy story As a trilogy of works, we see Andy’s growth through his relationship with toys, which can be regarded as an allegory of life stages. We learn about the impact his actions (or lack thereof) have on these sentient objects who love him unconditionally. when we reach the final moment toy story 3The farewell was, in Tarantino’s words, “magnificent” and “devastating,” as there could be no better punctuation mark for this story about childhood.
Another trilogy that hits the mark perfectly is Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, also known as the Unknown Man trilogy—handful of dollars, spend a few dollars moreand The good, the bad and the ugly. like toy storyimproving upon each film while keeping the storyline relatively the same. In this case, the three films tell the simple story of a lone gunman dealing with a conflict between rival families.
While many trilogies often see significant improvements from the first film to the second, they often fail to maintain or exceed the improvements of the third film. So, how do you maintain the momentum you created in your second film with your next film?
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966)
How to Write a Trilogy
The smartest way to write a trilogy is to focus on the central idea that underpins its world. There are several ways to achieve this.
Learn about genres
Genre is everything and it helps you set the tone throughout your theme, tone, and pace. Once you understand the genre inside out, you can start playing with or subverting its conventions.
Trilogies are more common in science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian novels, but they can appear in any genre, including westerns or animated films. The genre you choose allows you to play with tropes and then subvert them to take the story beyond the first film.
If you’re writing in a new genre for the first time, ScreenCraft’s genre notes can help you hone in on industry expectations for genre work. Whether you’re intent on borrowing or subverting, industry professionals can help you craft a strong draft that lays the foundation for your trilogy.
Learn more: 101 Story Prompts for Mixing Genres
Choose your driving force
The two main forces that drive a story are character and plot. Both are important, but which one moves your story forward across the three films?
In a role-based model, the defining characteristic is… the role! There are two ways to implement this model: Focus on the character’s growth throughout the story (e.g. Woody and the toys) toy story), or a static character who represents a theme through his or her presence (e.g. Max in Max) mad max Movie).
Plot-based models, on the other hand, emphasize story progression. The mission, quest, or overall theme drives the narrative forward, while the characters play a secondary role. Lord of the Rings is the best example of a plot-driven trilogy. While it doesn’t ignore the characters and the hero’s journey, exploration is what drives motivation and the story forward.
Choose a plot structure
For any screenplay you’re writing, establishing a trilogy will help you plan how to tell the story. The best way to approach a sequel is to outline the overall structure that connects the story.
hunger games (Technically this is a trilogy, with the last part being split into two films for logistical reasons) Following a three-act structure, each film is the inciting incident (Capitol is furious at the winner of the Olympics), with the midpoint ( the spark that ignited the revolution), and the climax/resolution (ending the country’s totalitarian dictatorship).
You can also make each story in the trilogy its own standalone story, sharing connective tissue with the others. back to the future is a trilogy that shares characters and the connective tissue of time travel, but places the central characters at different points in time to play out entirely new stories.
“Back to the Future” (1985)
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While writers don’t always plan to write a trilogy, this can be a rare opportunity that you should take advantage of. Understanding the formulas, what worked, and the overall narrative goals of the first and second films will help you craft a great third film – whether you’re writing an original trilogy, adapting a three-book series, or at a later stage in it Join franchise life. For a film so well-crafted to even win praise from Tarantino is the ultimate win for any fan or screenwriter.
Read more: How to write a successful sequel like ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’
