The Jessie Movie

The Jessie Movie is a 2021 computer-animated comedy film by Disney and Owen Laramore Studios. Taking place right after Toy Story Of Terror!, Joan Cusack returns as Jessie, with Josh Gad, Danny DeVito, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher McDonald, Dee Bradley Baker, Jim Broadbent, Jay Leno, Bobby Cannavale, and Colin Firth in supporting roles. The Jessie Movie was released on Disney+, alongside Noah's Ark and Tokyo Zoo.

Released theatrically on July 25, 2021, the film grossed over $383 million, and was nominated for "Favorite Family Movie" by critics. The film was directed by Will Gluck, Jun Falkenstein (in his directorial debut in a computer-animatied film), Bradley Raymond, and Owen Laramore (in his directoral debut), and produced by Bonnie Arnold, while Falkenstein did the co-screenplay with Jonathan Goldstein. The plot follows Jessie setting out to become a brave cowgirl. Rated PG by the MPAA, the film was narrated by Teri Hatcher and became a box office success by the end of its initial theatrical run.

David Newman composed the film's score. The film was made when Owen Laramore Studios stopped doing direct-to-video programs to focus primarily on theatrically released films.

Plot
Jessie the yodeling cowgirl has always been one of Bonnie's toys. But one day she decides she has had enough of being scared. On a play called "The Fierce Dinosaur", where they have to save the tumbling tower, Jessie angrily destroys the tower and leaves Bonnie's house, wanting to be brave.

Along the way, she befriends five Chinstrap penguins, a woman warrior named Olivia, a white tiger, and a anthropomorphic rhino named Hero Rhino. Then they encounter a bank robber named Stan stealing money on a train. Unafraid, Jessie grabs onto the train, grabs all the money back, and Stan retreats.

After encountering several misadventures in their journey, the group learns why Stan became a bank robber. As Jessie and the others approach Stan's mine, lava shoots up from underneath the ground, and Hero Rhino barely misses death by falling and being shot back the safety. The group stops for the night. Jessie learns that when she's brave, there's nothing she can't do. Jessie is corrupted by a scary dream in which her friends appeared and were all super old and wrinkly.

Meanwhile, Woody, Buzz and the others start to worry about Jessie, so they go out to find her. Upon finding her with her new friends, they think they have brianwashed her and capture them, but Jessie orders them to stop and confesses that she is already brave. Impressed by this, the toys free her team.

Just at that moment, Stan passes by on the train. Jessie jumps on the train in pursuit. Jessie takes over the train, resulting in Stan falling to his death. After that Jessie says goodbye to her team and heads back home with her old friends. At a new "The Fierce Dinosaur" play, Jessie saves the day and declares this thing she cannot forget, "When You're Brave, There's Nothing You Can't Do."

Cast
Joan Cusack as Jessie, a yodeling cowgirl doll.

Josh Gad as Jeremy, leader of the Chinstrap penguin pack that Jessie befriends.

Danny DeVito as White Tiger, a wild cat who joins forces with Jessie.

Lupita Nyong'o as Olivia, a warrior who joins forces with Jessie.

Christopher McDonald as Hero Rhino, a rhino demigod who joins forces with Jessie.

Dee Bradley Baker as Rick, one of the Chinstrap penguins who Jessie befriends.

Jim Broadbent as Kendall, one of the Chinstrap penguins who Jessie befriends.

Jay Leno as Chris, one of the Chinstrap penguins who Jessie befriends.

Bobby Cannavale as Alvin, one of the Chinstrap penguins who Jessie befriends.

Teri Hatcher as the Narrator

Colin Firth as Stan, a bank robber who wants to kill Jessie.

Jim Hanks as Woody (replacing his brother Tom Hanks)

Christopher Corey Smith as Buzz Lightyear (replacing Tim Allen)

Ray Winstone as Mr. Potato Head (replacing the late Don Rickles)

Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head; this was Harris's last animated feature before her death.

Wallace Shawn as Rex

John Ratzenberger as Hamm

Blake Clark as Slinky Dog

Jeff Pidgeon as Aliens

Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants

Kristen Schaal as Trixie

Bonnie Hunt as Dolly

Jeff Bennett as Buttercup (replacing Jeff Garlin)

Production
On June 23, 2019, Owen Laramore and his fellow filmmakers were having lunch at a cafe, where it was planned, alongside The Disney Infinity Movie, The Jungle Book, and Disney Dimensions. On November 22, 2019 it announced the closure of its direct-to-video unit to permanently focus on theatrical films. But at the same time, those four films entered production. The filmmakers set their next film to be about Jessie from the Toy Story films, with Bradley Raymond, Will Gluck, and Jun Falkenstein set to direct. In October 2020, Laramore was hired to join the directors as his directorial debut.

Casting
In 2020, Joan Cusack said she wanted to reprise the role because she "hasn't played her since Toy Story 4 was released". Later, Josh Gad, Dee Bradley Baker, Jim Broadbent, Jay Leno, and Bobby Cannavale were cast as a group of five Chinstrap penguins that join Jessie on her mission, and Gluck briefly accepted those humors. Al Roker, who was at Owen Laramore Studios in Lego Disney: The Road To The Castle, was considered for the role of the White Tiger, which he later regretted due to his lines being related to sexual differences, and Laramore gave the role to Danny DeVito, which he accepted. Lupita Nyong'o was chosen to voice Warrior Olivia because of how suitable her voice was.

For the character Hero Rhino, Laramore tried considering Dick Van Dyke and Patrick Stewart, but those sounded too soft, and Christopher McDonald took the role and explained that his voice sounded very rhino-like. Colin Farrell was cast as a bank robber named Stan in January 2021.

Music
The Jessie Movie was the first Owen Laramore film not scored by Mark Mothersbaugh. David Newman composed the score due to Mothersbaugh being too busy with other projects.