The Jessie Movie

The Jessie Movie is a 2021 computer-animated comedy film by Disney and Owen Laramore Studios. Taking place right after the events of the TV special, Toy Story Of Terror!, the film stars Joan Cusack, Josh Gad, Danny DeVito, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher McDonald, Colin Firth, and James Cromwell.

Released theatrically on July 25, 2021, the film grossed over $383 million, and was nominated for "Favorite Family Film" by critics. The film was directed by Jun Falkenstein, Bradley Raymond, and Owen Laramore (in his directoral debut), and produced by Bonnie Arnold, while Falkenstein did the co-screenplay with Jonathan Goldstein. The film's plot centers on Jessie setting out to become a brave cowgirl, with help from a group of new friends to guide her. Rated PG by the MPAA, the film became a box office success by the end of its initial theatrical run.

Joel McNeely 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, wanting to be brave, angrily destroys the tower and leaves Bonnie's house.

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

During the journey, they encounter several misadventures, such as sledding down a mountain, and being chased by a pteranodon. As Jessie and the others approach Stan's mine, lava shoots up from underneath the ground, and Hero Rhino barely misses certain death by falling himself and being shot back to safety. The group stops for the night, and 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. Once again, 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 back in Bonnie's house, Jessie saves the day and declares this thing she and all the toys cannot ever forget, "When You're Brave, There's Nothing You Can't Do." Barbie and Ken prepare to go home as the movie ends, and Ken stays to look at the end credits.

Cast
Joan Cusack as Jessie

Josh Gad as Jeremy the chinstrap penguin

Danny DeVito as White Tiger

Lupita Nyong'o as Olivia the warrior

Christopher McDonald as Hero Rhino

Colin Firth as Stan the bank robber

James Cromwell as Fameface the chinstrap penguin guru

Dee Bradley Baker as Rick the chinstrap penguin

Jim Broadbent as Kendall the chinstrap penguin

Jon Hamm as Chris the chinstrap penguin

Bobby Cannavale as Alvin the chinstrap penguin

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

Frank Welker as Bullseye
 * Welker also voices a Pteranodon

Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants

Kristen Schaal as Trixie

Bonnie Hunt as Dolly

Jeff Bennett as Buttercup (replacing Jeff Garlin)

Jodi Benson as Barbie

Michael Keaton as Ken

Production
On June 23, 2019, Owen Laramore and his fellow filmmakers were having lunch at a cafe, where it was planned, alongside Disney Infinity, 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 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 Raymond briefly accepted those humors. Al Roker was considered for the role of the White Tiger, which he later regretted, 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 Laramore wanted more comedy. Christopher McDonald took the role and explained that his voice sounded very rhino-like. Colin Firth and James Cromwell were cast in January 2021.

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