Jay Leno to Replace Conan O’Brien in Toy Story 5 Role
Replacement comes two days after O’Brien landed role in sequel.
By Bush Bill
From the bushes outside of Pixar HQ in Emeryville, I can now confirm that just two days after announcing that Conan O’Brien had joined the cast of the latest Toy Story sequel, the studio is now backstepping that casting and replacing O’Brien with Jay Leno. Pixar president, Jim Morris shared news of the recast with members of the press this morning outside of Pixar HQ.
“We just weren’t gaining the interests of Baby Boomers with this cast,” Morris said before asking a press member for a pen so he could write “talking shoes” on his arm. “Conan is great. I love Conan and younger audiences love Conan, the issue is that younger audiences don’t have money. In the 90s and 2000s you could cast people like Conan because the younger audience would beg their baby boomer parents to take them. These days, Boomers have no interest in a Toy Story sequel. Half because we don’t cast with them in mind and half because their kids don’t talk to them anymore, so they are not being dragged out to see our movies.”
With animation struggling and Pixar releases no longer being a sure thing at the box office, Morris would surely like a win from his studio's most prized property.
“I can take a loss, I’m no stranger to that, I mean come on, I was a producer on John Carter.” Morris said before asking for another pen to jot down “talking socks” on his other arm. “We need an audience with money and as someone who has money, I know what those folks like best. Jay. Leno.”
O’Brien is taking the news in stride. The comedian shared his disappointment with fans in an Instagram Story while sulking under his living room coffee table.
“I was really looking forward to voicing Smarty Pants,” O’Brien said as he looked for a clean tissue amongst a pile of wet crumpled tissues. “They offered me a smaller role as one of Be Peep’s sheep, but I refused. I am method when it comes to these roles and I don’t have enough time to get into the character. I’ll be fine though. I’ll bounce back. Maybe I can get in with Illumination. I do a mean Minion.”
O’Brien is repped by WME and Pariah. The bush I hid in for this story was a Milfoil in the bay.
