Toy Story 4 will be directed by Josh Cooley, with John Lasseter stepping stepping down from the role. Disney and Pixar announced this on stage at the D23 Expo during its animation panel. Cooley started worked at Pixar as an intern on the original Cars movie, while most recently working as the head of story and writer of Inside Out. John Lasseter, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer, is still remaining on the film as an executive producer, explaining, "...I'm going to be working really closely with Josh and his team, mentoring him and teaching him everything I know" CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH JOHN LASSETER FROM THE D23 EXPO ABOVE. They also showcased a bit of behind the scenes footage, including footage of Jeff Pidgeon, who voices the Aliens, recording the film's very first line of dialogue. Toy Story 4 was announced back in 2014, along with Lasseter's involvement as director. It was original set for June 2017 release date, before being pushed to June 21, 2019.