Toy Story

Toy Story is a 1995 American computer animated fantasy comedy adventure movie directed by John Lassiter. 

It was the first Disney/Pixar animated movie and the first animated movie to be completely done with computers instead of hand-drawn animation. 

Wikipedia

At Pixar, Lasseter created short, computer-animated films to show off the Pixar Image Computer's capabilities, and the 1988 short Tin Toy – a story told from the perspective of a toy, referencing Lasseter's love of classic toys—would go on to claim the 1988 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, the first computer-generated film to do so.

In the 1990s, Disney approached Lasseter about creating a Christmas special follow-up to Tin Toy, called A Tin Toy Christmas. Originally the film was going to only be six minutes long, but Lasseter asked for 30 minutes. Peter Schneider, former President of Walt Disney Studios, then green-lit a full-length feature instead.

Pixar made the movie while Disney packaged it and sold the reels of the movie to movie theaters. 

Toy Story was released on November 22, 1995. Due to tension between Pixar and Disney over whose film it really was, Toy Story had two premiers, one hosted by Disney and one hosted by Pixar chairman Steve Jobs. Disney invited actors and other Hollywood celebrities, Jobs invited people from the tech industry.

“Toy Story” wasn't the original film title. During production, the crew used the working name “Toy Story” - which they decided to keep - but other titles for the film included "Toyz in the Hood", "The Cowboy & The Spaceman", "I'm With Stupid" and "Did Not, Did Too."

Toy Story had many rejected titles when looking for an official one, some of these including "Toyz in the Hood" and "The Cowboy & The Spaceman", in the end however they went with Toy Story which was originally just a temporary placeholder name during the creation of the project.

Director John Lasseter revealed that his own childhood toys inspired the characters of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. 

John Lasseter (left) holding the action figure of Buzz Lightyear,

In the film's first test, Buzz Lightyear was originally called Tempus From Morph. It was later changed to Lunar Larry and then Buzz Lightyear to honor Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

Comic actor Tim Allen is the voice of Buzz Lightyear, but Jim Carrey was one of several people considered for the role. Billy Crystal was originally offered the part of Buzz, but he declined. Crystal later said in an interview that it was the biggest mistake of his career.

Sheriff Woody Pride is voiced by Tom Hanks in the feature-length films and short films. Tom Hanks' brother, Jim Hanks, provides the voice for Woody in the Toy Story video games, short films, toys and basically anything that isn't the Pixar movies.

Woody was based on a pull-string Casper doll Lassiter once owned. He was originally a spooky-looking ventriloquist doll and was mean to the other toys. Disney felt a ventriloquist would be too scary for children, so Lasseter changed him to a pull-string toy. He also gave Woody a different, much nicer personality.

Woody as he appears in Toy Story 3

The Space Ranger took inspiration from the superior GI Joe action figure that the young Lassiter moved on to when he grew bored of his pull-string Casper doll.

Woody’s owner Andy was named after and based on Andy Luckey, the son of legendary animator Bud Luckey, Pixar's fifth employee and the creator of Sheriff Woody Pride. 

In all three Toy Story movies the number 95 is sprinkled throughout several scenes. The number is a reference to 1995, when the first film was released.

In their most productive week, the Pixar team animated 3½ minutes of the film Toy Story.

The toys never blink both eyes at the same time, instead blinking one eye at a time. It's an animation trope called ‘Offset Blink’. 

While Toy Story 2 was in production, an employee accidentally deleted the film. Luckily, a pregnant animator had a copy on her home computer since she wanted to work while taking care of her new baby.

The Etch a Sketch's appearance in Toy Story 2 increased sales of the product by 20% and saved The Ohio Art Company from financial ruin.

Sources NME, IBTimes