Released 15 years after the original 'Toy Story,' the third installment became a landmark for Pixar by becoming the first animated film to gross $1 billion. The film successfully appealed to the original audience, who had grown up alongside the character Andy, as well as a new generation of children. It utilized advanced lighting and shading techniques that were impossible during the first film. 'Toy Story 3' was so well-received that it became only the third animated film in history to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It solidified Pixar’s reputation for combining high-tech computer animation with deeply emotional, universal storytelling.