‘Toy Story 5’ Producer Reveals the Heartfelt Letter That Convinced Taylor Swift to Write a Song

Taylor Swift has another record-breaking hit with “I Knew It, I Knew You” but the story behind how it landed in Toy Story 5 might surprise fans.

The superstar, 36, was not initially interested in writing an original song for the movie, but that changed when Pixar producer Jessica Choi sent her a heartfelt letter explaining the film.

According to the letter obtained by Forbes and published on Friday, June 19, Choi made a compelling case for Swift to come aboard.

“I’m fully aware that Austin has already discussed writing an original song for the film so there is absolutely no pressure if you continue to decide this isn’t the right time, but we would certainly kick ourselves if we didn’t give you some background on the film and the team we’ve fought to build,” Choi wrote.

She went on to share her own story, revealing she joined Toy Story 5 as an “outsider” after working on franchise films including Thor: Ragnarok, Avatar and Cats.

“My then goal was to work with strong female creatives on equally big films focused around a female protagonist,” she wrote.

Choi admitted she had hesitated to join Toy Story 5 at first, given the franchise’s historically male-centered focus, but the script showed her “an opportunity to change that.”

“We are so inspired by your journey carving a path in a male dominated industry and advocating for it through music, and we believe if Jessie were not but a tiny toy, she would be equally inspired and would also have the whole world in the palm of her hand,” Choi continued.

She added that the team had made “huge efforts” to “build a team around Jessie that could do her justice.”

Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, is the cowgirl doll who takes the lead in the fifth film.

The BBC reported that the fifth installment debuted with $160 million in domestic ticket sales according to studio estimates released Sunday, setting a new franchise record and notching the biggest opening weekend of the year.